PIRATES! Wheeee, Pirates! Yes, I went and saw PotC today. It did what I wanted it to, and I think it was much better than the third. (And remember, I like the third movie. I think it's the weakest of the bunch, but I do like it.)

Now, I go read some of the reviews of it, to see what other people didn't like about it.

Now, I go read some of the reviews of it, to see what other people didn't like about it.

Well, I enjoyed the movie, but here's what I didn't like.

I thought that Jack's motivation was pretty thin. He doesn't really want the Fountain of Youth and his feelings for Penelope Cruz's character are a bit ambiguous. So he's just doing his Sparrow-stagger through the movie without much more than saving his own skin going on.

Also, I thought that it wasn't as funny as it could be. One of the better lines of the movie was given to the Spanish officer who said, "Somebody note that man's bravery." I think they should've coughed up the money for somebody like Joss or Patton Oswalt to punch up the script.

As for the action, I don't like big CGI scenes, and I don't like action scenes which are obviously entirely done by stunt doubles. Shooting the first swordfight practically in the dark, with Penelope's character in man-drag was completely uninvolving. I've been spoiled by Jackie Chan movies. I want to see the actors move and make it work.

The plot was kind of jumbled. I think they benefitted from cutting the movie shorter, but it meant that there were a number of plotty elisions. Like the aforementioned Spanish officer and troops who were little more than a plot device.

Ultimately, Jack was not the most interesting character in the movie and that's a narrative sin. His motives and actions just weren't that engaging. The Mermaid/Priest story was smart to include as that had more heart than anything else in the story. And Penelope's character was much more intriguing and motivated than anybody else. Whereas Barbossa was a plus in the earlier movies, in this one Geoffrey seemed to be phoning it in.

well...Cinna has finally been announced. it's going to be Lenny Kravitz. not sure how i feel about that one.

WTF?

Huh...

Wow. I LOVE Lenny Kravitz but I didn't see Cinna that way at all. Kravitz is a big, beefy guy, and Cinna read to me as lithe and graceful and on the small side.

well...Cinna has finally been announced. it's going to be Lenny Kravitz. not sure how i feel about that one.

The HELL?!?

Huh...

Seconded.

I'm intrigued by that casting and am going to come right out and say that I'm pleased. I think picking an actor who doesn't fit the appearance of what would think of a kindly, quiet (and sneaky) fashion designer works for the character, IMO.

Plus, I did kind of go to a happy place when I pictured him in Cinna's signature gold eyeliner.

Now I'm wishing they'd casted Aldis Hodge as Cinna.