4. Get The Energy Back
Walt Disney PicturesAfter two or three films, it's hard not to imagine those involved running out of steam creatively. By a fourth or fifth, if that same crew is still around, it undoubtedly takes a lot of effort on their part to keep creativity high in order to deliver a product with the same vibe and energy they had in the first place. On Stranger Tides proved that those involved ran out of steam. Though director Gore Verbinski left the series after At World's End along with a number of series mainstays like Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, opening the door for a whole new creative spin on and fresh start for the series, series writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio hung in there only to deliver a story that wasn't worth telling, at least in the manner in which it was told. Couple that with Disney's desire to both cut the budget while simultaneously putting out a product solely to cash in on the series' popularity and the general by-the-motions feeling of Depp's performance and the film felt as soulless and hollow to watch as it most likely was to make for those involved. It even feels like director Rob Marshall was hired more to deliver a product in line with Disney's choice to take less financial risks than to flex his creative muscles. Though Geoffrey Rush seems to be giving it his all as usual, the absolute waste of casting Ian McShane as Blackbeard cuts the deepest. On the surface a perfect match between character and actor, McShane is surprisingly given little to do but be menacing and spout one threat after another, which even he seems to realize as his performance grows increasingly bored over the course of the film. While the second and third film can tend to be divisive amongst fans, it's hard to deny that they at least felt alive and that those involved both on and offscreen were actually interested in the films they were making. Even in its action scenes, On Stranger Tides feels no more than a paint-by-numbers affair without the fun, charm and spirit of its predecessors. With Disney taking the time to push Dead Men Tell No Tales back in order to get it right, the interesting hiring of new blood in directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg and audiences having a break from the series, we can only hope that the creative juices are flowing again after being at a standstill for the last outing.