Cruz and McShane are infinitely more interesting and entertaining and play off of Captain Jack much better. Both were dead-weight that caused major drag in the two most recent Pirates films. Thankfully, two long time characters are absent from this film - Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley.

The mermaid sequences are fascinating, though we really only get to know one of them - Syrena played with soulful eyes by Astrid Berges-Frisbey. Of course, everlasting youth shouldn't be too easy to achieve. That's half the fun! An interesting twist is that in order to have the desired results from the infamous fountain, one must drink from a specific chalice and include a single mermaid tear. As always, it's not always easy to tell which characters are partners and which are adversaries. The race is on between Sparrow, Blackbeard, the Spainiards and Barbossa who is acting on behalf of King George (a wonderful Richard Griffiths). The 'plot' of the film involves the search for Ponce de Leon's ship and the much desired Fountain of Youth. Even with the limitations, he performs exceedingly well. Were it not a Disney movie, McShane could have made his Blackbeard one of the most frightening characters ever seen on screen. Lastly, we have the legendary pirate Blackbeard, played with full force by Ian McShane. They also match wits and swords (and facial hair). Next we have Sparrow's long-lost love from Seville played by Penelope Cruz.

Only this time, he seems to have gone legit with the King's navy. First, Geoffrey Rush is back as Barbossa. In this one, he alternates between matching wits and swords with no less than three characters. His character is much better as a worthy adversary than a clown prince. He comes across more clever, witty and less buffoonish than in the previous two. Of course, what really matters is that Johnny Depp is back as Captain Jack Sparrow. This latest entry is also directed by Rob Marshall ('Chicago') rather than Gore Verbinski, who directed the first three.

Though I liked them enough, I felt the second and third depended too much on special effects and the need to overwhelm, whereas this one concentrates more on the colorful characters. This is the fourth film and the best since the first. I will make no apology for being a fan of the 'Pirates' series.

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