6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too.
Starring: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, Kevin McNallyAdventure | 100% |
Action | 79% |
Fantasy | 68% |
Period | 14% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (320 kbps)
French: DTS-HD HR 7.1
Spanish: DTS-HD HR 7.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Mobile features
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
I had high hopes for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. While The Curse of the Black Pearl was an absolute blast, Dead Man's Chest amounted to a bloated, beached corpse and At World's End was little more than a flashy misfire. Each one had its moments, sure. But there were so many competing plots, subplots and sub-subplots, not to mention double, triple and quadruple crosses, that neither one thrilled or entertained audiences as much as Pearl. But everyone from producer Jerry Bruckheimer to leading man Johnny Depp approached the fourth film with the same candid assurance: On Stranger Tides wasn't just a relaunch designed to recapture the magic of the first film, it was an apology of sorts for having sailed into such muddy sequel waters. Yet somehow, by some strange fate, voodoo incantation or pirate's curse, On Stranger Tides isn't the return to form we were promised. On the contrary, it's slower, duller, more cumbersome, more distended, and more unnecessary and extraneous than both Pirates sequels combined. I'm sure it all sounded exciting on paper -- castle escapes, London carriage chases, zombies, Captain Jack teaming up with Captain Barbosa, flame-spewing ships, Blackbeard and the Queen Anne's Revenge, mermaid attacks, Ponce de Leon's lost ship, the Fountain of Youth -- but, with fish-out-of-water director Rob Marshall (Chicago, Nine) at the helm, the fourth Pirates film gets lost at sea.
"Better to not know which moment may be your last! It's a pirate's life for me, savvy?"
After setting out in stormy seas -- an overcast London gives way to a torch-lit underworld which gives way to a dark and dismal pirate ship -- Disney's 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer hits its stride. Don't misunderstand: the presentation rarely, if ever, disappoints. However, cinematographer Dariusz Wolski's smoky, shadow-slathered photography doesn't always exhibit the sort of visual pop Pirates fans might associate with the franchise. That said, color accuracy and skintone saturation are excellent, primaries have tremendous power (when given the opportunity), black levels are rich and satisfying, and contrast ranges from delightfully dreary to suitably savory to downright stunning. Fine detail rises and sets with the sun, sure, but there isn't any smearing or unintended softness on display. (The rare exception being a series of closeups of Syrena in the jungle. A bit of DNR has been applied, albeit by Marshall and his crew in post. The anomaly was visible in the film's digital theatrical presentation as well.) Textures are refined and exceptionally well-resolved (even when darkness presses in), edge definition is crisp and clean (without any significant ringing) and delineation is as revealing (or secretive) as Wolski intended. Shadows are heavy but hardly ever blot out the production design, night falls fast without completely consuming the environments, and the light fades without leaving the backgrounds to languish in its absence. Naturally, the result is an uneven presentation -- one scene will wallow in shadow while the very next scene will leap off the screen -- but only in the sense that the film's photography is purposefully uneven. Serious artifacting, banding, aliasing and crush are held at bay, and there really isn't any technical issues to speak of. Needless to say, On Stranger Tides looks great. Any Pirates fan worth their sea salt will be pleased, especially when Jack, Angelica and Blackbeard set out through a gorgeous green jungle in search of Ponce de León's ship.
No ship to ship battles, no canon fire, no grand supernatural spectacles. What's left for an able-bodied DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track to do? Plenty apparently. Disney's lossless beastie belches fire, reigns destruction and brings On Stranger Tides roaring to sea-splitting life without so much as a single mishap or issue. It's flawless, me mateys, and every bit as powerful and immersive as its Pirates predecessors. Dialogue is brisk, lively and perfectly intelligible for start to finish, even admist all the tower explosions, mermaid attacks and surging seas. Sword clashes clang beautifully and ring true, wood splinters and stone cracks with weighty ease, and low-end elements make their presence known. (And then some.) LFE output is explosive and nuanced, rear speaker activity is aggressive and subtle, directional effects are head-turning and convincing, dynamics are startling and entrancing. Disney's lossless mix does it all, soaring to every height and diving to every depth the film's sound design requires. And Hans Zimmer's score? It belts out each dun dun dun dah dah! with a hearty laugh of multi-channel glee and sings an alluring mermaid song with soft, almost fragile effortlessness. It all comes together in one amazing 7.1 channel lossless track that stands proudly alongside its franchise brethren.
Unlike the 5-disc 3D release of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the 2-disc standard edition offers just three special features: an audio commentary, an animated Lego short, and an outtake reel. (The 3D release includes 75-minutes of documentaries, featurettes and deleted scenes on a separate BD25.) Long story short, you'll have to shell out more cash to nab every Tide extra, regardless of whether or not you have a 3D-capable display. (Of course, if special features and 3D aren't your thing, this is the release to add to your cart.)
On Stranger Tides goes down with the ship without ever conjuring up enough magic to revitalize the franchise. Pirates of the Caribbean still has enormous box office draw, but if the current trend continues, you have to wonder how many more sequels audiences will gulp down before seeking out sweeter waters. Thankfully, Disney's Blu-ray release doesn't disappoint. Yes, the fact that you have to purchase the 5-disc 3D edition to get your mitts on every extra won't sit well with everyone (it doesn't sit too well with me), Disney's AV presentation more than makes up for it. If money isn't an issue, go with the 3D combo pack. If money's tight, though, shrug off the 75-minutes of extras you'll be missing and enjoy the standard 2D release for everything it does offer: a terrific video transfer and a mighty DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track.
2011
with Lego Ship
2011
Limited Edition | Bonus Disc
2011
2011
reissue
2011
Pirate Tin Bank
2011
Empty Case
2011
DVD Packaging
2011
2006
2017
2007
2003
2018
Extended Edition
2013
2010
2002
Extended Edition
2012
2018
2011
2010
2012
2013
2011
2011-2012
1999
2018
2012
2015