It has been 14-years since the unsuspecting cinema goers were introduced to a brand-new anti-hero, in the guise of a certain Captain Jack Sparrow.

As we are all aware, the first film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), was quite an unusual concept for a franchise, as it was spawned by a clever animatronic amusement park ride of the same name at Disneyland in Los Angeles.

Going by the fact that this idea had already been tried with video game crossovers to the big screen which all bombed at the box-office. I don’t think critics thought this film stood a chance.

Also, Pirate films were hugely popular back in the 1930’s and 40’s when Errol Flynn was ‘swashing his buckle’ but the genre has never done well in more recent years, Cuttroat Island (1995) anyone?

However, with the brilliant casting of Johnny Depp as the mumbling and constantly drunk Captain Jack Sparrow and Orlando Bloom’s good guy Will Turner and love interest to Keira Knightley’s tough, no nonsense, Elizabeth Swann. It just touched the noughties audience who were getting bored of remakes and reboots and wanted a bit of originality and if nothing else, Pirates was pretty original.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge is the fifth instalment of the popular series (will it soon overtake Fast & Furious?) There are two storylines this time around. Will and Elizabeth have fleeting air time here and are replaced by Will’s son Henry (Brenton Thwaites, a very good lookalike for Orlando Bloom) and Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario).

Henry needs to find the legendary Trident of Poseidon which holds total control of the seas and is the only thing that can release his Father from the curse he is under, banished to Davy Jones locker.

At the same time, a feared seafaring mercenary ship lead by Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), has broken free of the Devil’s Triangle and is out or revenge on the person that tricked him into the cove and cursing them to become the living dead…one Captain Jack Sparrow!

Sparrow is also the only person that can help Henry find the mysterious Trident.

Along the way, we see the return of Captain Hector Babossa (Geoffrey Rush) and the Black Pearl crew are back including Jack’s first mate Gibbs (Kevin McNally) and Scrum (Stephen Graham). We also have the return of the British Navy Soldiers version of the Keystone Cops and there bumbling, “Couldn’t shoot a barn door with a musket” act.

First of all, I must raise my hands to say that I have to admit that the film was entertaining and is probably the best episode since the original movie. The second and third instalments were just Ok but the forth one really ‘jumped the shark’.

Talking of sharks, there is a very good action sequence involving zombie white sharks attacking Jack and Henry (like Planet Earth on Steroids) which is exciting but maybe a little scary for small children, although the film does have a 12A certificate.

Once again, the Disney stable have sprinkled a little fairy dust over the special effects department to make Johnny Depp appear as a skinny twenty something version of himself in a flashback sequence, as Marvel have done with Michael Douglas, Robert Downey Jr. and Kurt Russell…how are they doing this?

Javier Bardem is excellent as the Spanish Captain Salazar, even though this is a similar character to Silva in the James Bond movie Skyfall. Also, a deranged man obsessed by revenge.

The problem I had with the rest of the film was that they had ‘upped the ante’ on the slapstick, which was far too much for my liking. Also, Captain Jack doesn’t really give much input into the proceedings and spends the whole film like some buffoon who is either drunk or wanting a drink.

Having said all the above, this film will no doubt make a lot of dollars for the house of mouse!

And If you haven’t heard already, this film also has one of the greatest cameo appearances ever.

In cinemas from May 25th

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