Phil sees PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES at the Cinelux Almaden Theater-June 5, 2011

Ok, I will be the first to admit that I couldn't believe that Disney made a part four. The first film was fantastic. Part two was decent, not too bad. Part three was atrocious. So I wasn't looking forward to see this film, but believe it or not, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES was actually an enjoyable film to watch.

Once again Johnny Depp once again returns as Captain Jack Sparrow, who now searches for the famed Fountain of Youth. To help him on his search is an old lover named Angelica Malon (played by the delicious Penelope Cruz), who's father is none other than Blackbeard the pirate (Ian McShane). However hot on their heels is Barbossa (portrayed once again by Geoffery Rush) who is now part of the Queen's Navel Fleet. Look for appearances by Keith Richards as Jack's father Captain Teague and Kevin McNally as Gibbs aiding Sparrow on his quest for the fountain.

To my surprise, the story was tight and flowed very well. What I liked about the film is that it's a contained story and doesn't tie in to the first three. While there are a couple of characters from the previous films, it's an entirely separate film. Granted the word is that this film is the beginning of a new trilogy of films. If Disney learned their mistakes from the previous trilogy, these next set of films could be very profitable for the company.

The success of the film must also be credited to its director Rob Marshall. Having directed such amazing films as CHICAGO, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, and NINE, Marshall does a tremendous job of capturing the pirate life onto celluloid. It's not easy directing a movie out on the ocean, let alone on other continents. The films moves very fluently without having it stall at any particular moment. This is very important when making an action/adventure film. Johnny Depp does Sparrow with the same pirate suave that we've seen him do before. Cruz however is hot and sexy and can fight with a sword like no other woman can. Very exotic and erotic all at the same time.

Overall PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES is a fun, swash-buckling good time that will make people forget about the dreadful, previous sequels. Think of it as the next exiting chapter in a series that could become an even bigger hit the original set of films. If Disney keeps this up for the next trilogy, it could very well be the pirate's life for me.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES is now playing nationwide, including at the Cinelux Theaters here in the South Bay. To view showtimes, visit their website at http://www.cineluxtheatres.com/index.asp

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!