Angelica convinces Jack to join her on her ship in search of the fabled Fountain of Youth, but Jack soon discovers that he is actually on the ship of legendary bad guy pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), who also happens to have ties to Angelica. Blackbeard and crew aren't the only ones in search of the Fountain, either. Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), now walking with a peg leg thanks to Blackbeard, has teamed up with the King of England to get to the Fountain of Youth before the Spanish find it, but his real goal is revenge against Blackbeard.
In order for the Fountain of Youth to work its magic, a mermaid's tear is required, but obtaining one won't be eas,y as these lovelies are known for luring sailors to their death. However, Philip (Sam Claflin), a very devout religious young man, is also traveling onboard Blackbeard's ship (against his will) and he takes pity on the cruel treatment bestowed upon a captured mermaid, Syrena (Astrid Berges-Frisbey), one that was caught because of him.
As Jack, Blackbeard, Barbossa and the Spaniards race towards an inevitable explosive confrontation at the fountain, it seems possible that no one may benefit from the fountain's magical properties. When tragedy strikes both Blackbeard and Angelica, who will the fountain save?
The movie is simply gorgeous in Blu-ray, with its crystalline waters and mesmerizing mermaids. I really liked the effect of transforming from mermaid to human and it looked quite realistic. There's also another great effect involving ships in a bottle that looks really crisp and beautiful. The rousing soundtrack sounds fantastic in surround sound and, as always, you will clearly hear (and almost feel) the bullets whizzing by your ears and the swords clanging all around you. As for special features, I found them to be really light in this release. Only audio commentary, a blooper reel and a handful of LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean animated shorts were present, along with the DVD version, of course.
I really enjoyed Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides much more than I expected to. I say that because I am not the biggest fan of Penelope Cruz and I miss some of the characters that were in the last trilogy. That being said, there was tons of action and over-the-top fight and chase scenes, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides once again brings the magic with this latest installment in the series. It is amazing that a movie series based simply on a theme park ride can continue to have so much steam, but Depp and company do it again.
