3. Embrace Practical Effects
Walt Disney PicturesWhen it comes to these films, naturalism is the best option. What makes the classic Disney attraction so immensely popular and timeless is the fact it's a tangible, breathing environment, devoid of screens requiring 3D glasses or motion simulator vehicles. Some of the series' best moments have taken this principle to heart, with scenes like Will and Jack's first sword fight, the Isla de Muerta finale, the three-way sword fight on the beach near the end of Dead Man's Chest and even the London opening of On Stranger Tides all standing out for their minimalist use of CGI. The series' use of CGI is at its strongest when its not overshadowing everything else. The "skeleton crew" of the Black Pearl still holds up for not feeling out of place in the narrative as part of the curse and even Davy Jones feels like a living, breathing character due to actor Bill Nighy's performance being allowed to take precedence over the character existing purely for spectacle. Contrast this, though, to the series' needless use of CGI -- think rock crabs and Naomie Harris' groan-worthy transformation into a giant in At World's End -- and one can see the difference between the series' positive employment of CGI and its worst. When Jack and Barbossa are dueling as the former flits in and out of skeleton form, audiences are still invested because the special effects only serve to compliment the practical aspects of the fight; when Calypso bursts into crabs after growing a few sizes larger, audiences are quickly taken out of the moment. Dead Men Tell No Tales will hopefully continue to employ the series' great use of practical effects, but will also take heed that CGI has its limits in what works and doesn't work in the world it has presented.