Pirates of the Caribbean - On Stranger Tides

For just over two hours today, I was once again immersed in my favorite world. Pirates, Tall ships, the Sea and History!  Add a small buttered popcorn, and you might as well have carted me off to Heaven right then and there.  Yes, I am a certified pirate maniac, freak, lover, whatever you want to call me. I have the bumper stickers and the published novels to prove it.

My impressions.  Loved it! Loved it! Loved it!  I realize I may be a bit biased to love anything piratical, but there wasn't a single moment when my eyes, mind, and heart weren't engaged. I didn't miss Orlando or Keira at all. Captain Jack Sparrow stole the show as usual anyway. In addition,  I must say I was most pleased not to see any of the undead or fish people in this sequel.  They did have one zombie, but he was fairly innocuous. And of course the mermaids. Beautifully done. A bit frightening in their nature, but upon deeper inspection, we see they have hearts as well.  I have to say, watching them only added to my zeal to write that mermaid story someday!  They added some characters and brought some old ones back.  My favorite new character is a man called the cleric. He's a godly man who believes in good versus evil. And the best part about him was that Hollywood didn't make him a dork like they tend to do most religious people. In fact if you pay attention, you'll see a real theme of good versus evil running through the entire movie. As well as the theme of sacrificing oneself for another. Ah, good stuff!

The movie starts in London with great scenery and costumes.. then heads out to sea in search of the fountain of youth. The real historical figure of Blackbeard the Pirate plays a huge part and from what I know of him, the writers did a great job of making him as vile as he truly was.  I wasn't sure how they were going to end the story, especially as it dealt with eternal life, but I was very pleased with the outcome. They left a few loose threads at the end which indicate at least one more film, making this pirate lover a happy sailor!  All in all, a fabulous addition to the pirate saga and well worth your $10 and a bag of popcorn (which almost cost as much as the movie)

So, grab your cutlass, put on that head scarf, and sail to your nearest theater for a truly enjoyable foray into the wonderful world of pirates.