Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
I know that we have a thread to facilitate this sort of discussion, and a place to vent our excitement for up coming movies. But I felt that this particular film deserves its own thread, seeing as how the majority of us here are highly anticipating its release - something I've deduced from the fact that about 90% of the posts in the 'Up Coming Movie Thread' have mentioned it. I'm referring, of course, to 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides':
As the poster states, this will be released on May 20, which is under two months away! And, as though some fans weren't excited enough, a new trailer has now been released (though I do warn you that this trailer may contain what will perhaps be the best parts of the film).
As the poster states, this will be released on May 20, which is under two months away! And, as though some fans weren't excited enough, a new trailer has now been released (though I do warn you that this trailer may contain what will perhaps be the best parts of the film).
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Here are some more character posters. I really love the look they've gone for with them; they're really nice, and really simple.
And here is some concept art.
And finally, some screencaps. The film really looks like it's sporting some nice visuals.
And yeah, I too like the way they've gone with the promo posters. Except this one isn't too great; it just looks a little too Photoshopped:
And, by the way, I need to find out the name of that concept artist. Whoever it is is incredible!
Edit: Oh, and for all who haven't heard...
I'm incredibly interested in this movie, not just as a mega-fan of this series, but also because I'm insanely interested to see how it fares under a new director, as well as how it fares as a fourth sequel. I think this one might be the one to break the fourth sequel curse as far as quality, or at least I'm hoping as much. It's basically already been confirmed that there'll be a fifth and sixth movie made as well, so it's obvious they have plenty of ideas left, and I think this is a series that can easily have plenty of material. This is the new Sinbad/Indiana Jones of the 00's-10's. Curse of the Black Pearl is in my top ten films, although Dead Man's Chest comes in very close to it. I consider them both to be near-perfect adventure movies, but that's me. Returning to that scope will ultimately save the fourth movie. Also, I'm insanely excited to see if Zimmer can top his score for the third movie, a score that is one of the greatest, in my opinion, of all time. I actually kind of hope that Zimmer will reuse some of the themes he had in At World's End, because some of them were just...wow.
I'm glad Will and Elizabeth are gone, I'm hoping that the young man and mermaid thing going on in this film doesn't mimic it, and I'm also kind of happy that the two British soldiers, plus Pintel and Ragetti, are all gone as well. It makes it all much fresher.
So, yeah. Long post there, but just some of my general thoughts on the film so far. The first trailer wasn't very strong, but the newest trailer gives a much better impression of the film overall.
EDIT: Ninja'd on the fifth and sixth Pirates films announcement-
You've basically summed up my thoughts on the film right here (and my thoughts on the poster). The announcement/rumour of a further two films in the franchise has also made me much more confident about this film, and for the same reasons - it's an indicator that they've got a whole bag of ideas and concepts, and that they're not simply putting out a watered-down version of what we've seen in the previous films.
Also, I'm thinking that this film will be fine with a new director. If anything, it should be a breath of fresh air into the series. Plus, Rob Marshall specializes in choreography, doesn't he? So it should make for some pretty kickass action sequences (though this may be wishful thinking from me).
And even if the cinematography is semi-crappy, at least the story and script should be reasonable, as this installment has the same writers as the last three films.
I know right? It's a good thing that so many of the characters are gone! This is something that I've tried to tell people: the removal of these characters will stop the series from becoming stale and repetitive. But people just don't seem to be able to grasp this idea, instead going with the mindset of "it's gonna suck because Will and Elizabeth aren't in it" - these are the exact words I've heard and read from so many people. It's incredibly frustrating.
Aye, I just can't wait to see how it all comes together now
Edit: Also, just out of interest, what were your basic thoughts on the third film?
...Same here. There are a lot of reasons why I'm glad to see them go, most of which stem from the third movie.
I think there is so much that they did wrong with it. For one, if they had wanted to stop at film three, then there is one big thing they should have done. They should have left Jack Sparrow dead. That would have taken some real balls, and if I was writing the trilogy, it's what I would have done. Jack's death in film two was an incredible scene, and I couldn't stop thinking about it when I left the theater. Saving Jack takes away from the impact of it. If he was dead, and gone for good, then that would have been the ballsiest thing they could have ever done. Once Jack was dead, I would have had Will become the hero of film three, and focused it entirely on him trying to save his father, amidst a background of realistic war between pirates and the British army. and I would have had Will adopt a mindset of "what would Jack do" causing him to inevitably adopt some of Jack's mannerisms and cunning. I might have even had Will go a little nutty, and brought Jack back as a hallucination. Maybe even as a ghost; that would have been fun. It would have been better than the crab desert.
Davy Jones was wasted in film three. He was an amazing villain, and in my opinion, a better one than Barbossa. Barbossa became more of an anti-hero, and that is something that has benefited his character overall. That's the best change to come out of film three. The subplot between Davy Jones and the sea goddess was a great idea, executed poorly. Norrington was also wasted like a little bitch. I would have much rather seen Will becoming more of a pirate and moore treacherous, and Elizabeth, wondering if she could trust him anymore, begin to fall for Norrington, who begins to win her trust over Will. Thus, the more Jack-ish Will would have a rival in Norrington, something set up in the first two films and completely destroyed in film three. I would also have had Will become the King of the Pirates. I would have had a fight between the Black Pearl and the Kraken in a maelstrom in the middle of a the film, ending with the Pearl shipwrecked on an island, and the Kraken's dying body washed up there as well due to the maelstrom. Then Will would enter the Kraken and find the item for the Brethren Court on Jack's dead body, with Jack's ghost there to comment on it.
The Brethren Court was a great idea, and I liked all of the Pirate Lords that were put in the film, but I don't think the film needed a huge battle between them all and the army all at once. I don't agree with that. I would have had Chow Yun Fat's character live, only to be betrayed and killed by Will later when Will betrays the pirates to work for the British in order to gain his father's freedom from the Dutchman. Make sense so far? Anyway, enough talking about what I would have done. I still liked the movie well enough. The plot was insanely weak, and it's the weakest of the four films (there's no way I believe OST will be weaker than AWE), but overall, I still liked it a lot. I would have had Will still become the next Davy Jones; but also as the Pirate King. The only reason they are continuing these films is because Jack is still alive, therefore they've sort of forced themselves into this corner. Whereas, if they had written the third movie the way I outlined, there would have never been a need for a fourth movie. I'm not complaining about more Pirates, exactly, but I wonder which direction will serve the series more.
The music in AWE is the best part of the film. It is incredible; I already said that. Not since Morricone have I heard such amazing, sweeping, perfect music out of a film. Zimmer would be a fool not to reuse some of it in the rest of the series. The third film did have a lot of good scenes I really loved. The opening was great, the Leone style showdown on the beach was great, and overall it was a well made movie out of a poorly written script. Oh, I also would have had Barbossa and Davy Jones become rivals if I had written it. Either way, I saw a lot of missed opportunities and the third film is the only reason the second is weakened in any way.
What about your thoughts?
I don't plan to see the film.
Because the things that made the first two films so great and so engaging was the fact that they were well thought-out, and their respective plots and storylines had depth and substance to them. This ultimately made the action sequences so much more exciting, because the action and battles we were viewing onscreen would affect the course of events; would have a bearing on what was to come in the story. The action scenes in 'At World's End' were more amazing, visually, but they were nowhere near as exciting as the action scenes in the first two films, and this was because (as we've mentioned) the plot was weak, and paper thin.
And this probably comes as a result from the team trying to create something of epic proportions, using their incredible budget on making things look amazing, but not focusing on the one thing that made the first two films brilliant - the excitement, the engagement, and the immersion, which all were spawned from the plot.
I like what your ideas are for the movie's plotline; that would have been a much better alternative. Those events would have given way to a much stronger plot, and probably would have actually created some memorable moments that would actually stick in the audience's head. Because, in all honesty, since it's been a while since I last viewed 'At World's End', I can't actually remember much as all about the film. I sure as hell didn't remember much about it after my first viewing - it was a big blur of men in wigs, hundreds of ships, dark clouds and stormy weather, lots of crabs, Keith Richards and Singaporeans. Whereas, with 'Dead Man's Chest', I could recount the major plot elements, the basic storyline, and the action was more memorable as a result.
At least 'On Stranger Tides' appears to be a return to form, or at least it should be. There's just one things that the plot is centered around here - multiple parties in search of the fountain of youth. This is good - this means that the scriptwriters can focus on that; focus on cultivating this single storyline; make this one thing complex and exciting, as opposed to stretching themselves thin over a number of storylines and too many plot elements (like in 'AWE'). Also, I hear that they had a pretty big budget cut this time around, which is great! It means that they can't go crazy this time, and their focus will remain on making a good film, not making a visually impressive film. These are other reasons why I think that 'OST' will be a return to form. I'm expecting it to be at about the same level as 'Dead Man's Chest', and should have a lot of similar elements.
Sorry if I talked in circles in this post, by the way
I have to say I pretty much agree with everything you said, and you weren't repetitive about it at all. Also, Rather Dashing reminded me I need to buy the book soon and read it.
Here are a couple links to the book On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers for anyone interested in purchasing it:
http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Tides-Tim-Powers/dp/1930235321/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300891182&sr=8-1
Better cover, but more expensive.
http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Tides-Tim-Powers/dp/0062101072/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1300891182&sr=8-2
Boring cover, but less expensive.
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Pirates-Caribbean-Stranger-Bruckheimer/dp/1423139461/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1300891182&sr=8-3
Also, here is a link to a pre-order for the book containing the artwork for the film, since you mentioned being interested in that.
I also like the cover of my book its a really old paperback.
here are some used copies from amazon for a little less money
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0441626866/ref=sr_1_6_up_1_main_olp?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300892265&sr=1-6&condition=used
He will always be Lovejoy to me which makes it a little amusing when he's in a big film or tv series.
I'm curious how faithful to the book it will be though, and I wonder if I should buy and read the book before or after the film.
Ah! The fabled James Gurney cover! Oh how I tried to get this hardcover edition, to no avail.
I'm a bit torn concerning PotC 4. But I think that I will be fully able to watch the movie with no preset notions about how good or bad it will be, but watch it as "just" an adventure movie with one of my favourite characters in it.
My special interest is the concept art, however. Even if the movie happens to suck, I will still have a great time with the artbook. The monstrosity that was the previous art book is one of my most prized possessions (now available for almost nothing).
In the sequels, being a pirate was all of a sudden a good thing, so much so that Will and Elizabeth were suddenly all piratey. And on the opposite side, the British navy was suddenly totally evil--aren't pirates supposed to be bad guys? Isn't that their appeal? The first movie seemed to take place more or less in a realistic world, just with curses. Then all of a sudden the sequels have sea goddesses, Davy Jones, krakens, coming back from the dead, and worst of all "pirate lords." Suddenly being a pirate meant you were a freedom fighter against the evil forces of civilization... yuck.
Anyway, I might still see this because Jack Sparrow is still endlessly entertaining to watch. He's really the only part of two and three that I enjoyed.
NICE!!!! I totally just bought that book thanks for the share...
The only thing that ticks me off is that now that book can never be a movie with its original characters intact. .... But it wasn't ever going to happen like that anyway.
the first one : pretty good
Second one: erm ok....not as good..not that bad...
Third one: wtf is this crap?
this one actually looks better then the past three. I am really glad they aren't going to have orlando bloom or keira knightly again.
While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it drew away from Jack Sparrow's character. He is truly the driving force behind the films and it's nice to finally see him return to the spot light.
It was "Singapore" that really caught me - very atmospheric, powerful stuff.
Is this for any particular reason? Were you not a fan of the the previous three films? Or are you concerned about the film adaptation ruining how you envision/picture things in the book? Because I doubt that this is going to share too much in common with the book.
I just thought I'd point out this contradiction. I wonder what's caused these vastly different perspectives.
My personal favorite from the soundtrack is One Day. It has the best of every theme I love in the soundtrack. My mom, also a huge fan of the series, also loves the soundtrack a great deal, but mostly because the hanging scene in the third film is her favorite scene in the trilogy for it's music. It's not shabby, but as far as vocals, although it's one of the cheesiest scenes in the third film, I really loved the lyrics combined with the music at the end of What Shall We Die For, and of course, since I have a huge hard-on for Ennio Morricone, I loved the homage to his shapghetti western soundtracks and specifically Once Upon A Time in the West in the song Parlay. Like I said countless times in this topic, if Zimmer doesn't make re-use of some of this material in what could be a better film, I would be sorely disappointed.
-Love the book, On Stranger Tides.
- Hated Dead Man's Chest (too many dangling plot threads) and At World's End (Wasted potential in the highest order), but loved Curse of the Black Pearl
- On Stranger Tides seems to be getting back to basics, it dropped the Will and Elizabeth millstone around its neck and is incorporating elements of the best Pirate novel in existence. I'm cautiously optimistic.
Jack Sparrow is a walking parody not worthy of more screen time. Eh.
Take it back.
This does not mean I do not like the movies :P
999,861
I can't wait to see those deleted scenes. They're still not on YouTube and it looks like the box set won't be coming out in Europe anytime soon so it may take I while...
Palace Escape Clip - a fifty-second excerpt from the film, where Jack Sparrow makes one of his fortunate and daring escapes. It involves a chandelier.
"Live Forever" TV Spot - Just another standard 30-second trailer, but with some previously unseen content scattered throughout it.
"Die Trying" TV Spot - Same case as above, but with different unseen stuff.
"First Day of Filming" - The crew drags a bunch of cameras to a beach somewhere.
Jack and Angelica - Bruckheimer, Depp, Cruz, Rush and Marshall discuss the character of Angelica, and her connection and relationship with Jack.
"On Stranger Tides Revealed" - Pod #1 -This was apparently released in March, though I've only just stumbled upon it now. It's sort of just a mash-up of old trailers, with some new content, and some snippets of information from Marshall and Bruckheimer.
"From Disneyland to the Big Screen" - A little 2-minute video showing how the Disneyland ride has evolved into this huge franchise. The video is presented by Geoffry Rush/Barbossa, and features a lot of video showing the filming process.
Or you could just watch all of the new videos here. But hey, it doesn't hurt for me to go the stupid hard way and instead link to every individual video and provide and explanation of each of them.
Blackbeard
King's Men
Wet Again
The movie is about Pirates; Action, ADVENTURE! All the things we loved as kids it shouldn't be about the Story, the characters it should be about the fun we had watching it, and seeing those clips. I have the highest expectations for this movie.
It spoils a few scenes not shown so far, so it depends on how much you want to spoil of the movie. Also, outside of Star Trek or some horror franchises, I can't think of another franchise that has survived four sequels, or might actually have a good fourth film. Well, okay, there was Die Hard and Indiana Jones and Rambo and Rocky and...yeah okay, maybe not that big of a feat now, but Pirates surviving that long is kind of cool to me.