“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” (Blu-ray/DVD Written Review)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review By John Delia, Sr.

The “final installment” of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales starts with a rip roaring adventure and ends with a heartfelt reunion of sorts by the original main characters. When it first began the buzz was “how can you make a movie from an attraction in a Disney park” with some critics even going so far as saying “it will never sail”. Well that was 14 years ago and the franchise still continues with this last hurrah and it’s probably the best sequel yet. Now on Blu-ray, DVD, and Ultra 4K Blu-ray with oceans of Bonus Extras.

As if he didn’t have enough trouble, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) finds himself with his head on the guillotine and no chance to get out of the mess he’s got himself into. Also scheduled to die is the lovely Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario) an astronomer accused of being a witch. But, a suitor, British Naval Officer Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites), has taken an interest in Carina and he’s sadly there to witness her execution.

At the very moment the two are about to die. Well let’s not get ahead of ourselves and spoil the story. So, that’s for you to see on home video with one of the most wild and wacky beginnings of any Pirates of the Caribbean.

I will tell you that in this sequel Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) is out for revenge and a way to free himself and his crew from the watery grave they wander. But, not to fast as Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) has something to settle with the drunken Captain Jack and he’ll stop at nothing to put him in a grave. All this and a search for Poseidon’s trident that has all the answers to this riddle of death and the stars ends this franchise with a bang.

Directors Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg take a stab at their first major motion picture and a $230 million budget delivering the booty to the screen for a rip roaring finale. From the amazing cinematography, CGI and sets with some new costumes and characters, they must have topped off their spending and maybe a strong box more than anticipated. But, we fans and action adventure lovers could care less as the two novices pulled off one of the better Pirates of the five films.

Oh and if you check out Espen Sandberg’s filmography at IMDb you’ll see something very strange indeed, a Pirates of the Caribbean 6? What will this one be called “Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum”?

Johnny Depp slides into his Pirate garb, waddles around as a drunk and shows Sparrow’s providence as he gets out of one scrape after another. He’s a meddler and a thief trying to keep his head out of the water and attempting to be united with what he loves the most, the Black Pearl. Depp has had a lot of practice with 4 winners and you can see that there’s a lot of magic in this performance.

With the advent of two new characters Kaya Scodelario as Carina and Brenton Thwaites as Henry Turner, the drunken Captain Sparrow has new subjects to show how he’s the wacko of the seas. Filling the void of not having Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) to avoid and add the necessary fem fatale, Scodelario does of very good job of filling her shoes. As for Thwaites, he’s new meat for the ladies who accompany their beau’s to see the “final chapter” of the drunken sailor.

BONUS FEATURES:

BLU-RAY & DIGITAL in HD: (Note that you can only get the full complement of extras on the Blu-ray and Digital HD download).

“Dead Men Tell More Tales: The Making of a New Adventure” – Get unique access into the making of this exciting new “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie with this collection of revealing and entertaining stories that you can view individually or as a “play all.”
“A Return to the Sea” – Two talented filmmakers, Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, team up to bring “Pirates of the Caribbean” back to the screen. Hear how this new chapter of the tale was developed.
“Telling Tales: A Sit-down with Brenton & Kaya” – Meet Brenton Thwaites and Kaya Scodelario, the young actors behind Henry and Carina. The two sit down together for a revealing conversation on becoming a part of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film franchise and its continuing legacy.
“The Matador & The Bull: Secrets of Salazar & The Silent Mary” – Oscar-winner Javier Bardem reveals more about his menacing new character and the foreboding ship he helms.
“First Mate Confidential” – Go on-set along with Kevin McNally, the affable actor behind the feisty Mr. Gibbs, Captain Jack’s reliable first mate from all five movies.
“Deconstructing the Ghost Sharks” – Peer below the depths at how these ferocious, mythical monsters were designed and brought to life.
“Wings Over the Caribbean” – Captain Jack has a memorable encounter with Sir Paul McCartney – rock ‘n’ roll royalty.
“An Enduring Legacy” – Take one more look at the “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” experience and the impact of “Pirates of the Caribbean” — the movies, the ride and beyond.
“Bloopers of the Caribbean”
“Jerry Bruckheimer Photo Diary”
“Deleted Scenes”
“Highwayman”
“Henry Turner Learns a Lesson from Captain Jack”
“A Whale in Poseidon’s Tomb”
“Alternate Coda: Murtogg & Mullroy “Flogging””

DVD:
“First Mate Confidential”

https://youtu.be/kSqEEsC7fCM

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sequences of adventure violence, and some suggestive content. If your pre-teens have seen the other 4 in the series, the content is more of the same as to the violence.

FINAL ANALYSIS: A very nice addition to the Pirates franchise and one not to miss if you are a fan or just would like a wild ride on the seas. (5 out of 5 Stars)

Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Javier Bardem, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario, Orlando Bloom, Kevin McNally, Golshifteh Farahani, Stephen Graham, Keira Knightley, Martin Klebba, Paul McCartney.
Director: Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of adventure violence, and some suggestive content
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Running Time: 2 hrs. 9 min.
Video Release Date: October 3, 2017
Original Theatrical Release Date: May 25, 2017
Language: English, (changeable to English Descriptive Audio, Spanish, or French)
Reviewed Format: Blu-ray (also available in DVD, 4K Blu-ray
Audio: Blu-ray- DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
Video: Blu-ray- Widescreen 1080p, Aspect Ratio 2.40:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Number of Discs: Blu-ray Combo Pack 2 Discs + HD digital download
Distributed by: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Released in: Blu-ray, DVD, Ultra 4K Blu-ray and in Combo Packs

The comments within this review are the critic’s expressed opinions.