Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Encyclopedia
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a 2011 adventure
fantasy film
and the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean series
. Gore Verbinski
, who had directed the three previous films, was replaced by Rob Marshall
, while Jerry Bruckheimer
again served as producer.
In the film, which draws inspiration from the novel On Stranger Tides
by Tim Powers
, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp
) is joined by Angelica (Penélope Cruz
) in his search for the Fountain of Youth
, confronting the infamous pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane
). The film was distributed by Walt Disney Pictures
, and had its theatrical debut in release dates falling within May 18 and May 20, 2011. The release was presented in Disney Digital 3-D
and IMAX 3D, as well as in traditional two-dimensional and IMAX
formats.
Writers Terry Rossio
and Ted Elliott
first learned of Powers' novel during the back-to-back production of Dead Man's Chest
and At World's End, and considered it a good starting point for a new movie in the series. Pre-production started after the end of the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
, with Johnny Depp collaborating with the writers on the story design. Principal photography
rolled for 106 days between June and November 2010, with locations in Hawaii, the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico, and California. Filming employed 3D cameras similar to those used in the production of the 2009 film Avatar, and ten companies were involved with the film's visual effects
.
On Stranger Tides broke many box office records upon release, and it stands as the 8th highest-grossing film of all time worldwide when not adjusting for inflation. Critical reviews were negative, the film receiving criticism over the script-writing, excessiveness, and lack of originality, but positive mentions were given for the acting, directing, and visuals.
(Kevin McNally
) in London
, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp
) is brought before King George II
(Richard Griffiths
), who wants Jack to guide an expedition to the Fountain of Youth
before the Spanish locate it. Heading the expedition is Jack's old nemesis, Captain Hector Barbossa
(Geoffrey Rush
), now a privateer
in service to the Royal Navy
after losing his leg and ship, the Black Pearl
.
Jack escapes, but his father, Captain Teague (Keith Richards
), finds him and warns Jack about the Fountain's tests. He also reveals that someone is impersonating Jack. The impostor is Angelica (Penélope Cruz
), Jack's former lover and daughter of the ruthless pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane
), who practices voodoo magic and, armed with a magical sword, possesses supernatural powers.
Jack is taken aboard Blackbeard's ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge
, and forced to lead the way to the Fountain and find two silver chalices that once belonged to Juan Ponce de León
, both believed to be aboard his lost ship. The Fountain's water must be drunk simultaneously from the two chalices. The person drinking from the chalice containing a mermaid
's tear has their life extended, while the other person dies, their life drained from their body. Meanwhile, Gibbs, having memorized and destroyed Jack's map, barters with Barbossa to guide him to the Fountain.
Blackbeard seeks the Fountain's power to circumvent his predestined fatal encounter with "a one-legged man," and sets a course for Whitecap Bay. There they are attacked by a vicious horde of mermaids, but Blackbeard captures one(Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey
). Philip Swift (Sam Claflin
), a captive missionary, falls in love with the mermaid and names her Syrena. Blackbeard then sends Jack to retrieve the chalices from de León's ship.
When Jack finds the grounded, decaying vessel, Barbossa is waiting inside and the Spanish are in possession of the chalices. However, Barbossa only seeks revenge against Blackbeard for capturing the Black Pearl, which forced Barbossa to amputate his own leg to escape. He and Jack join forces to defeat Blackbeard, then head to the nearby Spanish camp to steal the chalices. Meanwhile, Syrena, reciprocating Philip's love, is tricked into shedding a tear which Blackbeard collects, leaving her to die. Philip is forced to go with him. Jack returns with the chalices and Gibbs, with whom he had reunited while assisting Barbossa. Jack and Blackbeard bargain for Jack's confiscated magical compass and Gibbs' release. In return, Jack vows to give Blackbeard the chalices and lead him to the Fountain; Blackbeard agrees and Gibbs departs with the compass.
At the Fountain, Blackbeard and his crew are attacked by Barbossa, and then by the Spanish, there to destroy the Fountain, their king believing its power is an abomination against God. A battle ensues and Barbossa stabs Blackbeard with a poison-laced sword. Angelica accidentally cuts herself while removing it from Blackbeard. Barbossa claims the sword and assumes command, leaving with Blackbeard's crew. Meanwhile, Philip, though mortally wounded, escapes and returns to free Syrena. After finding the chalices that the Spaniard had tossed into deep water, Syrena gives them to Jack, then retrieves the dying Philip and takes him underwater.
With Blackbeard and Angelica wounded, Blackbeard asks his daughter to sacrifice herself. Angelica agrees but Jack tricks Blackbeard into drinking the wrong chalice and giving Angelica the tear, which saves Angelica and kills Blackbeard. Despite declaring their love, Jack, knowing Angelica may avenge her father's death, strands her on an island, intending for a passing ship to find her. Meanwhile, Barbossa, who now commands the Queen Anne's Revenge, renounces his ties to the crown and reverts to piracy. Jack finds Gibbs, who used Jack's compass to locate the Revenge and retrieve the miniaturized Black Pearl, as well as other captured ships that Blackbeard had magically shrunk and bottled. The two head off, hoping to find a way to return the Pearl to her original size.
In a post-credits scene
, Angelica, still on the island, finds Blackbeard's voodoo doll of Jack, which has washed ashore.
stated it was the end of the trilogy, but the idea of a spin-off was still possible. After the film's successful opening weekend, Dick Cook
, former Chairman of the Walt Disney Studios, said he was interested in a fourth installment. Ted Elliott
and Terry Rossio
had started working on a script in 2007, but they were interrupted by the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
, and only resumed in mid-2008. On September 25, 2008, during a Disney event at the Kodak Theater, Cook and Johnny Depp, in full Captain Jack Sparrow costume, announced that a fourth Pirates movie was in development.
In June 2009 Bruckheimer indicated Disney would prefer the fourth installment of Pirates to be released before The Lone Ranger film, which he, Johnny Depp, Ted Elliott
, and Terry Rossio
had been working on for release on May 20, 2011. He hoped Gore Verbinski
would return to direct the fourth film, as his BioShock film adaptation had been put on hold. As Verbinski was unavailable, Bruckheimer suggested Rob Marshall
, who he considered a "premiere filmmaker", stating that "Every film [Marshall] made I thought was unique and different." On July 21, 2009, Marshall accepted the job, because of the " whole new story line and set of characters. It felt new, and that was important to me." Marshall said the film provided him a long-awaited opportunity to work with Depp, and that his directing was helped by past experience as a choreographer – "the action sequences felt like big production numbers." On September 11, 2009, at Disney's D23
convention, the title was announced as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
Cook resigned in September 2009 after working for Disney for over 38 years. Depp's faith in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was somewhat shaken after the resignation, with Depp explaining that "There's a fissure, a crack in my enthusiasm at the moment. It was all born in that office". Depp also explained Cook was one of the few who accepted his portrayal of Jack Sparrow: "When things went a little sideways on the first Pirates movie
and others at the studio were less than enthusiastic about my interpretation of the character, Dick was there from the first moment. He trusted me".
and At World's End, writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio discovered Tim Powers
' 1987 novel On Stranger Tides
, which they considered a good foundation on which to base "a new chapter" in the Pirates series. Disney bought the rights to the novel in April 2007. Rossio stated that he and Elliot had considered using Blackbeard and the Fountain of Youth in the story before reading the book, "but whenever you say those words, Powers' novel comes to mind. There was no way we could work in that field without going into territory Tim had explored." However, they denied that it would be a straight version of the novel: "Blackbeard came from the book, and in the book there is a daughter character, too. But Jack Sparrow is not in the book, nor is Barbossa. So I wouldn't call this an adaptation." Rossio declared the script was written to be a standalone film, "kind of a James Bond
sort of thing", instead of the "designed to be a trilogy" structure of the previous installments. They hoped to "design a story that would support new characters," as characters such as Will Turner
would not return. Bruckheimer added that there was a decision to "streamline the story a little bit, make it a little simpler and not have as many characters to follow", as the number of characters and subplots in At World's End caused the film to have an unwieldy length. The duo decided to employ another sea myth alluded in the previous episodes: mermaids, which are briefly referenced in the book. The mermaids' role expanded in the script, which included a vast attack sequence.
Depp was deeply involved with the story design, frequently meeting the writers to show what he was interested in doing, and in the words of Rossio, being "involved in coming up with story lines, connecting characters, creating moments that we would then fashion, shape and then go back." Among Depp's suggestions were turning Phillip into a missionary, and having a Spanish contingent following the protagonists. Afterwards, Rob Marshall and executive producer John DeLuca met Rossio and Elliot, and did alterations of their own, including building the female lead.
expressed interest in returning to his role as Barbossa, and Bruckheimer later confirmed his presence. Three other actors from the previous films returned, Kevin McNally
as Joshamee Gibbs
, Greg Ellis
as Lt. Theodore Groves, and Damian O'Hare
as Lt. Gilette. Keith Richards
also had a cameo, reprising his role as Captain Teague from At World's End; he and Depp tried to persuade Mick Jagger
to audition for the part of a pirate elder. Previous cast members Orlando Bloom
and Keira Knightley
stated that they would not reprise their roles, as they wanted to be involved in different films. They both thought the storyline involving their characters had gone as far as it could. On February 5, 2010, Mackenzie Crook
also announced he would not be reprising his role of Ragetti
, stating, "They haven't asked me. But actually I don't mind that at all. I'm a fan of the first one especially and I think the trilogy we've made is great. I'd almost like them to leave it there."
New cast members include Ian McShane
, who plays the notorious pirate and primary antagonist of the film, Blackbeard
, and Penélope Cruz
, who plays Angelica, Jack Sparrow's love interest. Marshall said Cruz was the only actress considered for the role, saying she fit the description as "an actress who could not only go toe to toe with Johnny and match him, but also needed to be all the things that Jack Sparrow is in a way. She needed to be funny and clever and smart and crafty and beautiful." Depp recommended Stephen Graham
, who worked with him in Public Enemies, to play Scrum, a Machiavellian pirate and sidekick to Jack Sparrow. Sam Claflin
was chosen to play the missionary Philip, and British actor Paul Bazely
also joined the cast.
Casting for mermaids required the actresses to have natural breasts—no implants. As Bruckheimer explained to EW
, "I don’t think they had breast augmentation in the 1700s, [...] So it’s natural for casting people to say, ‘We want real people.'" Spanish-French actress Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey
was selected to play Syrena, and Australian supermodel Gemma Ward
became Tamara, the villainous Queen of the Mermaids. Spanish news website El Pais reported that the film had four Spanish actors: Cruz, Bergès-Frisbey, Óscar Jaenada, and Juan Carlos Vellido
.
began on June 14, 2010, in Hawaii. Filming was moved to California
in August 2010, primarily at the Long Beach
shore and a recreation of Whitecap Bay done in the Universal Studios
backlot. After a brief shoot at Palomino Island
in Puerto Rico
, production moved to the United Kingdom in September, where principal photography wrapped on November 18 after 106 days of shooting. Locations included Pinewood Studios
in London, and Old Royal Naval College
at Greenwich
. The producers also considered using New Orleans as a location. In October, security was breached at the UK site when a celebrity impersonator gained access to filming at the Old Royal Naval College by dressing up as Captain Jack.
After the joint production of Dead Man's Chest and At World's End cost over $300 million, Disney decided to give a lower budget to the fourth installment. Many costs had to be cut, including moving primary production to Hawaii and London, where tax credits are more favorable, and having a shorter shooting schedule and fewer scenes featuring special effects compared to At World's End. The tighter schedule—according to Bruckheimer, "We had a 22-week post, and for a picture like this, with almost 1,200 visual effects shots, it's usually 40 weeks"—meant that Marshall supervised editing of sequences during filming.
Jerry Bruckheimer said the decision to film in 3D was made due to its being "immersive filmmaking; I think it makes you part of the actual filming because you’re part of the screen." Bruckheimer described it as the first major "exterior movie" to be shot in 3D, as Avatar was mostly done in sound stages. At first Marshall was not much interested in 3D, but the director eventually considered it a film that could benefit from the format. "You are on an adventure and with the 3D experience you are inside that adventure." While the original plan was to add 3D effects during post-production, the decision was made to film with 3D cameras. Only one sequence was shot conventionally and needed a 3D conversion. The cameras were improved versions of the ones James Cameron
developed for Avatar, which were made more compact for extra mobility. This meant the cameras could be brought into locations such as the Hawaiian jungle.
, which were done by ten visual effects companies. Cinesite
visual effects supervisor Simon Stanley-Clamp claimed that the most difficult part was doing the effects in 3D: "Rotoscoping is tricky. Cleaning up plates is double the work, and tracking
has to be spot on." The lead companies, with over 300 effects each, were Industrial Light & Magic—responsible for, among others, the mermaids and most water effects—and Moving Picture Company
, who created digital ships and environment extensions, such as changing weather and designing cliffs and waterfalls. Filming the mermaids involved eight model-actresses, who portrayed them outside the water, as well as 22 synchronized swimming
athletes and stuntmen who wore motion capture
suits and were later replaced by digital mermaids. The design tried to avoid the traditional representations of mermaids in paintings and literature, instead going for a scaly body with a translucent membrane inspired by both jellyfish and the fabric employed in ballet tutu
s. To make the mermaids more menacing underwater, the faces of the actresses had some digital touch-ups on the underwater scenes, adding sharper teeth and a shimmery fish scale quality on the skin. Cinesite handled the recreation of London and Barbossa's peg leg, CIS Hollywood did 3D corrections and minor shots, and Method Studios
created matte painting
s.
, who had worked in all previous movies; he was the main composer for the second and third installments. Zimmer said that he tried to incorporate a rock n' roll sound, as he felt "pirates were the rock 'n' rollers of many, many years ago", and Spanish elements, which led to a collaboration with Mexican guitarists Rodrigo y Gabriela
and a tango
song written by Penélope Cruz's brother Eduardo. American composer Eric Whitacre
helped with choir-based songs, and Geoff Zanelli
worked on many songs.
' announcement of a delay in the Spider-Man reboot
and Paramount Pictures
slating Thor
for May 6, 2011. The film was released in IMAX 3D, as well as traditional 2D and IMAX
format, with Dolby 7.1 surround sound.
The world premiere of On Stranger Tides was on May 7, 2011, at a premium ticket screening at Disneyland in Anaheim, California
, home of the original Pirates of the Caribbean ride that inspired the film series. Many of the film's stars were in attendance. Two other early screenings followed, one in Moscow
on May 11, and another during the Cannes International Film Festival on May 14. The international release dates fell within May 18 and May 20, with opening dates in the United Kingdom on May 18, in Australia on May 19, and in North America on May 20. The film was released on a then-record 402 IMAX screens, 257 screens in North America
, and 139 in other territories. The total number of theaters was 4,155 in North America and 18,210 worldwide.
on December 4, 2010. Three trailers were released, one in December, which had a 3D version included with the release of Tron: Legacy and broadcast by ESPN 3D
; a Super Bowl XLV
spot on February 2011, which was later released online in an extended version; and a final trailer in March that focused more on the plot than the previous trailer and commercials.
Promotional tie-ins included Lego Pirates of the Caribbean
toy sets and a related video game
, a cell phone app by Verizon Wireless
, a special edition of Pirate's Booty
, lines of nail polish by OPI, clothing from Hot Topic
, and jewelry from Swarovski
. Goldline International
produced replicas of the "Pieces of Eight
" coins from the movies and gold Mexican Escudo
coins, which were given in sweepstakes at the El Capitan Theatre
. At Disney California Adventure, the Pirates of the Caribbean segment of the World of Color show was extended to include visual clips and music from On Stranger Tides.
on September 12, 2011 in the United Kingdom
, topping both the Blu-ray and DVD sales charts during its first two weeks. The film had its high-definition home release on October 18, 2011 in the United States
and Canada
. Three different physical packages were made available: a 2-disc combo pack (Blu-ray and DVD), a 5-disc combo pack (2-disc Blu-ray, 1-disc Blu-ray 3D, 1-disc DVD, and 1-disc Digital Copy), and a 15-disc collection featuring all four Pirates movies. On Stranger Tides was also released as a movie download in both high definition and 3D. The regular DVD edition came out on November 15.
In its first week of release, it sold 1.71 million Blu-ray units and generated $48.50 million, topping the weekly Blu-ray chart. However these results were quite skewed due to the one-month delay of its DVD-only release. It sold 2.33 million Blu-ray units ($64.11 million) after three weeks.
behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. It is also the second most successful installment of the series behind Dead Man's Chest, and the third highest-grossing Disney
feature of all time worldwide behind Dead Man's Chest and Toy Story 3
.
By grossing $350.6 million worldwide on its opening weekend, On Stranger Tides surpassed At World's Ends $334 million as best in the series, and ranks it as the fifth highest worldwide opening. It also scored the largest worldwide debut of all time at IMAX
theaters ($16.7 million) with a $61,000 per theater average, before being surpassed by Dark of the Moon ($23.1 million) and Deathly Hallows - Part 2 ($23.2 million).
It set records for reaching $500, $600 and $700 million worldwide the fastest (in 10, 12 and 16 days respectively), records since overtaken by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. After 46 days in theaters (July 2, 2011), it crossed the $1-billion-mark, becoming the eighth film in cinema history and the fourth film released by Walt Disney Studios to reach the milestone. It stands as the fourth-fastest film overall and the fastest Disney film to do so.
spectacle (Alice in Wonderland
- $116.1 million). 3D showings accounted for only 46 percent of its opening weekend gross. On its second weekend, On Stranger Tides placed third in the North American box office with $39.3 million, behind The Hangover: Part II and Kung Fu Panda 2. It closed in theaters on September 29, 2011, with a $241.1 million gross which puts it as the fourth highest-grossing film of the year in North America behind Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Dark of the Moon and Hangover 2, but also as the least profitable film of the franchise. Finally, while May 2011 was the highest-grossing May ever ($1.04 billion), On Stanger Tides was the top-grossing movie of the month (with $166.8 million), despite playing for just 12 days during May.
and Deathly Hallows – Part 2. Finally, On Stranger Tides is the highest-grossing Pirates film in at least 58 territories.
During its opening day on the foreign theatrical circuit (Wednesday 18 May 2011), the film made $18.5 million from 10 territories. On Stranger Tides added 37 territories and $25.7 million on Thursday, for a two-day total of $44.2 million, and on Friday, it expanded to almost the entire overseas market, earning $46.2 million for a three-day total of $92.1 million. On its 5-day opening weekend as a whole, it earned a then-record-breaking $260.4 million from 18,210 screens in more than 100 territories, in all which it reached first place at the box office. The record debut was surpassed later in the same summer season by Deathly Hallows Part 2. Unlike North America, 3D showings had a much larger account of the profit internationally, accounting for 66 percent of the weekend gross. It dominated for three weekends at the overseas box office despite competition from Hangover 2, Kung Fu Panda 2 and X-Men: First Class
. It reached the $300, $400 and $500-million-mark at the overseas box office in record time (7, 11 and 14 days respectively), but these records were also overtaken by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.
On Stranger Tides set opening day records on both Russia
- which includes the CIS
- and Sweden
, as well as opening weekend records in many nations - the film still retains the record in both Russia and the CIS, and Ukraine
. Its highest grossing market after North America was Japan
($108,856,481), where it managed to surpass the $100-million-mark and mark the franchise's highest-grossing film. Other countries where it earned more than $10 million include China
($70,000,000), Russia and the CIS ($63,616,527), Germany
($62,438,491), the United Kingdom
, Ireland
and Malta
($54,187,325), France
and the Maghreb
region ($49,217,332), Brazil ($30,396,681), Australia
($29,006,640), Mexico
($28,992,018), Spain
($27,122,003), South Korea
($25,635,913), Italy
($24,461,143), the Netherlands
($14,567,517), Sweden ($13,213,495), Argentina ($11,696,923) and Poland
($10,110,633). It is the highest-grossing film of 2011 in Russia and the CIS, Ukraine, Greece
($5,218,525), Portugal
and Angola
($4,232,686), South Africa
($3,651,559), Romania
($2,289,003), Bulgaria
($1,497,671), Egypt
($746,032), Estonia
($672,162), and Latvia
($487,793).
reports that 33% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 242 reviews, with a rating average of 5 out of 10. The site's consensus was "It's shorter and leaner than the previous sequel, but this Pirates runs aground on a disjointed plot and a non-stop barrage of noisy action sequences." Metacritic
, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gives the film a rating score of 45 based on 39 reviews. CinemaScore
polls reported that the average grade moviegoers gave the film was a B plus on an A plus to F scale.
Roger Ebert
gave On Stranger Tides two out of four stars, saying that although the removal of Knightley and Bloom as well as the addition of Cruz were positive aspects, the film in general was "too much of a muchness" for him. Tom Long of The Detroit News
gave a D+, saying that Jack Sparrow had "worn out his welcome". Despite the more linear plot, "the movie is still ridiculous". He found On Stranger Tides to be "precisely what you'd expect of the fourth installment of a movie based on an amusement park ride: a whole lot of noise, plenty of stunts and complete silliness." British film critic Mark Kermode
gave the film an overwhelmingly negative review on his 5 Live show, saying "it's not as staggeringly misjudged as the third part, because it is just nothing, it is just a big empty nothing".
As with the previous films, the plot was criticized as incoherent and confusing. The Arizona Republic
critic Bill Goodykoontz rated the film two out of five, stating that "the movie is a series of distractions tossed together in the hopes that they will come together in a coherent story. That never really happens." Online reviewer James Berardinelli
considered the script "little more than a clothesline from which to dangle all of the obligatory set pieces", and USA Today
s Claudia Puig found On Stranger Tides "familiar and predictable, ... often incoherent and crammed with pointless details."
Many felt that the film, while better than its predecessor, never reaches the level of the first in the franchise. Mike Scott from The Times-Picayune mentions that "while this latest chapter isn't quite sharp enough to restore the sense of discovery that made that first outing so darn exciting, it's enough to make up for most of the missteps that made the third one so darn arrgh-inducing." Writing for The A.V. Club
, Tasha Robinson described On Stranger Tides as "a smaller film than past installments, by design and necessity", and felt that "the series has needed this streamlining" as the film "feels lightweight, but that's still better than bloated."
On Stranger Tides also had positive reviews; some critics found the film to be entertaining and well-made. Justine Cohen of 7films emphasized how "Depp gives another fantastic performance, so much so that the absence of Knightley and Bloom was not felt in the slightest". Richard Roeper
gave the film a B+, describing it as "the most fun installment since the first", calling the story "pure cartoon, but a lot easier to follow than the other sequels", and summing as "the franchise is getting tired, but Penelope energizes it." Along the same lines, Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post
gave the film three out of four stars, writing that it "feels as fresh and bracingly exhilarating as the day Jack Sparrow first swashed his buckle, infusing new reckless energy into a franchise that shows no signs of furling its sails". She said that Marshall "swiftly and without fuss delivers the action set pieces and eye-popping escapism" and praised Depp, Cruz, and McShane's performances. Ray Bennett from The Hollywood Reporter
considered that Marshall "shows terrific flair with all the usual chases and sword fights, and he handles the 3D well", and welcomed Penélope Cruz's character, saying she "brings her Oscar-winning vivacity" and had "lively sexual tension" with Depp. Writing for The Globe and Mail
, Rick Groen found the action scenes to range from "merely competent to tritely cluttered", but he was pleased with the overall result, calling McShane a "fresh villain" whose "stentorian tones are welcome anywhere". Variety
's Andrew Barker considered the film derivative, but accessible. "It has nary an original idea and still doesn't make much sense, but it's lost all pretensions that it should". He praised Geoffrey Rush, stating that he "not only gets the funniest lines and reaction shots, but also starts to siphon away much of the roguish charm that used to be Depp's stock and trade."
: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie, Sci-Fi/Fantasy Actor, Sci-Fi/Fantasy Actress, and Villain. Its trailer and TV spot were nominated for Golden Trailer Awards
.
Adventure film
Adventure films are a genre of film.Unlike pure, low-budget action films they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way....
fantasy film
Fantasy film
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
and the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean series
Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)
Pirates of the Caribbean is a series of fantasy-adventure films directed by Gore Verbinski and Rob Marshall , written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
. Gore Verbinski
Gore Verbinski
Gregor "Gore" Verbinski is an American film director, writer and musician. He is best known for directing the films The Ring, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Rango.-Early life:...
, who had directed the three previous films, was replaced by Rob Marshall
Rob Marshall
Rob Marshall is an American theater director, film director and choreographer. He is a six-time Tony Award nominee, Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe nominee and four-time Emmy winner whose most noted work is the 2002 Academy Award for Best Picture winner Chicago.-Life and career:Marshall was...
, while Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerome Leon "Jerry" Bruckheimer is an American film and television producer. He has achieved great success in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. His best known television series are CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Eleventh Hour, Without a Trace, Cold Case, The...
again served as producer.
In the film, which draws inspiration from the novel On Stranger Tides
On Stranger Tides
On Stranger Tides is a 1987 historical fantasy novel written by Tim Powers. It was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and placed second in the annual Locus poll for best fantasy novel....
by Tim Powers
Tim Powers
Timothy Thomas "Tim" Powers is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare...
, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
) is joined by Angelica (Penélope Cruz
Penélope Cruz
Penélope Cruz Sánchez is a Spanish actress. Signed by an agent at age 15, she made her acting debut at 16 on television and her feature film debut the following year in Jamón, jamón , to critical acclaim...
) in his search for the Fountain of Youth
Fountain of Youth
The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring that reputedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted across the world for thousands of years, appearing in writings by Herodotus, the Alexander romance, and the stories of Prester John...
, confronting the infamous pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane
Ian McShane
Ian David McShane is an English actor, director, producer, voice artist, and comedian.Despite appearing in numerous films, McShane is best known for his television roles, particularly the BBC's Lovejoy and HBO's Western drama Deadwood...
). The film was distributed by Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
, and had its theatrical debut in release dates falling within May 18 and May 20, 2011. The release was presented in Disney Digital 3-D
Disney Digital 3-D
Disney Digital 3-D is a brand used by the Walt Disney Company to describe three-dimensional films made and released by the Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and shown exclusively using digital projection....
and IMAX 3D, as well as in traditional two-dimensional and IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
formats.
Writers Terry Rossio
Terry Rossio
Terry Rossio is an American screenwriter.Rossio was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating from Saddleback High School in Santa Ana, California, he went on to study at California State University, Fullerton where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Communications, with an emphasis in radio,...
and Ted Elliott
Ted Elliott
Ted Elliott is an American screenwriter. Along with his writing partner Terry Rossio, Elliott has written some of the most successful American films of the past 15 years, including Aladdin, Shrek and Pirates of the Caribbean. In 2004, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Writers Guild...
first learned of Powers' novel during the back-to-back production of Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a 2006 adventure fantasy film and the second film of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, following Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl . It was directed by Gore Verbinski, written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, and produced by...
and At World's End, and considered it a good starting point for a new movie in the series. Pre-production started after the end of the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
, with Johnny Depp collaborating with the writers on the story design. Principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
rolled for 106 days between June and November 2010, with locations in Hawaii, the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico, and California. Filming employed 3D cameras similar to those used in the production of the 2009 film Avatar, and ten companies were involved with the film's visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
.
On Stranger Tides broke many box office records upon release, and it stands as the 8th highest-grossing film of all time worldwide when not adjusting for inflation. Critical reviews were negative, the film receiving criticism over the script-writing, excessiveness, and lack of originality, but positive mentions were given for the acting, directing, and visuals.
Plot
After a failed attempt to rescue his first mate, Joshamee GibbsJoshamee Gibbs
Joshamee Gibbs, often referred to as Mr. Gibbs, Master Gibbs, or simply Gibbs, is a fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, played by Kevin McNally and voiced by Steven Jay Blum in video game adaptations .-Character overview:Gibbs is a generally...
(Kevin McNally
Kevin McNally
Kevin McNally is an English actor who has worked in theatre and radio extensively as well as in film and television.-Life and career:...
) in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
) is brought before King George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
(Richard Griffiths
Richard Griffiths
Richard Griffiths, OBE is an English actor of stage, film and television. He has received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor...
), who wants Jack to guide an expedition to the Fountain of Youth
Fountain of Youth
The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring that reputedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted across the world for thousands of years, appearing in writings by Herodotus, the Alexander romance, and the stories of Prester John...
before the Spanish locate it. Heading the expedition is Jack's old nemesis, Captain Hector Barbossa
Hector Barbossa
Hector Barbossa is a fictional character and pirate in the Disney film series Pirates of the Caribbean. Barbossa was first introduced in the series as the main antagonist of the first film, and pirate captain of the Black Pearl after committing mutiny against the ship's former captain, Jack...
(Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Roy Rush is an Australian actor and film producer. He is one of the few people who has won the "Triple Crown of Acting": an Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. He has won one Academy Award for acting , three British Academy Film Awards , two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen...
), now a privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
in service to the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
after losing his leg and ship, the Black Pearl
Black Pearl
The Black Pearl, originally Wicked Wench, is a fictional ship in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. In the screenplay, the Black Pearl is easily recognized by her distinctive black hull and sails. The ship was originally named Wicked Wench before she was ordered burned and sunk by Lord Beckett...
.
Jack escapes, but his father, Captain Teague (Keith Richards
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
), finds him and warns Jack about the Fountain's tests. He also reveals that someone is impersonating Jack. The impostor is Angelica (Penélope Cruz
Penélope Cruz
Penélope Cruz Sánchez is a Spanish actress. Signed by an agent at age 15, she made her acting debut at 16 on television and her feature film debut the following year in Jamón, jamón , to critical acclaim...
), Jack's former lover and daughter of the ruthless pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane
Ian McShane
Ian David McShane is an English actor, director, producer, voice artist, and comedian.Despite appearing in numerous films, McShane is best known for his television roles, particularly the BBC's Lovejoy and HBO's Western drama Deadwood...
), who practices voodoo magic and, armed with a magical sword, possesses supernatural powers.
Jack is taken aboard Blackbeard's ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge
Queen Anne's Revenge
Queen Anne's Revenge was the name of English pirate Blackbeard's flagship, used by him for less than a year, but an effective tool in his prize taking....
, and forced to lead the way to the Fountain and find two silver chalices that once belonged to Juan Ponce de León
Juan Ponce de León
Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer. He became the first Governor of Puerto Rico by appointment of the Spanish crown. He led the first European expedition to Florida, which he named...
, both believed to be aboard his lost ship. The Fountain's water must be drunk simultaneously from the two chalices. The person drinking from the chalice containing a mermaid
Mermaid
A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
's tear has their life extended, while the other person dies, their life drained from their body. Meanwhile, Gibbs, having memorized and destroyed Jack's map, barters with Barbossa to guide him to the Fountain.
Blackbeard seeks the Fountain's power to circumvent his predestined fatal encounter with "a one-legged man," and sets a course for Whitecap Bay. There they are attacked by a vicious horde of mermaids, but Blackbeard captures one(Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey
Astrid Bergès-Frisbey
Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey is a Spanish actress and model. She is best known for playing Suzanne in The Sea Wall and the mermaid Syrena in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth film in the series.-Life and career:...
). Philip Swift (Sam Claflin
Sam Claflin
Samuel George "Sam" Claflin is an English actor, perhaps best known for his role in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides....
), a captive missionary, falls in love with the mermaid and names her Syrena. Blackbeard then sends Jack to retrieve the chalices from de León's ship.
When Jack finds the grounded, decaying vessel, Barbossa is waiting inside and the Spanish are in possession of the chalices. However, Barbossa only seeks revenge against Blackbeard for capturing the Black Pearl, which forced Barbossa to amputate his own leg to escape. He and Jack join forces to defeat Blackbeard, then head to the nearby Spanish camp to steal the chalices. Meanwhile, Syrena, reciprocating Philip's love, is tricked into shedding a tear which Blackbeard collects, leaving her to die. Philip is forced to go with him. Jack returns with the chalices and Gibbs, with whom he had reunited while assisting Barbossa. Jack and Blackbeard bargain for Jack's confiscated magical compass and Gibbs' release. In return, Jack vows to give Blackbeard the chalices and lead him to the Fountain; Blackbeard agrees and Gibbs departs with the compass.
At the Fountain, Blackbeard and his crew are attacked by Barbossa, and then by the Spanish, there to destroy the Fountain, their king believing its power is an abomination against God. A battle ensues and Barbossa stabs Blackbeard with a poison-laced sword. Angelica accidentally cuts herself while removing it from Blackbeard. Barbossa claims the sword and assumes command, leaving with Blackbeard's crew. Meanwhile, Philip, though mortally wounded, escapes and returns to free Syrena. After finding the chalices that the Spaniard had tossed into deep water, Syrena gives them to Jack, then retrieves the dying Philip and takes him underwater.
With Blackbeard and Angelica wounded, Blackbeard asks his daughter to sacrifice herself. Angelica agrees but Jack tricks Blackbeard into drinking the wrong chalice and giving Angelica the tear, which saves Angelica and kills Blackbeard. Despite declaring their love, Jack, knowing Angelica may avenge her father's death, strands her on an island, intending for a passing ship to find her. Meanwhile, Barbossa, who now commands the Queen Anne's Revenge, renounces his ties to the crown and reverts to piracy. Jack finds Gibbs, who used Jack's compass to locate the Revenge and retrieve the miniaturized Black Pearl, as well as other captured ships that Blackbeard had magically shrunk and bottled. The two head off, hoping to find a way to return the Pearl to her original size.
In a post-credits scene
Post-credits scene
A post-credits scene is a short clip that appears after some or all of the closing credits of a film have run...
, Angelica, still on the island, finds Blackbeard's voodoo doll of Jack, which has washed ashore.
Cast
- Johnny DeppJohnny DeppJohn Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
as Captain Jack Sparrow - Penélope CruzPenélope CruzPenélope Cruz Sánchez is a Spanish actress. Signed by an agent at age 15, she made her acting debut at 16 on television and her feature film debut the following year in Jamón, jamón , to critical acclaim...
as AngelicaAngelica (Pirates of the Caribbean)Angelica, played by Penélope Cruz, is a fictional character in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. She is Blackbeard's daughter and a love interest of Jack Sparrow.- Character summary :... - Geoffrey RushGeoffrey RushGeoffrey Roy Rush is an Australian actor and film producer. He is one of the few people who has won the "Triple Crown of Acting": an Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. He has won one Academy Award for acting , three British Academy Film Awards , two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen...
as Captain Hector BarbossaHector BarbossaHector Barbossa is a fictional character and pirate in the Disney film series Pirates of the Caribbean. Barbossa was first introduced in the series as the main antagonist of the first film, and pirate captain of the Black Pearl after committing mutiny against the ship's former captain, Jack... - Ian McShaneIan McShaneIan David McShane is an English actor, director, producer, voice artist, and comedian.Despite appearing in numerous films, McShane is best known for his television roles, particularly the BBC's Lovejoy and HBO's Western drama Deadwood...
as Edward "Blackbeard" Teach - Kevin McNallyKevin McNallyKevin McNally is an English actor who has worked in theatre and radio extensively as well as in film and television.-Life and career:...
as Joshamee GibbsJoshamee GibbsJoshamee Gibbs, often referred to as Mr. Gibbs, Master Gibbs, or simply Gibbs, is a fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, played by Kevin McNally and voiced by Steven Jay Blum in video game adaptations .-Character overview:Gibbs is a generally... - Sam ClaflinSam ClaflinSamuel George "Sam" Claflin is an English actor, perhaps best known for his role in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides....
as Philip Swift - Àstrid Bergès-FrisbeyAstrid Bergès-FrisbeyÀstrid Bergès-Frisbey is a Spanish actress and model. She is best known for playing Suzanne in The Sea Wall and the mermaid Syrena in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth film in the series.-Life and career:...
as Syrena - Greg EllisGreg Ellis (actor)Greg Ellis is an English actor known for his TV, movie, and video game voice over work. He has appeared in films such as the Pirates of the Caribbean series, the 2009 Star Trek film , Titanic, Beowulf, To End All Wars, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith...
as Lt. Cmdr. Theodore Groves - Damian O'HareDamian O'HareDamian O'Hare is an Irish film actor. He is best known for his role as Lt. Gillette in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.-Film:...
as Lieutenant Gillette - Stephen GrahamStephen Graham (actor)Stephen Graham is an English actor from Kirkby, Liverpool. He is best known for his roles as Tommy in the movie Snatch, Combo in This Is England and its four-part television sequel This Is England '86, Danny Ferguson in Occupation, Billy Bremner in The Damned United, notorious bank robber Baby...
as Scrum - Óscar Jaenada as The Spaniard, King FerdinandFerdinand VI of SpainFerdinand VI , called the Learnt, was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death. He was the fourth son of the previous monarch Philip V and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy...
's most trusted agent - Gemma WardGemma WardGemma Louise Ward is an Australian fashion model turned actress.-Early life:Gemma Ward was born on 3 November 1987 in Perth, Western Australia, the second of four children of Gary Ward, a doctor, and Claire, a nurse. She has an older sister, Sophie , and younger twin brothers, Oscar and Henry...
as Tamara, Queen of the Mermaids - Richard GriffithsRichard GriffithsRichard Griffiths, OBE is an English actor of stage, film and television. He has received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor...
as King George IIGeorge II of Great BritainGeorge II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
of Great BritainKingdom of Great BritainThe former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign... - Keith RichardsKeith RichardsKeith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
as Captain Teague - Judi DenchJudi DenchDame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...
as a noblewoman - Robbie KayRobbie KayRobbie Kay is a British actor, best known for his roles in the films Fugitive Pieces and Pinocchio .-Personal life:...
as the Cabin boy - Derek MearsDerek MearsDerek Mears is an American actor and stuntman, best known for his role as Jason Voorhees in the reboot of Friday the 13th.-Early life:...
as the Master-at-ArmsMaster-at-armsA master-at-arms may be a naval rating responsible for discipline and law enforcement, an army officer responsible for physical training, or a member of the crew of a merchant ship responsible for security and law enforcement.-Royal Navy:The master-at-arms is a ship's senior rating, comparable in... - Deobia OpareiDeobia OpareiDeobia Oparei is a London born actor perhaps best known for his role as the Gunner in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and as Thundarian in Your Highness. His acting career in the early 1990's included minor television roles he spent the mid 1990s performing as a Drag Queen in Sydney...
as the GunnerGunner-Military:*Any individual operating an infantry support weapon, such as an artillery piece, anti-tank guided missile launcher or automatic grenade launcher... - Danny Le Boyer as Yeoman
- Ian MercerIan MercerIan Mercer is an English actor. On leaving school Mercer trained as an electrical engineer but decided to become an actor when he became an assistant stage manager at the Oldham Coliseum in 1979. His first television appearance was as a butcher in the film Blue Money in 1982...
as the QuartermasterQuartermasterQuartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior... - Sebastian ArmestoSebastian Armesto-Television and film:Armesto played Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in the series The Tudors. He also starred alongside Jane Asher in the 2008 ITV drama series The Palace as the King's carefree younger brother Prince George. He then played the character of Edmund Sparkler in the 2008 BBC version of...
as King FerdinandFerdinand VI of SpainFerdinand VI , called the Learnt, was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death. He was the fourth son of the previous monarch Philip V and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy...
of the Spanish EmpireSpanish EmpireThe Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power.... - Anton LesserAnton LesserAnton Lesser is a British actor. He attended Moseley Grammar School and the University of Liverpool before going to RADA in 1977 where he was awarded the Bancroft Gold Medal as the most promising actor of his year....
as Lord John CarteretJohn Carteret, 2nd Earl GranvilleJohn Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, 7th Seigneur of Sark, KG, PC , commonly known by his earlier title as Lord Carteret, was a British statesman and Lord President of the Council from 1751 to 1763.-Family:... - Roger AllamRoger AllamRoger Allam is an English actor, known primarily for his stage career, although he has performed in film and television. He played Inspector Javert in the original London production of the stage musical Les Misérables....
as Henry PelhamHenry PelhamHenry Pelham was a British Whig statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 27 August 1743 until his death in 1754...
, Prime Minister of Great Britain - Paul BazelyPaul BazelyPaul Bazely is an English actor, best known for his performance in Benidorm.His TV credits include: Making Out, Heartbeat, Doctors, Holby City, Vanity Fair, The IT Crowd and Footballers Wives....
as Salaman, an Indian crew member of the Queen Anne's Revenge
Development
Shortly before the premiere of At World's End, Jerry BruckheimerJerry Bruckheimer
Jerome Leon "Jerry" Bruckheimer is an American film and television producer. He has achieved great success in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. His best known television series are CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Eleventh Hour, Without a Trace, Cold Case, The...
stated it was the end of the trilogy, but the idea of a spin-off was still possible. After the film's successful opening weekend, Dick Cook
Dick Cook
Richard W. "Dick" Cook is the former Chairman of the Walt Disney Studios. At the time of his separation from the company, he was the only remaining top Disney executive who had worked for the company since before Michael Eisner took charge in 1984...
, former Chairman of the Walt Disney Studios, said he was interested in a fourth installment. Ted Elliott
Ted Elliott
Ted Elliott is an American screenwriter. Along with his writing partner Terry Rossio, Elliott has written some of the most successful American films of the past 15 years, including Aladdin, Shrek and Pirates of the Caribbean. In 2004, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Writers Guild...
and Terry Rossio
Terry Rossio
Terry Rossio is an American screenwriter.Rossio was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating from Saddleback High School in Santa Ana, California, he went on to study at California State University, Fullerton where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Communications, with an emphasis in radio,...
had started working on a script in 2007, but they were interrupted by the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
, and only resumed in mid-2008. On September 25, 2008, during a Disney event at the Kodak Theater, Cook and Johnny Depp, in full Captain Jack Sparrow costume, announced that a fourth Pirates movie was in development.
In June 2009 Bruckheimer indicated Disney would prefer the fourth installment of Pirates to be released before The Lone Ranger film, which he, Johnny Depp, Ted Elliott
Ted Elliott
Ted Elliott is an American screenwriter. Along with his writing partner Terry Rossio, Elliott has written some of the most successful American films of the past 15 years, including Aladdin, Shrek and Pirates of the Caribbean. In 2004, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Writers Guild...
, and Terry Rossio
Terry Rossio
Terry Rossio is an American screenwriter.Rossio was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating from Saddleback High School in Santa Ana, California, he went on to study at California State University, Fullerton where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Communications, with an emphasis in radio,...
had been working on for release on May 20, 2011. He hoped Gore Verbinski
Gore Verbinski
Gregor "Gore" Verbinski is an American film director, writer and musician. He is best known for directing the films The Ring, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Rango.-Early life:...
would return to direct the fourth film, as his BioShock film adaptation had been put on hold. As Verbinski was unavailable, Bruckheimer suggested Rob Marshall
Rob Marshall
Rob Marshall is an American theater director, film director and choreographer. He is a six-time Tony Award nominee, Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe nominee and four-time Emmy winner whose most noted work is the 2002 Academy Award for Best Picture winner Chicago.-Life and career:Marshall was...
, who he considered a "premiere filmmaker", stating that "Every film [Marshall] made I thought was unique and different." On July 21, 2009, Marshall accepted the job, because of the " whole new story line and set of characters. It felt new, and that was important to me." Marshall said the film provided him a long-awaited opportunity to work with Depp, and that his directing was helped by past experience as a choreographer – "the action sequences felt like big production numbers." On September 11, 2009, at Disney's D23
D23 (Disney)
D23 is the first official Disney fan club for dedicated fans, sponsored by the Walt Disney Company. The Charter Year of D23 was in 2009.-History:...
convention, the title was announced as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
Cook resigned in September 2009 after working for Disney for over 38 years. Depp's faith in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was somewhat shaken after the resignation, with Depp explaining that "There's a fissure, a crack in my enthusiasm at the moment. It was all born in that office". Depp also explained Cook was one of the few who accepted his portrayal of Jack Sparrow: "When things went a little sideways on the first Pirates movie
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a 2003 adventure fantasy film based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney theme parks. It was directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
and others at the studio were less than enthusiastic about my interpretation of the character, Dick was there from the first moment. He trusted me".
Writing
During production of Dead Man's ChestPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a 2006 adventure fantasy film and the second film of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, following Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl . It was directed by Gore Verbinski, written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, and produced by...
and At World's End, writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio discovered Tim Powers
Tim Powers
Timothy Thomas "Tim" Powers is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare...
' 1987 novel On Stranger Tides
On Stranger Tides
On Stranger Tides is a 1987 historical fantasy novel written by Tim Powers. It was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and placed second in the annual Locus poll for best fantasy novel....
, which they considered a good foundation on which to base "a new chapter" in the Pirates series. Disney bought the rights to the novel in April 2007. Rossio stated that he and Elliot had considered using Blackbeard and the Fountain of Youth in the story before reading the book, "but whenever you say those words, Powers' novel comes to mind. There was no way we could work in that field without going into territory Tim had explored." However, they denied that it would be a straight version of the novel: "Blackbeard came from the book, and in the book there is a daughter character, too. But Jack Sparrow is not in the book, nor is Barbossa. So I wouldn't call this an adaptation." Rossio declared the script was written to be a standalone film, "kind of a James Bond
James Bond (film series)
The James Bond film series is a British series of motion pictures based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond , who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. Earlier films were based on Fleming's novels and short stories, followed later by films with original storylines...
sort of thing", instead of the "designed to be a trilogy" structure of the previous installments. They hoped to "design a story that would support new characters," as characters such as Will Turner
Will Turner
William "Will" Turner, Jr. is a central character in the first three titles of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series produced by Walt Disney Pictures. He is played by Orlando Bloom . Will is a blacksmith's apprentice working in Port Royal...
would not return. Bruckheimer added that there was a decision to "streamline the story a little bit, make it a little simpler and not have as many characters to follow", as the number of characters and subplots in At World's End caused the film to have an unwieldy length. The duo decided to employ another sea myth alluded in the previous episodes: mermaids, which are briefly referenced in the book. The mermaids' role expanded in the script, which included a vast attack sequence.
Depp was deeply involved with the story design, frequently meeting the writers to show what he was interested in doing, and in the words of Rossio, being "involved in coming up with story lines, connecting characters, creating moments that we would then fashion, shape and then go back." Among Depp's suggestions were turning Phillip into a missionary, and having a Spanish contingent following the protagonists. Afterwards, Rob Marshall and executive producer John DeLuca met Rossio and Elliot, and did alterations of their own, including building the female lead.
Casting
Depp signed on to return as Captain Jack Sparrow in September 2008, saying that he would come back if the script was good. Almost a year later, Disney announced that Depp would be paid $55.5 million for his role, realising that without him the franchise would be "dead and buried." Geoffrey RushGeoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Roy Rush is an Australian actor and film producer. He is one of the few people who has won the "Triple Crown of Acting": an Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. He has won one Academy Award for acting , three British Academy Film Awards , two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen...
expressed interest in returning to his role as Barbossa, and Bruckheimer later confirmed his presence. Three other actors from the previous films returned, Kevin McNally
Kevin McNally
Kevin McNally is an English actor who has worked in theatre and radio extensively as well as in film and television.-Life and career:...
as Joshamee Gibbs
Joshamee Gibbs
Joshamee Gibbs, often referred to as Mr. Gibbs, Master Gibbs, or simply Gibbs, is a fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, played by Kevin McNally and voiced by Steven Jay Blum in video game adaptations .-Character overview:Gibbs is a generally...
, Greg Ellis
Greg Ellis (actor)
Greg Ellis is an English actor known for his TV, movie, and video game voice over work. He has appeared in films such as the Pirates of the Caribbean series, the 2009 Star Trek film , Titanic, Beowulf, To End All Wars, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith...
as Lt. Theodore Groves, and Damian O'Hare
Damian O'Hare
Damian O'Hare is an Irish film actor. He is best known for his role as Lt. Gillette in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.-Film:...
as Lt. Gilette. Keith Richards
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
also had a cameo, reprising his role as Captain Teague from At World's End; he and Depp tried to persuade Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
to audition for the part of a pirate elder. Previous cast members Orlando Bloom
Orlando Bloom
Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom is an English actor. He had his break-through roles in 2001 as the elf-prince Legolas in The Lord of the Rings and starring in 2003 as blacksmith Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, and subsequently established himself as a lead in Hollywood...
and Keira Knightley
Keira Knightley
Keira Christina Knightley born 26 March 1985) is an English actress and model. She began acting as a child and came to international notice in 2002 after co-starring in the film Bend It Like Beckham...
stated that they would not reprise their roles, as they wanted to be involved in different films. They both thought the storyline involving their characters had gone as far as it could. On February 5, 2010, Mackenzie Crook
Mackenzie Crook
Paul Mackenzie Crook is a British actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Gareth Keenan in The Office and Ragetti in the Pirates of the Caribbean films.-Life and career:...
also announced he would not be reprising his role of Ragetti
Pintel and Ragetti
Pintel and Ragetti are recurring pirate characters in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean series of films, primarily providing comic relief throughout each film...
, stating, "They haven't asked me. But actually I don't mind that at all. I'm a fan of the first one especially and I think the trilogy we've made is great. I'd almost like them to leave it there."
New cast members include Ian McShane
Ian McShane
Ian David McShane is an English actor, director, producer, voice artist, and comedian.Despite appearing in numerous films, McShane is best known for his television roles, particularly the BBC's Lovejoy and HBO's Western drama Deadwood...
, who plays the notorious pirate and primary antagonist of the film, Blackbeard
Blackbeard
Edward Teach , better known as Blackbeard, was a notorious English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of the American colonies....
, and Penélope Cruz
Penélope Cruz
Penélope Cruz Sánchez is a Spanish actress. Signed by an agent at age 15, she made her acting debut at 16 on television and her feature film debut the following year in Jamón, jamón , to critical acclaim...
, who plays Angelica, Jack Sparrow's love interest. Marshall said Cruz was the only actress considered for the role, saying she fit the description as "an actress who could not only go toe to toe with Johnny and match him, but also needed to be all the things that Jack Sparrow is in a way. She needed to be funny and clever and smart and crafty and beautiful." Depp recommended Stephen Graham
Stephen Graham (actor)
Stephen Graham is an English actor from Kirkby, Liverpool. He is best known for his roles as Tommy in the movie Snatch, Combo in This Is England and its four-part television sequel This Is England '86, Danny Ferguson in Occupation, Billy Bremner in The Damned United, notorious bank robber Baby...
, who worked with him in Public Enemies, to play Scrum, a Machiavellian pirate and sidekick to Jack Sparrow. Sam Claflin
Sam Claflin
Samuel George "Sam" Claflin is an English actor, perhaps best known for his role in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides....
was chosen to play the missionary Philip, and British actor Paul Bazely
Paul Bazely
Paul Bazely is an English actor, best known for his performance in Benidorm.His TV credits include: Making Out, Heartbeat, Doctors, Holby City, Vanity Fair, The IT Crowd and Footballers Wives....
also joined the cast.
Casting for mermaids required the actresses to have natural breasts—no implants. As Bruckheimer explained to EW
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, "I don’t think they had breast augmentation in the 1700s, [...] So it’s natural for casting people to say, ‘We want real people.'" Spanish-French actress Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey
Astrid Bergès-Frisbey
Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey is a Spanish actress and model. She is best known for playing Suzanne in The Sea Wall and the mermaid Syrena in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth film in the series.-Life and career:...
was selected to play Syrena, and Australian supermodel Gemma Ward
Gemma Ward
Gemma Louise Ward is an Australian fashion model turned actress.-Early life:Gemma Ward was born on 3 November 1987 in Perth, Western Australia, the second of four children of Gary Ward, a doctor, and Claire, a nurse. She has an older sister, Sophie , and younger twin brothers, Oscar and Henry...
became Tamara, the villainous Queen of the Mermaids. Spanish news website El Pais reported that the film had four Spanish actors: Cruz, Bergès-Frisbey, Óscar Jaenada, and Juan Carlos Vellido
Juan Carlos Vellido
Juan Carlos Vellido is a Spanish actor.Vellido was born in Barcelona, Spain. His career is divided between cinema, theater and television...
.
Filming
Principal photographyPrincipal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
began on June 14, 2010, in Hawaii. Filming was moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in August 2010, primarily at the Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
shore and a recreation of Whitecap Bay done in the Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
backlot. After a brief shoot at Palomino Island
Isla Palominos (Puerto Rico)
Isla Palomino is a small island located near to the east of Puerto Rico, near the coast of Las Croabas, Fajardo.- Geography :Isla Palomino is 1.2 km long and maximally 525 meters wide, and measures in area. It reaches a height of...
in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, production moved to the United Kingdom in September, where principal photography wrapped on November 18 after 106 days of shooting. Locations included Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, approximately west of central London. The studios have played host to many productions over the years from huge blockbuster films to television shows to commercials to pop promos.The purchase of Shepperton...
in London, and Old Royal Naval College
Old Royal Naval College
The Old Royal Naval College is the architectural centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, a World Heritage Site in Greenwich, London, described by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation as being of “outstanding universal value” and reckoned to be the “finest and most...
at Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
. The producers also considered using New Orleans as a location. In October, security was breached at the UK site when a celebrity impersonator gained access to filming at the Old Royal Naval College by dressing up as Captain Jack.
After the joint production of Dead Man's Chest and At World's End cost over $300 million, Disney decided to give a lower budget to the fourth installment. Many costs had to be cut, including moving primary production to Hawaii and London, where tax credits are more favorable, and having a shorter shooting schedule and fewer scenes featuring special effects compared to At World's End. The tighter schedule—according to Bruckheimer, "We had a 22-week post, and for a picture like this, with almost 1,200 visual effects shots, it's usually 40 weeks"—meant that Marshall supervised editing of sequences during filming.
Jerry Bruckheimer said the decision to film in 3D was made due to its being "immersive filmmaking; I think it makes you part of the actual filming because you’re part of the screen." Bruckheimer described it as the first major "exterior movie" to be shot in 3D, as Avatar was mostly done in sound stages. At first Marshall was not much interested in 3D, but the director eventually considered it a film that could benefit from the format. "You are on an adventure and with the 3D experience you are inside that adventure." While the original plan was to add 3D effects during post-production, the decision was made to film with 3D cameras. Only one sequence was shot conventionally and needed a 3D conversion. The cameras were improved versions of the ones James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
developed for Avatar, which were made more compact for extra mobility. This meant the cameras could be brought into locations such as the Hawaiian jungle.
Effects
On Stranger Tides employed 1,112 shots of computer-generated imageryComputer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
, which were done by ten visual effects companies. Cinesite
Cinesite
Cinesite Ltd is a digital visual effects and post-production facility in London and one of the largest such companies in Europe...
visual effects supervisor Simon Stanley-Clamp claimed that the most difficult part was doing the effects in 3D: "Rotoscoping is tricky. Cleaning up plates is double the work, and tracking
Match moving
In cinematography, match moving is a visual-effects, cinematic techniques that allows the insertion of computer graphics into live-action footage with correct position, scale, orientation, and motion relative to the photographed objects in the shot...
has to be spot on." The lead companies, with over 300 effects each, were Industrial Light & Magic—responsible for, among others, the mermaids and most water effects—and Moving Picture Company
Moving Picture Company
The Moving Picture Company is a post production facility creating digital visual effects and computer animation for feature films, commercials, music videos and television...
, who created digital ships and environment extensions, such as changing weather and designing cliffs and waterfalls. Filming the mermaids involved eight model-actresses, who portrayed them outside the water, as well as 22 synchronized swimming
Synchronized swimming
Synchronized swImming is a hybrid form of swimming, dance and gymnastics, consisting of swimmers performing a synchronized routine of elaborate moves in the water, accompanied by music....
athletes and stuntmen who wore motion capture
Motion capture
Motion capture, motion tracking, or mocap are terms used to describe the process of recording movement and translating that movement on to a digital model. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, and medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robotics...
suits and were later replaced by digital mermaids. The design tried to avoid the traditional representations of mermaids in paintings and literature, instead going for a scaly body with a translucent membrane inspired by both jellyfish and the fabric employed in ballet tutu
Ballet tutu
A tutu is a skirt worn as a costume in a ballet performance, often with attached bodice. It might be single layer, hanging down, or multiple layers starched and jutting out.There are several types of ballet tutu:...
s. To make the mermaids more menacing underwater, the faces of the actresses had some digital touch-ups on the underwater scenes, adding sharper teeth and a shimmery fish scale quality on the skin. Cinesite handled the recreation of London and Barbossa's peg leg, CIS Hollywood did 3D corrections and minor shots, and Method Studios
Method Studios
Method Studios is a post production company founded in 1998 and located in Los Angeles, California with offices in Vancouver, New York, London, Sydney and Melbourne. The company provides a full range of services including conceptual design, look development, on-set supervision, 3D animation/CGI,...
created matte painting
Matte painting
A matte painting is a painted representation of a landscape, set, or distant location that allows filmmakers to create the illusion of an environment that would otherwise be too expensive or impossible to build or visit. Historically, matte painters and film technicians have used various techniques...
s.
Music
The film's score was written by Hans ZimmerHans Zimmer
Hans Florian Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer. He has composed music for over 100 films, including critically acclaimed film scores for The Lion King , Crimson Tide , The Thin Red Line , Gladiator , The Dark Knight and Inception .Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the...
, who had worked in all previous movies; he was the main composer for the second and third installments. Zimmer said that he tried to incorporate a rock n' roll sound, as he felt "pirates were the rock 'n' rollers of many, many years ago", and Spanish elements, which led to a collaboration with Mexican guitarists Rodrigo y Gabriela
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Rodrigo y Gabriela , also known as "El Rodri y La Gabi", are a Mexican musical duo who specialize in playing fast, rhythmic acoustic guitars...
and a tango
Tango music
Tango is a style of ballroom dance music in 2/4 or 4/4 time that originated among European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay . It is traditionally played by a sextet, known as the orquesta típica, which includes two violins, piano, double bass, and two bandoneons...
song written by Penélope Cruz's brother Eduardo. American composer Eric Whitacre
Eric Whitacre
Eric Whitacre is an American composer, conductor and lecturer. He is one of the most popular and performed composers of his generation. In 2008, the all-Whitacre choral CD Cloudburst became an international best-seller, topping the classical charts and earning a Grammy nomination...
helped with choir-based songs, and Geoff Zanelli
Geoff Zanelli
Geoff Zanelli is a composer working primarily in the medium of film music. His early career was notable for scoring additional music on roughly 30 film scores written by Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams, John Powell, Klaus Badelt and Steve Jablonsky including several blockbuster films...
worked on many songs.
Release
On January 6, 2010, Disney announced that the film would be released in the United States and Canada on May 20, 2011, following Columbia PicturesColumbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
' announcement of a delay in the Spider-Man reboot
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012 film)
The Amazing Spider-Man is an upcoming American superhero film based on the comic book of the same name that is currently in post-production. It is the fourth Columbia Pictures film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man and the first film in a rebooted Spider-Man film franchise. The film...
and Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
slating Thor
Thor (film)
Thor is a 2011 American superhero film based on the comic book character of the same name published by Marvel Comics. It is the fourth film released as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
for May 6, 2011. The film was released in IMAX 3D, as well as traditional 2D and IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
format, with Dolby 7.1 surround sound.
The world premiere of On Stranger Tides was on May 7, 2011, at a premium ticket screening at Disneyland in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, home of the original Pirates of the Caribbean ride that inspired the film series. Many of the film's stars were in attendance. Two other early screenings followed, one in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
on May 11, and another during the Cannes International Film Festival on May 14. The international release dates fell within May 18 and May 20, with opening dates in the United Kingdom on May 18, in Australia on May 19, and in North America on May 20. The film was released on a then-record 402 IMAX screens, 257 screens in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, and 139 in other territories. The total number of theaters was 4,155 in North America and 18,210 worldwide.
Promotion
Disney's marketing president, MT Carney, said that the film's advertising campaign was intended "to remind people of why they fell in love with Jack Sparrow in the first place and also introduce new elements in a way that was elegant". Sony Pictures' former marketing president, Valerie Van Galder, was hired as a consultant. The first footage from the film appeared on Entertainment TonightEntertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
on December 4, 2010. Three trailers were released, one in December, which had a 3D version included with the release of Tron: Legacy and broadcast by ESPN 3D
ESPN 3D
ESPN 3D is a television network part of the ESPN family of networks that launched June 11, 2010. The network broadcasts in the 3D television format. The channel simulcasts live games from ESPN on a semi-regular basis. It began broadcasting 24 hours a day on February 14, 2011...
; a Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League champion for the 2010 season. The game was held at Cowboys Stadium in...
spot on February 2011, which was later released online in an extended version; and a final trailer in March that focused more on the plot than the previous trailer and commercials.
Promotional tie-ins included Lego Pirates of the Caribbean
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean is a Lego theme that is based on the film series of the same name. There are a total of 9 sets that are known. The first wave was released on May 2011 with the second wave coming out on November 2011....
toy sets and a related video game
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game is a video game in the Lego video game franchise, developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Disney Interactive Studios and the first Lego game from a Disney movie...
, a cell phone app by Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
, a special edition of Pirate's Booty
Pirate's Booty
Pirate's Booty is a puffed rice and corn snack food produced by Robert's American Gourmet Food. Available in the United States, it is considered Robert's top product....
, lines of nail polish by OPI, clothing from Hot Topic
Hot Topic
Hot Topic is an American retail chain specializing in music and pop culture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music on CD. The majority of the stores are located in regional shopping malls. The first Hot Topic store was opened in 1988 by Orv Madden, who retired as CEO in 2000...
, and jewelry from Swarovski
Swarovski
Swarovski is the brand name for a range of precisely-cut crystal and related luxury products produced by Swarovski AG of Wattens, Austria...
. Goldline International
Goldline International
Goldline International, Inc. is a retail seller of gold and silver coins, and other precious metals for investors and collectors. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Goldline has more than 350 employees and an estimated $737 million in 2010 revenues....
produced replicas of the "Pieces of Eight
Spanish dollar
The Spanish dollar is a silver coin, of approximately 38 mm diameter, worth eight reales, that was minted in the Spanish Empire after a Spanish currency reform in 1497. Its purpose was to correspond to the German thaler...
" coins from the movies and gold Mexican Escudo
Spanish escudo
-Gold escudo:The first escudo was a gold coin introduced in 1535/1537, with coins denominated in escudos issued until 1833. It was initially worth 16 reales...
coins, which were given in sweepstakes at the El Capitan Theatre
El Capitan Theatre
El Capitan Theatre is a fully restored movie palace at 6838 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. It is owned by Pacific Theatres and operated by the Walt Disney Company. It serves as the venue for many of Walt Disney Pictures' movie premieres...
. At Disney California Adventure, the Pirates of the Caribbean segment of the World of Color show was extended to include visual clips and music from On Stranger Tides.
Home media
The film was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on Blu-Ray and DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on September 12, 2011 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, topping both the Blu-ray and DVD sales charts during its first two weeks. The film had its high-definition home release on October 18, 2011 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Three different physical packages were made available: a 2-disc combo pack (Blu-ray and DVD), a 5-disc combo pack (2-disc Blu-ray, 1-disc Blu-ray 3D, 1-disc DVD, and 1-disc Digital Copy), and a 15-disc collection featuring all four Pirates movies. On Stranger Tides was also released as a movie download in both high definition and 3D. The regular DVD edition came out on November 15.
In its first week of release, it sold 1.71 million Blu-ray units and generated $48.50 million, topping the weekly Blu-ray chart. However these results were quite skewed due to the one-month delay of its DVD-only release. It sold 2.33 million Blu-ray units ($64.11 million) after three weeks.
Box-office performance
On Stranger Tides earned $241,071,802 in the North America and $802,800,000 in other countries, as of November 6, 2011, for a worldwide total of $1,043,871,802. It is the 8th highest-grossing film of all time worldwide and the 3rd highest-grossing film of 20112011 in film
The year 2011 is notable for containing the release of the most film sequels in a single year, at 27 sequels. The following tables list films that are in production or have completed production and will be released in the United States and Canada at some point in 2011.- Highest-grossing films :...
behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is a 2011 epic fantasy film directed by David Yates and the second of two films based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the eighth and final instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David...
and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. It is also the second most successful installment of the series behind Dead Man's Chest, and the third highest-grossing Disney
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
feature of all time worldwide behind Dead Man's Chest and Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3 is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated comedy-adventure film, and the third installment in the Toy Story series. It was produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Lee Unkrich. The film was released worldwide from June through October in Disney Digital...
.
By grossing $350.6 million worldwide on its opening weekend, On Stranger Tides surpassed At World's Ends $334 million as best in the series, and ranks it as the fifth highest worldwide opening. It also scored the largest worldwide debut of all time at IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
theaters ($16.7 million) with a $61,000 per theater average, before being surpassed by Dark of the Moon ($23.1 million) and Deathly Hallows - Part 2 ($23.2 million).
It set records for reaching $500, $600 and $700 million worldwide the fastest (in 10, 12 and 16 days respectively), records since overtaken by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. After 46 days in theaters (July 2, 2011), it crossed the $1-billion-mark, becoming the eighth film in cinema history and the fourth film released by Walt Disney Studios to reach the milestone. It stands as the fourth-fastest film overall and the fastest Disney film to do so.
North America
During its Thursday-midnight showings, it earned $4.7 million from 2,210 theaters, and $34,860,549 in total on its opening day. As a whole, on its opening weekend, it earned $90,151,958, which made it the highest-grossing film of the weekend, but was a number much lower than the openings of its two latest predecessors (At World's End - $114.7 million and Dead Man's Chest - $135.6 million) and the last Johnny DeppJohnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
spectacle (Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 American computer-animated/live action fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and released by Walt Disney Pictures...
- $116.1 million). 3D showings accounted for only 46 percent of its opening weekend gross. On its second weekend, On Stranger Tides placed third in the North American box office with $39.3 million, behind The Hangover: Part II and Kung Fu Panda 2. It closed in theaters on September 29, 2011, with a $241.1 million gross which puts it as the fourth highest-grossing film of the year in North America behind Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Dark of the Moon and Hangover 2, but also as the least profitable film of the franchise. Finally, while May 2011 was the highest-grossing May ever ($1.04 billion), On Stanger Tides was the top-grossing movie of the month (with $166.8 million), despite playing for just 12 days during May.
International market
Outside of the United States, On Stranger Tides is the highest-grossing Disney film of all time, the highest-grossing film of the Pirates of the Caribbean series and the 2nd highest-grossing 2011 film behind Deathly Hallows – Part 2. The film has also earned the fourth biggest gross overseas, behind Avatar, TitanicTitanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
and Deathly Hallows – Part 2. Finally, On Stranger Tides is the highest-grossing Pirates film in at least 58 territories.
During its opening day on the foreign theatrical circuit (Wednesday 18 May 2011), the film made $18.5 million from 10 territories. On Stranger Tides added 37 territories and $25.7 million on Thursday, for a two-day total of $44.2 million, and on Friday, it expanded to almost the entire overseas market, earning $46.2 million for a three-day total of $92.1 million. On its 5-day opening weekend as a whole, it earned a then-record-breaking $260.4 million from 18,210 screens in more than 100 territories, in all which it reached first place at the box office. The record debut was surpassed later in the same summer season by Deathly Hallows Part 2. Unlike North America, 3D showings had a much larger account of the profit internationally, accounting for 66 percent of the weekend gross. It dominated for three weekends at the overseas box office despite competition from Hangover 2, Kung Fu Panda 2 and X-Men: First Class
X-Men: First Class
X-Men: First Class is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics starring the X-Men.-Publication history:The original series was an eight-issue limited series. It began in September 2006 and ended in April 2007. It was written by Jeff Parker and penciled by Roger Cruz...
. It reached the $300, $400 and $500-million-mark at the overseas box office in record time (7, 11 and 14 days respectively), but these records were also overtaken by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.
On Stranger Tides set opening day records on both Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
- which includes the CIS
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
- and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, as well as opening weekend records in many nations - the film still retains the record in both Russia and the CIS, and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Its highest grossing market after North America was Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
($108,856,481), where it managed to surpass the $100-million-mark and mark the franchise's highest-grossing film. Other countries where it earned more than $10 million include China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
($70,000,000), Russia and the CIS ($63,616,527), Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
($62,438,491), the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
($54,187,325), France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
region ($49,217,332), Brazil ($30,396,681), Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
($29,006,640), Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
($28,992,018), Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
($27,122,003), South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
($25,635,913), Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
($24,461,143), the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
($14,567,517), Sweden ($13,213,495), Argentina ($11,696,923) and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
($10,110,633). It is the highest-grossing film of 2011 in Russia and the CIS, Ukraine, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
($5,218,525), Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
($4,232,686), South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
($3,651,559), Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
($2,289,003), Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
($1,497,671), Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
($746,032), Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
($672,162), and Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
($487,793).
Critical reception
On Stranger Tides has received negative to mixed reviews. Review aggregate Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 33% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 242 reviews, with a rating average of 5 out of 10. The site's consensus was "It's shorter and leaner than the previous sequel, but this Pirates runs aground on a disjointed plot and a non-stop barrage of noisy action sequences." Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gives the film a rating score of 45 based on 39 reviews. CinemaScore
CinemaScore
CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.-Background:...
polls reported that the average grade moviegoers gave the film was a B plus on an A plus to F scale.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave On Stranger Tides two out of four stars, saying that although the removal of Knightley and Bloom as well as the addition of Cruz were positive aspects, the film in general was "too much of a muchness" for him. Tom Long of The Detroit News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
gave a D+, saying that Jack Sparrow had "worn out his welcome". Despite the more linear plot, "the movie is still ridiculous". He found On Stranger Tides to be "precisely what you'd expect of the fourth installment of a movie based on an amusement park ride: a whole lot of noise, plenty of stunts and complete silliness." British film critic Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode is an English film critic, musician and a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He contributes to Sight and Sound magazine, The Observer newspaper and BBC Radio 5 Live, where he presents Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews with Simon Mayo on Friday afternoons...
gave the film an overwhelmingly negative review on his 5 Live show, saying "it's not as staggeringly misjudged as the third part, because it is just nothing, it is just a big empty nothing".
As with the previous films, the plot was criticized as incoherent and confusing. The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic is a daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. It was ranked tenth in US daily newspapers by circulation in 2007.-Early years:The newspaper was founded...
critic Bill Goodykoontz rated the film two out of five, stating that "the movie is a series of distractions tossed together in the hopes that they will come together in a coherent story. That never really happens." Online reviewer James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli is an American online film critic.-Personal life:Berardinelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and spent his early childhood in Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of nine years, he relocated to the township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey...
considered the script "little more than a clothesline from which to dangle all of the obligatory set pieces", and USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
s Claudia Puig found On Stranger Tides "familiar and predictable, ... often incoherent and crammed with pointless details."
Many felt that the film, while better than its predecessor, never reaches the level of the first in the franchise. Mike Scott from The Times-Picayune mentions that "while this latest chapter isn't quite sharp enough to restore the sense of discovery that made that first outing so darn exciting, it's enough to make up for most of the missteps that made the third one so darn arrgh-inducing." Writing for The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
, Tasha Robinson described On Stranger Tides as "a smaller film than past installments, by design and necessity", and felt that "the series has needed this streamlining" as the film "feels lightweight, but that's still better than bloated."
On Stranger Tides also had positive reviews; some critics found the film to be entertaining and well-made. Justine Cohen of 7films emphasized how "Depp gives another fantastic performance, so much so that the absence of Knightley and Bloom was not felt in the slightest". Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Richard E. Roeper is an American columnist and film critic for The Chicago Sun-Times and now a co-host on The Roe Conn Show on WLS-AM...
gave the film a B+, describing it as "the most fun installment since the first", calling the story "pure cartoon, but a lot easier to follow than the other sequels", and summing as "the franchise is getting tired, but Penelope energizes it." Along the same lines, Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
gave the film three out of four stars, writing that it "feels as fresh and bracingly exhilarating as the day Jack Sparrow first swashed his buckle, infusing new reckless energy into a franchise that shows no signs of furling its sails". She said that Marshall "swiftly and without fuss delivers the action set pieces and eye-popping escapism" and praised Depp, Cruz, and McShane's performances. Ray Bennett from The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
considered that Marshall "shows terrific flair with all the usual chases and sword fights, and he handles the 3D well", and welcomed Penélope Cruz's character, saying she "brings her Oscar-winning vivacity" and had "lively sexual tension" with Depp. Writing for The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
, Rick Groen found the action scenes to range from "merely competent to tritely cluttered", but he was pleased with the overall result, calling McShane a "fresh villain" whose "stentorian tones are welcome anywhere". Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
's Andrew Barker considered the film derivative, but accessible. "It has nary an original idea and still doesn't make much sense, but it's lost all pretensions that it should". He praised Geoffrey Rush, stating that he "not only gets the funniest lines and reaction shots, but also starts to siphon away much of the roguish charm that used to be Depp's stock and trade."
Accolades
The film was nominated for four Teen Choice AwardsTeen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie, Sci-Fi/Fantasy Actor, Sci-Fi/Fantasy Actress, and Villain. Its trailer and TV spot were nominated for Golden Trailer Awards
Golden Trailer Awards
The Golden Trailer Awards is an annual awards show that honors achievements in motion picture marketing, including film trailers, posters and television advertisements.- Overview :...
.