Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

There was once a time where I was always standing outside the theater to see the latest releases. Renting movies as soon as they came out on DVD (back when people actually rented movies). After college, I find myself spending less and less time eagerly awaiting the next big thing, instead trying to enjoy myself. I lack the leisure time necessary to indulge in a wide variety of independent films, or to rewatch films again and again until I’ve dissected them like finely-built clocks. When I have a few free hours, it seems I’m now more likely to watch a fun, mindless film like the most recent Pirates movie.

The first three films formed a trilogy that revolved around Jack Sparrow’s re-acqusition of his ship, The Black Pearl. In the fourth film, On Stranger Tides, Jack (Johnny Depp) is once again shipless, and a prisoner of the British crown. He is wrangled into searching for the fabled Fountain of Youth by an old flame, and ends up sailing alongside the notorious pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane). In addition, Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) returns as Jack’s old nemesis.

It’s hard to hate a movie that is, at its core, so innocent. The original trilogy never had any depth to it, and suffered from countless plotholes and bad characterization. Still, the fact that they never took themselves seriously made them watchable enough. Gore Verbinski decided to stop directing the films after finishing the third, so Rob Marshall took over with this installment. It seems a little out of his element, considering most of his previous works are musicals. He’s also the guy that directed Memoirs of a Geisha, if that means anything to you.

On Stranger Tides is just as wild and needlessly complicated as the previous films, even with a different director. Jack ends up on what seems like a wild goose chase for something out of a legend. He meets various enemy factions and spends the film switching his allegiance to suit his mood and goals. There is a fair amount of swashbuckling and choreographed swordplay. The characters do a lot of silly things that don’t always make sense, and supporting characters end up serving almost superfluous roles on the fringes of the plot.

It’s no Citizen Kane. You will have to suspend your sense of disbelief when you watch this film to avoid getting mad at how stupid everyone seems to be. But if you liked the first three films then you will find this one is not a departure from their shared style. It’s a good way to eat up a chunk of time instead of doing stupid things like homework or chores. Watch it once, file it away in the back of your mind, and wait for the next sequel.

Hugo (2011)

I had wanted to review The King’s Speech, but I’d rather not discuss biopic after biopic, even if the contents are different. Today, I’m discussing Hugo, the most recent work of famed director Martin Scorsese. I would be surprised if you don’t know this director’s name. Among his best works are Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Casino, Goodfellas, and Cape Fear (I may be slightly infatuated with Robert de Niro). Hugo is somewhat of a departure from Scorsese’s more serious films, an adventure-drama about a boy who lives in a train station and secretly maintains all of the clocks there.

What really interested me about this film was the core of the story, which deals with the creation of the moving picture. Much of the plot is based in reality. To elaborate: the first major public display of movie magic was by the Lumière Brothers in 1895. Stage magician Georges Méliès was so captivated by their work that he also began to make films. You may know his most famous work, A Trip To The Moon (1902) from pop culture references. In short, these three men were instrumental in the evolution of cinema from a sideshow attraction to the granduer it elicits today.

The story of Hugo’s titular protagonist is a grand mystery that takes him from the bowels of the train station into the winter streets of Paris. With the help of a young girl, he searches for the means to make his father’s dream come true. I hope I have made the movie sound inspiring enough. It offers a sort of dream-like atmosphere that is filled with unique and humorous characters. Among those actors fortunate enough to work with Scorsese: Sir Ben Kingsly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Christopher Lee, and Jude Law. While each actor gives the audience a fair turn, Sir Ben Kingsly especially delivers an excellent performance.

Although at 128 minutes the film can seem slightly drawn out, it’s worth watching to see what Scorsese is capable of when his characters aren’t trying to murder one another in gang wars. Hugo is a family-friendly film that offers something for every member of the family, even if its historical roots may be a little too lofty for children.