Screen Editor Liam Trim asks whether Captain Jack’s franchise still has legs and suggests 5 things the fifth installment needs to get right.
From the 12th to the 16th of February, Exeter University’s Gilbert and Sullivan Society sets sail with its interpretation of the comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance. You can find out about their production at the Northcott Theatre and purchase tickets here. But if you’re looking further ahead for a dose of hilarious seafaring adventure, maybe it’s time to start thinking about the return of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Yes that’s right; the series based upon a Disney theme park ride is set for a fifth installment Reports online suggest that Disney are planning a summer 2015 release for Captain Jack Sparrow’s revival, pitting him directly against their latest high profile project, Star Wars Episode VII.
Who would win in a fight between Jack and Darth Vader? Clearly Vader right, despite the buccaneer’s lucky streak? But that’s basically an irrelevant tangent, seeing as the Dark Lord of the Sith is unlikely to return in Episode VII.
Whereas, good ol’ Captain Jack is certain to return for Pirates 5. In fact, the whole franchise basically rests upon the shoulders of Johnny Depp’s (Edward Scissorhands, The Lone Ranger) immensely popular performance. Ever since the second film, Dead Man’s Chest, when market research prompted the filmmakers to cram in as much Depp as possible into the runtime, the plots have lost their way.
The series already had peculiar origins; it’s an adaptation of a theme park ride, not a novel or TV series. Is there really that much to work with? After the solidly entertaining first film though, the sequels have felt even messier and hastily cobbled together, which frankly detracts from whatever fun there is on show.
They are also evidently the result of a moneymaking formula, as opposed to a team of people trying to create something original with something to say. Yes, this is true of many blockbusters. But isn’t it especially blatant in the case of Pirates of the Caribbean?
Many of you will be fans of the franchise and you’ll be reading this with scorn. Why don’t I just get off my high horse? Alright, I shall try. Of course, the Pirates films are tremendous fun. I have enjoyed aspects of every installment If they stick to just a few key principles, Pirates 5 could be worth watching. Jerry Bruckheimer, and new scriptwriter Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me if You Can), take notes.
1) Don’t make it too long or too complicated – the third film, At World’s End, had some terrific set pieces but went on for ages. By the end, only the most diehard fans knew or cared what was happening or why.
2) Keep Hans Zimmer’s excellent music – Zimmer may recycle his material a lot but the fact remains that his scores can elevate a film from mediocre to good, from good to excellent. His work on Pirates has been crucial to the irresistible sense of fun and adventure.
3) Find decent replacements for Orlando Bloom (The Lord of the Rings) and Keira Knightley (Love Actually) – at times both of these performers were woeful in this series. But Captain Jack needs bland, ordinary central characters to bounce off of. In the last installment On Stranger Tides, Depp’s performance lacked its usual comedic impact because the only characters he had to interact with were also eccentric oddballs, played by the likes of Penelope Cruz (Vólver) and Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech). Market research might show Disney that no one liked Keira and Orlando but they were key ingredients in the franchise’s breakthrough.
4) Minimise Johnny Depp’s screen time – making Captain Jack the central character hasn’t worked. Fun needs to be rationed for us to appreciate it. Make Pirates 5 about new, more mundane adventurers, preferably ones we can care about. Then give Depp’s instantly recognisable performance the grand entrance it deserves and let him mess everything up gloriously.
5) Write a good script – don’t just string lots of random Captain Jack cameos together. Give us an action packed story that races along, then sprinkle the comedy on top.
Liam Trim, Screen Editor.
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