It’s time to return to the high seas with the world’s favourite pirate as Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides hits stores exclusively on Disney 3D Blu-ray, Double Play & DVD NOW!

The fourth instalment of the phenomenal series has already taken over $1 Billion at the worldwide box office and once again delivers thrills, adventure, humour, action and excitement by the keg load.

Johnny Depp is back as the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow in a tale of truth, betrayal, youth….and mermaids! Crossing hearts (and swords) with Depp on this fantastic new voyage is Hollywood beauty Penelope Cruz, Oscar™ winner Geoffrey Rush – reprising his role as the legendary Barbossa – and British acting legend Ian McShane as the most feared pirate of them all; Blackbeard.

Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Directed by Rob Marshall, Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides was shot entirely in Disney Digital 3D™, taking audiences into Jack Sparrow’s world in a way never experienced before. Now they can immerse themselves from the comfort of their own home as the film comes to Disney 3D Blu-ray with a whole host of extras including Bloopers of the Caribbean and Lego® Pirates of the Caribbean Shorts.

Filled with eye-popping battle scenes, mystery, all-out wit, and complete with a bounty of bonus features, this is one thrilling journey fans won’t want to end.

DVD Bonus Features

• Bloopers of the Caribbean
• Lego® Pirates of the Caribbean Shorts
• Learn How To Take Your Favourite Movies on the Go
• Discover Blu-ray 3D™ With Timon & Pumbaa

Blu-ray Bonus Features

• Bloopers of the Caribbean
• Lego® Pirates of the Caribbean Shorts
• Audio Commentary by Director Rob Marshall and Executive Producer John DeLuca
• Discover Blu-ray 3D™ With Timon & Pumbaa
• Learn How To Take Your Favourite Movies on the Go

To be in with a chance of winning one of three Blu-Ray (Double Play) copies of the film answer the following question using the form below:

Who stars as Blackbeard in Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides?

1. Ian McShane
2. Keith Richards
3. Russell Brand

Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides is available NOW on Disney 3D Blu-ray, Double Play & DVD.

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close September 26th at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received
• No cash alternative is available

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

To celebrate the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides on DVD and Blu-ray today, Disney Home Entertainment have given us this new exclusive clip from the movie. You can click here to order your copy.

The fourth movie in the ‘Pirates’ series titled Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides stars Johnny Depp​, Ian McShane, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Kevin McNally, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Sam Claflin, Stephen Graham, Yuki Matsuzaki and Gemma War, is directed by Rob Marshall.

In this clip, we get to see what happens if you find yourself up against a rather attractive mermaid! Just make sure you’re careful and they’re not all they appear!

Synopsis: Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Rob Marshall, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” captures the fun, adventure and humor that ignited the hit franchise–this time in Disney Digital 3D(TM). Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in an action-packed adventure. Crossing paths with the enigmatic Angelica (Penelope Cruz), he’s not sure if it’s love–or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the “Queen Anne’s Revenge,” the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn’t know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica, with whom he shares a mysterious past. The international cast includes franchise vets Geoffrey Rush as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa and Kevin R. McNally as Captain Jack’s longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs​, plus Sam Claflin as a stalwart missionary and Astrid Berges-Frisbey as a mysterious mermaid.

Rango, a quirky, delightfully unique and inspired animated film, was released in cinemas back in March where it made quite the impression, grossing an estimated $242M worldwide and kick-starting this years awards buzz.

Gore Verbinksi’s quirky, delightfully unique and inspired animation film, featuring the voices of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin and Ray Winstone, hit DVD/Blu-ray in the UK on July 25.

A couple of weeks ago, I interviewed Maia Kayser, one of the lead animators of the film. During our phone chat, we talked Rango, animation techniques, blockbusters, 2D vs 3D, how Jurassic Park inspired her career choice and what she’s up to next.

HeyUGuys: Firstly, I’d like to say how impressed with Rango I was. Congratulations on a terrific film.

Maia Kayser: Thank you. That’s great to hear.

What was your inspiration behind the character of Beans?

Generally, a lot of the inspiration came from Holly Hunter from the movie Raising Arizona. Gore [Verbinski] always liked that kind of feistiness in the actress, so we were kind of going for the feeling in Beans. Also, I have to say, as far as reference for Beans, a lot of it was from Isla [Fisher], because she put so much power in her voice for Beans, which really helped us as animators. We also got great reference from her, so we used a lot of cues and guidelines from her and that was really helpful to have to interpret Beans in that way. Along with those, as well as references from Gore himself, we were able to build up Beans’ character.

So it was very much a collaborative effort then?

Oh, definitely. The whole movie was a collaborative effort between a ton of artists, the director and the cast. It was basically like an entire team collaboratively working on everything.

Were you able to bring any of your individual traits to the character of Beans?

We definitely used a lot of Isla’s work, because we had great references clips from her. Sometimes we would shoot our own reference, and subconsciously there’s always something that we put in about ourselves so we can recognise our own work, mannerisms, etc. But it’s usually just a little bit here and there.

Obviously you’ve worked with Gore [Verbinski] before on the Pirates of the Caribbean films animating Davy Jones. What was it like to work with him on a full animation film?

Well, it was different in the sense that it was a full collaborative effort, rather than the animators coming in towards the end, like we did with the Pirates of the Caribbean films.

Did avoiding 3D offer any advantages of disadvantages in the overall animation process?

I think that 3D is still a developing technology, that’s continuing to improve and to evolve, and it is an exciting time for film media. It’s great when it’s used effectively, it can be a very exciting experience. That said, I’ve also seen a lot of 2D animated films that felt a lot more dimensional and rich than some 3D films. 3D, it can be a tricky thing. I mean, if you don’t get it right or the film isn’t designed with the format in mind, it could be distracting, so I don’t necessary think that filming in 2D took away from the movie.

Has there been any talk of a sequel? Obviously the first film was very successful, and there’s even been some talk of an Oscar nomination down the line.

I have no idea. I mean, we’re all hoping. We all loved working on this this project, so we’re definitely all hoping. But I have no idea what’s in the works with ILM and in the future, with regards to a sequel.

Is there anything, in terms of animation, that you’d like to try in the future?

I’ve done visual effects now for ten years, so this was a very different and new experience for me. But I love the whole creating a character from scratch and making that character come alive. So this experience was really amazing because that’s all we were doing. We had all these great designs that we all loved, so that was definitely a very exciting process. I would love to continue doing that. Beans was a neat experience because I’d never animated a female character before.

Do you have any projects currently in the works?

I just finished up with Transformers: Dark of the Moon this week, and I’m just about to start on a new project, but I’m not allowed to talk about that one yet.

Do you prefer to work on a more contained film or a big-budget blockbuster?

It ultimately depends on the story and the designs that makes one project more appealing than another.

Is there any animation films in particular that you like or wish you’d been a part of?

There’s definitely a lot of movies that really fascinate me, or somehow inspire me. One of the movies that really inspired me was Jurassic Park, because I really loved the idea of creating this whole world from scratch. I also enjoy other animated features that have realistic characters, for example Up.

—————-

Thanks to Maia for her time. Rango is on sale now!

News of the World, via Shadow and Act, have revealed that Naomie Harris is in active talks with producers to star in Bond 23.

While it is unknown at what stage the talks are at, or what role she’s being mooted for, it’s certainly an exciting prospect, and would see her star opposite Daniel Craig and Judi Dench.

Harris is known for her roles in 28 Days Later, the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and, more recently, the critically praised indie film The First Grader, but has not yet hit the mainstream.

As usual, we won’t know anything for sure until an official announcement is made. But with filming expected to start in Autumn with Sam Mendes directing, we may not have to wait too long.

With the Disney blockbuster juggernaut in full swing it’s unlikely that you’ve missed the arrival of the fourth movie in the Pirates franchise.

It’s also unlikely that – unless you lack ears, eyes or a semi-functioning cerebrum – you would’ve escaped the disappointing realisation that the third film was utterly AAAARGH-ful, and the oberhyped ‘back to basics’ On Stranger Tides, simply AAAARGH-verage.

But even within these two pants piratical adventure romps flickered the cheeky, witty and unashamedly fun flame of the original.

And shiver me timbers if LEGO haven’t gone and done it again, by managing to capture the essence of the big screen and then funnelling it down into its purest LEGO-y essence on the small screen.

Travellers Tales’ tenth movie adaptation recaptures the magic of the original movie, whilst handily condensing the other 7 hours of waffly budget splurging into a series of digestible mini-missions.

Fans of Tales’ Star Wars/Indiana Jones LEGO adventures will know the drill – with the official score and storylines all on deck, players are able to control any member of their on-screen party at will to make the most of their skill sets throughout a selection of quests from across the four Pirates movies.

Sure, there’s no superduper CGI recreations here – instead each character has been replaced with their own charmingly mute LEGO-cised replica who you get to put through a number of action-come-puzzle-come-platformer scenes. And with over 50 characters to play as, there’s enough to keep you entertained for a while.

Recognise this lot?

Admittedly the AI support is more than a little wonky at times, although with such a relatively simple mechanic at work, there’s never any real nerve-shredding, controller-flinging moments for it to truly disrupt. And with Travellers Tales’ incorporation of some joyously inspired level design into proceedings, you’re never stuck on one mission or locale too long to become frustrated either.

The only real – and notably glaring – downside comes with the utter lack of online play. It’s such a pick-up-and-playable, drop in/drop outable mechanic that to completely omit any kind of online co-op is  short-sighted and, dare we say it, lunacy.

Go into it expecting yet another short-burst, family-friendly platformer, wrapped up in one of the most iconic and stylised blockbusters of recent years, and you won’t be disappointed.

***½~ (3.5/5)

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean is on General Release now, and available on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS, 3DS, and PSP .

The weekend box office estimates are in, and against all odds Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides has achieved the highest opening weekend total so far this year. It just managed to squeak past previous highest Fast Five’s total, with an estimated $90m according to Inside Movies at EW.com, and sets a big target for the rest of the summer blockbusters to aspire to.

The question is:  how is such a tired franchise continuing to make so much money?

This opening total is down on the previous Pirates films. Black Pearl, an unknown quantity at the time, only opened with $46.6m, but Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End opened with $135.6m and $114.7m respectively. They also, however, got progressively worse. Starting with Black Pearl at 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, the review aggregates went down to 54% then 45%. The latest, On Stranger Tides, has managed to undercut them all with an appalling 34%. This doesn’t seem to have dampened the audience interest, however, and it is looking at this point like Pirates of the Caribbean is one of those franchises that is almost critic proof.

Let’s face it, Johnny Depp is the reason the series has been so successful. His Captain Jack Sparrow routine is what drew audiences in for the first movie, and the stories have been built around Depp and Sparrow throughout. The problem with this is that the movies are suffering as a result. Relying on his schtick to carry the films through means we are not being offered anything fresh. After the last two movies received such a critical mauling, the smart move would have been to either pack it in, or hire a screenwriter known for their quality storytelling. Instead, Disney seem to have just gone for the easy money, and put the weight back on Jack Sparrows shoulders, perhaps having too much of their attention divided by other projects.
The thing that amazes me is that we are in a cinematic period where people are complaining about too many sequels, bemoaning the lack of original material. Yet we are still paying good money to see unimaginative retreads with these financially motivated sequels. The clear truth is that, in fact, the majority audience love sequels.So many people are afraid of change, and if you go and see a well established, though well worn, franchise you know what you are going to get. We may be only sporadically entertained, but hey, it’s better than taking a risk on the unknown, right?

Despite such poor critical reception, and star Depp recently saying he’d like to see a little time go past before we see a Pirates 5, with the money On Stranger Tides has made both domestically and globally it seems likely Disney will be keen to press on with a fifth installment. It will be very interesting to see what would happen if Depp did indeed decline to come back. Would they press on regardless with new characters? Would this actually be the key to increasing the quality of the overall product?

Tron: Legacy did not go down too well with critics, but the general public seemed to quite like it. It was also financially successful, so a third movie is on the cards. As long as movie goers are happy to return for follow-ups, the studios are, quite sensibly, more than happy to provide them. It is, obviously, much easier to put a sequel to an existing movie together than to come up with a concept from scratch. Don’t forget, Pirates of the Caribbean was initially a gamble on adapting a theme park ride to the big screen, so inspiration is clearly pretty thin on the ground. If we don’t think a film is up to scratch, but go back for more punishment anyway when the time comes, we really have no right to complain when we are let down again.

We are stuck in a cycle of sequels. This year sees a record total of them at cinemas, and whilst I am not against sequels as a rule, there needs to be more care taken with them. If a compelling and entertaining story does not come naturally to them, it means they are not justified. Some movies are just meant as stand alone pieces of art, and no matter what we might like to think, the memory of any great movie is watered down by its legacy. All we, the audience, can do is vote with our feet. Because in this industry, money talks. And, right now, the money is saying we want recycled trash. I don’t. I want great movies, and so far this year I haven’t seen enough of them.

Bazmann – You can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/baz_mann

You can’t help but commend the person who had the creative mind to think this political statement up. Yes it’s technically vandalism and no, we don’t agree with it but you can’t deny this is pure genius!

I’m sure if you live in the UK (and likely also the US), you will have noticed the huge billboard banners advertising the latest Jerry Bruckheimer / Disney movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides but I’m sure (unless you live in North London), you won’t have seen a poster like this one! The original banner (see below) shows Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow wielding a couple of smoking guns but in this instance, dr.d  has used some artistic licence to deface the banner with comical effect replacing Captain Jack with our Prime Minster himself, head of the Conservative Party, David Cameron equipped with some rather amusing one liners.

As you’ll see on the image, the various slogans have been changed to others such as ‘The Jolly Robber’, ‘Pirates of the Coalition’, ‘X Marks the Rot’ and ‘Dead Leg Clegg’. The person responsible for it appears to be a chap named dr.d (no, not Nick Clegg!) who has done this sort of thing before. His/her website can be found here.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides hits UK cinemas today, 18th May. Check out our review here.

Click the image(s) below to enlarge.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is currently making it’s way around the globe on it’s press tour while it’s released in every country that has a cinema. Our coverage of the movie has been rather extensive and much of that is thanks to Upbeat who have been fantastic at giving us interviews. The latest interview conducted exclusively for us is with mega-Producer, Jerry Bruckheimer who regular readers of the site will know is one of my favourites! As well as the previous three pirates movies, his body of work includes Top Gun, Armageddon, Crimson Tide, The Rock, Con Air, Pearl Harbor, Bad Boys and Black Hawk Down to name but a few.

This latest movie sees him reunited with Disney for the fourth instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and James White interviews the man himself!

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is directed by Rob Marshall and stars Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Kevin R. McNally, Astrid Berges-Frisbey, Sam Claflin, Geoffrey Rush. It’s released 18th May.

Check out the interview below and click here to read our review of the movie or here to see all the further coverage of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

It’s something of a surprise just how popular the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has become. Eight years on from the release of the first movie, we’ve had two (not quite as good) sequels, more Jack Sparrow impersonators than you can shake a stick at, and Johnny Depp has gone from being the darling of indie filmmakers and horny teenage Goths, to an A-List celebrity.

Last Thursday we spent a day stalking the cast and crew of the film, first at a press conference, and then at the insanity that was the European premiere. And it really was crazy. Three floors of Westfield shopping centre, crowded full of fans, many of them in an absolute frenzy, waiting to catch a glimpse of the stars of the film. It’s now a few days hence and we can still hear the screaming…

We’ve cherry picked the very best, most interesting quotes from both events, and presented them to you here, below this badly written, rambling introduction.

Photos of the premiere also follow,

Johnny Depp – Captain Jack Sparrow

On Captain Jack Sparrow

With all the characters I’ve played, they’re all pretty close to the surface. Each and every one is still pretty accessible. Some of them I have to work up to, and other ones come just a little bit easier. Captain Jack, I’ve played him four times, he arrives pretty quickly. He arrives a little too quickly. He arrives in life a lot. Dropping the kids off at school, and he’ll just show up. It’s weird.

On working with Dame Judi Dench

It was the second time I’ve been lucky enough to work with Dame Judy Dench. Very brief on Chocolat, and very brief on this, but it was wonderful. She’s such a major force. Such a fun, smart, elegant angel. I was dancing with her on Chocolat, and I got to bite her ear on this one.

Geoffrey Rush – Captain Barbossa

On filming on location

In Hawaii we were often on night shoots in fantastical bamboo forests, or crawling through very murky, strange undergrowth, skulking our way into the Spanish camp. The art department could feasibly create, close to scenes like that, possibly, in a studio environment, but when you’re on location it does 90% of the acting for you, because you’re really there, and you do hear, and feel, and smell things lurking around, wildlife, that is silently nearby in the scene with you.

Again, some of the beach locations, it was historically fun, because the shore that we shot on for the lighthouse was where they shot From Here to Eternity. There’s something quite thrilling about knowing that Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster had played there before you.

Kevin McNally – Gibbs

On On Stranger Tides

What’s crazy about this is that I never, ever thought I’d be making it. There was always a sense that we might do three films, but to do four is just a great testament to everyone’s work, that they wanted to make the best films they could. We’re going to keep on going.

On the silver rings he and various other cast and crew members were sporting at the premiere

They were made by our makeup artist, Joel Harlow. We all got one at the end of the second film, I think.

We try not to let [the people only involved with the third and fourth films] have it, so they know we’re superior. They’ve got to know there place, these people.

Stephen Graham – Scrum

How he came to be involved with the film.

I’ve worked with John before, and I think he threw my name in the hat.

On bonding with the crew

I got on really well with the crew. The best thing to do with the crew is, when you meet a new crew, just get pissed with them first, and then you’ve got them then. You have a good night out with the lads and the girls, you’ve got them then.

Reflecting on how things have changed

When I was a kid I used to get on the bus to go to the youth theatre when I was fifteen, and I was on a speedboat, going to the ship in the middle of the Atlantic, and I was like ‘wow, it’s a long way from getting on the bus’. So I’d say, just keep your dream going, don’t give in. Just keep at it. And hopefully, fingers crossed, with hard work and dedication, and a lot of talent as well – there’s too much shit that you see on the telly these days, The Only Way is Essex, and all that  nonsense –people with talent, just keep it going.

On being in lots of projects with a historical setting,

I think it’s just my face. Maybe I’ve got an old face. To me the important thing is the script, and then the director, and then the rest of the crew. As long as I keep getting scripts that are based back then, I’ll keep doing them.

Sam Claflin – Phillip

On filming

It’s a childhood dream, isn’t  it, to be on a pirate ship. The thought of having spent three weeks, despite it being night shooting the majority of the time I was on that boat, the thought of it being, ‘I’m living The Goonies’, stayed with me, and I really enjoyed every single moment.

On the first time he watched Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

We’d just bought our first DVD player, and [Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl was] the first DVD we bought with the player, we all sat down as a family and watched it.  It’s such a special sort of adventure for the whole family to enjoy. I have a younger brother, and older brothers, but none the less, we all enjoyed it as one another, it’s so special.

Astrid Berges-Frisbey – Syrena

On being involved with the project

I felt more than lucky. It’s an honour. I have the opportunity to work with the most brilliant actors ever, and a perfect director. I’m glad they gave me that opportunity. I’m just grateful.

Everybody, cast and crew, were so welcoming with the new part of the team, the family. They were relaxed themselves, and tried to enjoy, and have fun. Johnny, especially, has so much fun acting Jack Sparrow, and I think he just wanted to share that energy. Everybody is really humble as well.

On her accent and her character

[Syrena] is a mermaid, she comes from everywhere. Gemma Ward, the other mermaid, is Australian, and they were looking for a girl from anywhere, English, Australian, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian were doing the audition.

On watching Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, and on seeing the Queen Anne’s Revenge set

I was 16. I was crazy about pirate stories. I remember I got up from the theatre, and a few hours later, I came back to see it. Like Sam, I was such a fan of The Goonies as well, and I remember when I came out, it was like that. The entire movie was well done, and Johnny created a special hero. I’d never seen a hero like that in movies before. When I got the part it was unbelievable. It was like a dream. Every day I ask myself, ‘is it a dream?’

I went to see the pirate ship, because I had no scenes on the pirate ship, and I was like a kid, a five year old girl, jumping everywhere, wishing to see every detail of the incredible ship they made. It’s a real one, by the way.

John DeLuca – Producer

On the differences between this and the earlier films he and Rob Marshall worked on

We always start with a script. We dive into that, then we cast it, then move on. The film, and do the post production, so it’s exactly the same. We were nervous, because it is a different genre,  but we attacked it like we attack anything.

Fewer musical numbers though.

Fewer musical numbers. Although the fights are similar. The way something moves is very musical as well.

On working with Jerry Bruckheimer

Great. Adored him. Positive, calm spirit around. He has the same sort of spirit that Rob and Johnny both have, which is a very positive, nurturing spirit. I’d never met Jerry before working on this,  and he’s this huge, Hollywood producer who does all these big blockbusters. He was just a gentle, wonderful soul.

On his future project with Marshall, a remake of The Thin Man

We’re getting [The Thin Man] ready. We’re working on it already, with Johnny again.  That’s how great this experience was. We decided on this while we were filming. We just thought, we love working with him so much, we have to do it again, and again, and again.

There was the original book, then there was the first film, which was based on the book, then there were five films after that. So it’s kind of going to have a lot of the feel of all of them, of course basing it on the original book. We’re still working on the script. Right now we’re just at the second outline, so we’re just finding out now, which is so great. We all just love the period, and the feel, and the martinis and murder and mystery, we’re excited.

As a big fan of the first movie I was (like most) disappointed with the sequels which followed to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and I do confess I went to this fourth instalment not expecting  great things. For this I am grateful, because I was actually relatively pleasantly surprised. The run-time on this movie is rather epic at a whopping 136 minutes and the shuffling in the seats around me suggested I wasn’t the only one who found that!

I was intrigued at what they might do with the character of Jack Sparrow, who after all is the main attraction to such a film only because he is played by the excellent Johnny Depp. Depp carried the film all the way through, and with a somewhat limited script did almost as convincing a job as in ‘The Curse of the Black Pearl’. The return of Geoffrey Rush as Captain Barbossa was a let-down; it is difficult not to compare after such an incredible performance from Rush in the King’s Speech (see review here) making us wonder why he went back to the franchise at all. His character development was poor from the previous films and he was not believable in his new role as Captain of the Guard in the British Navy. The addition of the beautiful Penelope Cruz as Angelica held both positive and negative points for me. It seemed her character was trying too hard to fit a preconceived ‘mould’ and the only way they came up with to develop her character was to ensure she ticked the ‘sex appeal’ box: a bit lame and too sexy for a kid’s film.

If the target audience is supposed to be teenagers or kids, this film is far too confusing and as I mentioned above, far too long! However it is not as confusing as it’s predecessor, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, which let’s be honest, was so bad that my brand new copy is still in its cellophane wrapper years later. One watch was too many.

Blink and you miss the few cameos in the film; they added interesting little anecdotes but were not hugely necessary to the storyline, nor really the opening London sequence. There were a few throw-backs to the other films, such as a fight sequence with Cruz reminiscent of Captain Sparrow and Mr Turner’s epic battle in The Curse of the Black pearl; similarly the dreaded Island was used again as a ‘drop off spot’ for not Sparrow, but Angelica this time. The return of Kevin McNally as Sparrow’s first mate, Gibbs was intrinsic to the storyline I guess, although not a hugely outstanding performance. The use of large and rather ugly pig was reminiscent of finding Gibb in the pigsty in #1, a little joyous moment perhaps for those loyal fans. Hans Zimmer did a great job with the original score of the movie but this latest instalment fails to offer anything new for us; however I really like the original Score so was not complaining!

On the whole if you don’t take this film too seriously I give it a 2.5 out of 5. It was entertaining and fun, and a scene to watch out for is the Mermaid sequence which is rather spectacular with stunts, live effects and amazing CG work.  New character Astrid Berges-Frisbey was superb I thought, believable and sensitive to the storyline. The relatively attractive Sam Claflin as Philip over played the role of the clergyman a little too much, he came over as just a bit annoying and soppy.

Overall the production design was amazing, the ships were very cool but really, it was such a shame that this chance to reboot the franchise wasn’t capitalised with a better story as unfortunately I found it rather laborious from beginning to end!

A little tip – Do stay until the credits have ended ; it is just about worth the wait (after such a long period sitting in your movie seat) for a little surprise with a possible pointer to POTC5!

**½~~ (2.5/5)

Disney have released this new clip from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides which hits UK cinemas 18th May. The fourth movie in the series titled Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides stars Johnny Depp, Ian McShane, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Kevin McNally, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Sam Claflin, Stephen Graham, Yuki Matsuzaki and Gemma War, is directed by Rob Marshall.

In this clip, we get to find out more about Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and Angelica (Penelope Cruz).

Synopsis: Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Rob Marshall, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” captures the fun, adventure and humor that ignited the hit franchise–this time in Disney Digital 3D(TM). Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in an action-packed adventure. Crossing paths with the enigmatic Angelica (Penelope Cruz), he’s not sure if it’s love–or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the “Queen Anne’s Revenge,” the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn’t know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica, with whom he shares a mysterious past. The international cast includes franchise vets Geoffrey Rush as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa and Kevin R. McNally as Captain Jack’s longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs, plus Sam Claflin as a stalwart missionary and Astrid Berges-Frisbey as a mysterious mermaid.

Here it is people, the one you’ve all been waiting for! While Ben is on the red carpet at the European Premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in London, we have our premiere report from the world premiere of the movie which took place earlier in the week courtesy of our friends at Upbeat.

They got to speak to Director Rob Marshall, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and all main cast including Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush and Kevin McNally.

Check out the video below for the interviews and keep your eyes peeled for coverage from the European Premiere tomorrow.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is released in the UK 18th May.

The forth Pirates of the Caribbean saga must have proved to be a rewarding creative experience for star Johnny Depp and newcomer to the series, Nine director Rob Marshall. Both are attached to the remake of 1934 comedy-mystery, The Thin Man.

The Wrap is reporting that the actor will play the part of Nick Charles, a former detective who embarks a murder mystery case for fun, alongside his wife. The female lead is yet to be cast (wonder how far down the list Angelia Jolie sits?), but this remake will be co-produced by Depp, with script-writing duties going to Jerry Stahl – the famous hedonist 80’s TV scribe who has since cleaned up his act and has gone on to work on CSI and contributed to the script for Bad Boys 2.

According to the site, the film has already been pencilled in for a 2013 release. Will they have time to fit another ‘Pirates’ film in before then?

I had no idea until Brendon from Bleeding Cool told me yesterday that Kermit the Frog is 56 years old! He celebrated his birthday yesterday and then I come home from watching Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides to find this video showing Kermit the Frog interviewing the stars of the movie and it’s a right laugh!

You’ll have to wait until next week for our review of Pirates of the Caribbean 4 but if you want a laugh, check out this video of Kermit interviewing the likes of Jerry Bruckheimer, Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Keith Richards, Penelope Cruz, director Rob Marshall and many more celebrities at the World Premiere in Disney Land.

The fourth installment of the Disney/Bruckheimer Pirates of the Caribbean is days away from its Cannes debut and we are under strict embargo not to divulge our opinion of the film so we’re bringing you something a little more unusual.

The Legoisation (which should be a word) of popular franchises has the power to breathe new life into otherwise poor properties – is there any doubt at all that the Star Wars prequels video game series would have been gladly ignored had they not been rendered in stunning Leg-o-vision?

While this is not an official video MTV have created their own stop motion video celebrating Captain Jack Sparrow and his merry crew and it’s a true labour of love and well worth a look.

Ahoy!

Disney / Jerry Bruckheimer have released the first clip from the fourth instalment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. I’m seeing the movie on Monday and you could come along too by entering out competition to win tickets to a preview screening here. The clip is called Palace escape and does what it says on the tin! Scroll down to check it out.

Synopsis: Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Rob Marshall, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” captures the fun, adventure and humor that ignited the hit franchise–this time in Disney Digital 3D(TM). Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in an action-packed adventure. Crossing paths with the enigmatic Angelica (Penelope Cruz), he’s not sure if it’s love–or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the “Queen Anne’s Revenge,” the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn’t know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica, with whom he shares a mysterious past. The international cast includes franchise vets Geoffrey Rush as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa and Kevin R. McNally as Captain Jack’s longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs, plus Sam Claflin as a stalwart missionary and Astrid Berges-Frisbey as a mysterious mermaid.

The fourth movie in the series titled Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides stars Johnny Depp, Ian McShane, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Kevin McNally, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Sam Claflin, Stephen Graham, Yuki Matsuzaki and Gemma War, is directed by Rob Marshall and is set to be with us May 18th.

Source: Yahoo

To celebrate the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Disney have been kind enough to give us two pairs of tickets to give away to you, our awesome readers! You could get to see the movie much earlier than anyone else by simply scrolling down and answering the simple question below.

The screening will take place in central London at a West End Venue on 9th May. Doors open at 17.30 with the movie starting 18.30. You can only enter this competition if you are able to make it to London that day to attend.

Synopsis: Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Rob Marshall, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” captures the fun, adventure and humor that ignited the hit franchise–this time in Disney Digital 3D(TM). Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in an action-packed adventure. Crossing paths with the enigmatic Angelica (Penelope Cruz), he’s not sure if it’s love–or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the “Queen Anne’s Revenge,” the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn’t know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica, with whom he shares a mysterious past. The international cast includes franchise vets Geoffrey Rush as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa and Kevin R. McNally as Captain Jack’s longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs, plus Sam Claflin as a stalwart missionary and Astrid Berges-Frisbey as a mysterious mermaid.

The fourth movie in the series titled Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides stars Johnny Depp, Ian McShane, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Kevin McNally, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Sam Claflin, Stephen Graham, Yuki Matsuzaki and Gemma War, is directed by Rob Marshall and is set to be with us May 18th.

Answer the following question using the form below to enter:

Who plays Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides?

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• You may only enter this competition if you are able to attend the screening on 9th May
• The prize does not include travel costs, you must get to London using your own organised transport
• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close 5th May 12.00 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

Poster courtesy of LoveFilm

Following on from the likes of Jeff Bridges and (good sport) Alec Baldwin being immortalised in the world of Disney, Johnny Depp and the somewhat unlikely Patti Smith have now been subject to famed photographer Annie Leibovitz’s lens.

Unsurprisingly, Depp and Smith are both kitted out in Pirates of the Caribbean garb for this two page magazine spread, which is part of a series of images celebrating the studio’s icons (which in this case, originated in the form of a classic ride via the Disney theme parks).

Singer/songwriter Smith is actually nowhere to be seen in the POTC credits on IMDb, but given Depp’s power in Hollywood, he could probably invite any of his pals along to be included in the photo shoot.

Images via Disney Parks Blog

Here’s a rather photoshop-tastic poster for the fourth instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides which gives us Johnny Depp (Captain Jack Sparrow) who gets all the attention.

The fourth movie in the series titled Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides stars Johnny Depp, Ian McShane, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Kevin McNally, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Sam Claflin, Stephen Graham, Yuki Matsuzaki and Gemma War, is directed by Rob Marshall and is set to be with us May 18th.

This new poster comes as news hits that Pirates of the Caribbean will play at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

Thanks to Rope of Silicon, we get to see the final poster for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides which shows all the main big names united together. All of these images I think we’ve seen in their own posters which you can see here.

The fourth movie in the series titled Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides stars Johnny Depp, Ian McShane, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Kevin McNally, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Sam Claflin, Stephen Graham, Yuki Matsuzaki and Gemma War, is directed by Rob Marshall and is set to be with us May 18th.