On the swashbuckling finale of the Old Millennials Remember Movies SUMMER OF BRUCKHEIMER, co-hosts Tyler and Angela discuss the entirety of Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise.
Yes, we know talking about Johnny Depp is a thorny issue these days, but thankfully, the charm, spectacle and weirdness of the “Pirates” franchise extends far beyond a single actor, and it’s still fair to say the character of Captain Jack Sparrow qualifies as a definitive early 2000s pop culture phenomenon.
The co-hosts predictably gush about the first film, 2003’s still spectacular “The Curse of the Black Pearl,” a blockbuster that takes big risks and delivers against long odds. Seriously, who would’ve thought a movie based on a theme park ride could work? Credit to the off-kilter presence of drunken/insane Captain Jack, steady romantic leads in the form of Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, a scenery-chewing Geoffrey Rush as cursed baddie Captain Barbossa, lush production design, quality CGI and daring direction by Gore Verbinski.
Tyler and Angela also discuss the sequels and rigorously defend the divisive 2nd and 3rd entries, 2006’s “Dead Man’s Chest” and 2007’s “At World’s End.” Those Verbinski sequels are almost adversarial in their strange and twisty creative choices, and Tyler in particular loves it when filmmakers deliberately antagonize the masses.
The co-hosts also recall experiencing the revamped “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride at Disney World on its opening day (much ado about almost nothing) as well as seeing “Dead Man’s Chest” on their honeymoon.
The Old Millennials also slog through the series weak point, 2011’s “On Stranger Tides,” then (sorta) defend the much-maligned 2017 entry, “Dead Men Tell No Tales.” Zombie sharks!
The key to a successful “Pirates” movie? Let Jack Sparrow be an instrument of chaos and let the other characters deliver key story elements.
So take a listen, me hearties, and try not to be eaten by a Kraken while sinking down to Davy Jones’ locker. It’s the oversized finale to the summer-long look at the blockbuster films of producer Jerry Bruckheimer on Old Millennials Remember Movies! Yo ho!
Also discussed on this episode of Old Millennials Remember Movies:
- The Green Knight (2021)
- Annette (2021)
- Cruella (2021)
- Reminiscence (2021)
- The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (2021)
- Paw Patrol: The Movie (2021)
- Vivo (2021)
- Hudson Hawk (1991)
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