Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazars Rache (2017)

Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazars Rache: Directed by Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg. With Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Geoffrey Rush, Brenton Thwaites. Captain Jack Sparrow is pursued by old rival Captain Salazar and a crew of deadly ghosts who have escaped from the Devil’s Triangle. They’re determined to kill every pirate at sea…notably Jack.

“Five winters after On Stranger Tides, some of the same key characters (and a few new ones) return for this latest high seas adventure. Callow sailor Henry Turner is on a personal mission to retrieve the Trident of Poseidon, a powerful artifact thought by many to be a myth. In the course of his journey he crosses paths—and eventually aligns himself with—wanted pirate Captain Jack Sparrow, and ambitious astronomer Carina Smyth. The mission is further complicated when they run afoul of Sparrowu0026#39;s u0026#39;frenemyu0026#39; Captain Barbossa, and learn that a gang of undead sailors are coming their way. Follows essentially the same formula as The Curse of the Black Pearl, but the characters lack charisma (even Depp seems curiously subdued), the story is never really engaging, and all the rip-roaring action scenes and special effects can only carry this uninspired journey so far. Bardem effectively sneers and snarls as Captain Salazar, but heu0026#39;s one of the few highlights in an otherwise forgettable entry. **”