When Jack crosses paths with a woman from his past, he's not sure if it's love...or if she's a ruthless con artist using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth.
But when it was originally announced, the thought of making a movie based on the popular Disney theme park attraction seemed a dubious idea at best, with previous similar attempts (including 1997's TV movie "Tower of Terror," 2000's "Mission to Mars" and 2002's "The Country Bears") not really inspiring tremendous confidence in future success -- which was proved again in late 2003 with the Eddie Murphy flick "The Haunted Mansion."
But when it was originally announced, the thought of making a movie based on the popular Disney theme park attraction seemed a dubious idea at best, with previous similar attempts (including 1997's TV movie "Tower of Terror," 2000's "Mission to Mars" and 2002's "The Country Bears") not really inspiring tremendous confidence in future success -- which was proved again in late 2003 with the Eddie Murphy flick "The Haunted Mansion."
It does, I have to admit, tend to bog down in the seemingly infinite twists and bits of business leading up to the climax, and movie-overfed-critic types are likely to fondly recall the better movies, including " I Walked With a Zombie " and " The Princess Bride ," that this draws inspiration from.
But when it was originally announced, the thought of making a movie based on the popular Disney theme park attraction seemed a dubious idea at best, with previous similar attempts (including 1997's TV movie "Tower of Terror," 2000's "Mission to Mars" and 2002's "The Country Bears") not really inspiring tremendous confidence in future success -- which was proved again in late 2003 with the Eddie Murphy flick "The Haunted Mansion."
It does, I have to admit, tend to bog down in the seemingly infinite twists and bits of business leading up to the climax, and movie-overfed-critic types are likely to fondly recall the better movies, including " I Walked With a Zombie " and " The Princess Bride ," that this draws inspiration from.
The climax as Jack, Angelica and Blackbeard close in on the Fountain of Youth is also thoroughly forgettable and bland, a similar finale in 1989's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" superior in every way.
The script, by returning regulars Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, is based on a novel by Tim Powers, but really "Pirates 4" owes more to "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" than anything else.
There’s much swordplay backed by loud music (by Hans Zimmer) and, during the meltdown finale, a “Raiders of the Lost Ark”-inspired banshee, but nothing to compare to Davy Jones’ zombified pirates or the runaway watermill of the first two installments.