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Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox film
| name = Pirates of the Caribbean:
On Stranger Tides
| image = Pirates of the Caribbean - On Stranger Tides.png
| alt = The film's main character Jack Sparrow stands on a beach. He wears a red bandana, a dark blue vest, white shirt, and black pants. Attached to his belt are two guns and a scarf. A ship with flaming sails approaches from the sea. In the background, three mermaids sit on a rock. The main actors' names are at the top, and the film credits at the bottom.
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Rob Marshall
| producer = Jerry Bruckheimer
| writer =
| based_on = {{Plain list|
*
*
}}
| starring =
| music = Hans Zimmer
| cinematography = Dariusz Wolski
| editing =
| production_companies =
| distributor = Walt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures
| released =
| runtime = 137 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross = $1.046 billion
}}
'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' is a 2011 American fantasy swashbuckler film, the fourth installment in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' film series and a standalone sequel to 'At World's End' (2007). It is the first film in the series not to be directed by Gore Verbinski, replaced by Rob Marshall. Jerry Bruckheimer again served as producer. In the film, which draws its plot loosely from the 1987 novel 'On Stranger Tides' by Tim Powers, the eccentric pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is forced into a shaky alliance with Angelica (Penlope Cruz), a mysterious woman from his past, as they embark on a quest for the Fountain of Youth, confronting the infamous pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and outrunning Jack's old foe Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush).
The film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It was the first film in the series to be released in the Disney Digital 3-D and IMAX 3D formats. Writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio first learned of Powers's novel 'On Stranger Tides' during the back-to-back production of 'Dead Man's Chest' (2006) and 'At World's End', and considered it a good starting point for a new film in the series. Pre-production started after the end of the 20072008 Writers Guild of America strike, with Depp collaborating with the writers on the story design. Principal photography lasted for 106 days between June and November 2010, with locations in Hawaii, the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico and California. Filming employed 3D cameras similar to those used in the production of the 2009 film 'Avatar', and ten companies were involved with the film's visual effects. Following inflated production costs which ballooned the net budget to $379 million, the film currently ranks as the most expensive film ever made.
'On Stranger Tides' was released in the United States on May 20, 2011. It received mixed reviews from critics for its screenplay and lack of originality, but received praise for its performances, visual effects, and action scenes. The film broke many box office records and was the third highest-grossing film of 2011. A fifth film, titled 'Dead Men Tell No Tales', was released in May 2017, and a sixth film is in development.
Plot
In the early 18th century, a man is rescued from the ocean off the Spanish coast and brought to King Ferdinand of Spain, where he claims to be a crewmate of Juan Ponce de Len, who disappeared 200 years ago searching for the Fountain of Youth. Seventeen years after the battle of Calypso's maelstrom, after a failed attempt to rescue his first mate, Joshamee Gibbs, from execution in London, Captain Jack Sparrow is brought before King George II. The king asks Jack to guide an expedition to locate the Fountain of Youth, before King Ferdinand and the Spanish Navy locate it. Captain Hector Barbossa, now a privateer, and sporting a peg leg, is captaining the expedition, though only requires Sao Fengs navigational charts, rather than Jack's.
Jack escapes, meeting his father, Captain Teague, who tells Jack that the Fountain requires a ritual to use. Jack learns an impersonator is recruiting pirates for another expedition. The imposter is Angelica, Jack's former lover, and daughter of the legendary Blackbeard. Jack is shanghaied into service on board Blackbeard's ship, the 'Queen Anne's Revenge'. Blackbeard survived his historic death using voodoo magic, due to a predestined, fatal encounter with Barbossa. He wields the Sword of Triton, which allows him to control his ship. Though Jack leads a mutiny, Blackbeard subdues the crew into obedience. Amongst the crew is Philip Swift, a captured missionary.
Barbossa recruits Gibbs, who burns the charts, admitting he memorized every location. Jack is told by Angelica that two silver chalices must be retrieved from Ponce de Len's flagship, the 'Santiago'. A mermaids tear must be placed in one chalice, and both chalices must be drunk simultaneously to activate the Fountain's healing properties. The drinker who lacks the tear will die, their lifeforce is given to the other. Jack discovers Blackbeard's collection of captured, miniaturized ships, including the 'Black Pearl'.
The 'Revenge' sails to Whitecap Bay to capture a mermaid, successfully netting Syrena, who they, at first, must carry in a glass container. When Syrena is dropped, her tail turns into legs. Philip, caring for her, (and seeing she cannot walk) offers to carry her.
Angelica and Blackbeard send Jack to get the chalices, taking his magic compass as a bargaining chip. Jack meets Barbossa on the 'Santiago' but finds the chalices have been taken by the Spanish. Retrieving the chalices, Barbossa explains Blackbeard attacked the 'Black Pearl', leading to the loss of his leg via self-amputation. Syrena's tear is extracted by Blackbeard after Philip expresses love for her, leaving her to die of dehydration, and Philip is forced to go with the crew.
Jack returns, bargaining for the return of his compass in exchange for the chalices. When Blackbeard agrees, Jack sends Gibbs off on an errand. Blackbeard's crew locates the Fountain but is confronted by Barbossa and his men. The Spanish arrive, condemning the Fountain as an abomination against God, throwing the chalices into a deep pool. In the chaos, Philip frees Syrena, who retrieves the chalices, returning them to Jack. Barbossa stabs Blackbeard with his poisoned sword, steals the Sword of Triton, declares himself captain of the 'Revenge', and returns to a life of piracy. The Spanish crush the Fountain before leaving deeming it to be too powerful for anyone to have.
Angelica cuts her hand on the poisoned sword. Jack retrieves the remaining drops of water from the Fountain, adding Syrena's tear to one of the chalices. When Blackbeard asks Angelica to die for him, Jack tricks him into drinking the chalice lacking the tear. Angelica is healed, whilst Blackbeard dies. Syrena returns to an injured Philip, kisses him, and guides him underwater to an unknown fate.
Jack maroons Angelica on a cay, unsure if he can trust her. Afterward, he reunites with Gibbs, who used Jack's compass to locate the 'Revenge', retrieving the bottled 'Black Pearl'. In a post-credits scene, a voodoo doll of Jack created by Blackbeard washes ashore onto Angelica's cay.
Cast
* Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow: Former captain of the 'Black Pearl'.
* Penlope Cruz as Angelica: Jack's former love interest, and daughter of Blackbeard.
* Ian McShane as Blackbeard: Legendary pirate, and captain of the 'Queen Anne's Revenge'. McShane was previously considered to play Davy Jones (later portrayed by Bill Nighy) in 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'.
* Geoffrey Rush as Captain Hector Barbossa: Jack's former-rival-turned-ally, and former captain of the 'Black Pearl'.
* Kevin McNally as Joshamee Gibbs: Jack's friend, and former first mate.
* Sam Claflin as Philip Swift: A missionary, kept prisoner aboard Blackbeard's ship.
* strid Bergs-Frisbey as Syrena: A mermaid captured by Blackbeard, and love interest of Swift.
* Stephen Graham as Scrum: A self-serving member of Blackbeard's crew.
* Richard Griffiths as King George II
* Greg Ellis as Lt. Cmdr. Theodore Groves: Barbossa's second-in-command, former second-in-command of Cutler Beckett and James Norrington's crew.
* scar Jaenada as The Spaniard: King Ferdinand's most trusted agent.
* Keith Richards as Captain Teague: Jack Sparrow's father.
Roger Allam appears in the King George II scenes as Prime Minister Henry Pelham, alongside Anton Lesser as Lord John Carteret. Damian O'Hare reprises his role as Lieutenant Gillette from the first 'Pirates' movie. Sebastian Armesto plays King Ferdinand and Juan Carlos Vellido plays the Spanish captain. Judi Dench has a cameo in the opening sequence as a carriage occupant who encounters Jack Sparrow.
Production
Development
Shortly before the premiere of 'At World's End', Jerry Bruckheimer stated it was the end of the trilogy, but the idea of a spin-off was still possible. After the film's successful opening weekend, Dick Cook, then Chairman of the Walt Disney Studios, said he was interested in a fourth installment. 'Los Angeles Times' also reported that rights to a book were bought. Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio had started working on a script in 2007, but they were interrupted by the 20072008 Writers Guild of America strike, and only resumed in mid-2008.In June 2009, Bruckheimer indicated Disney would prefer the fourth installment of 'Pirates' to be released before 'The Lone Ranger' film, which he, Johnny Depp, Ted Elliott, and Terry Rossio had been working on for release on May 20, 2011. He hoped Gore Verbinski would return to direct the fourth film, as his 'BioShock' film adaptation had been put on hold. As Verbinski was unavailable due to his commitment with 'Rango' the same year, Bruckheimer suggested Rob Marshall, whom he considered a "premiere filmmaker", stating that "Every film [Marshall] made I thought was unique and different." On July 21, 2009, Marshall accepted the job, because of the "whole new story line and set of characters. It felt new, and that was important to me." Marshall said the film provided him a long-awaited opportunity to work with Depp, and that his directing was helped by his experience as a choreographer"the action sequences felt like big production numbers." On September 11, 2009, at Disney's D23 convention during a Disney event, Cook and Johnny Depp, in full Captain Jack Sparrow costume, announced that a fourth 'Pirates' film was in development. The title was announced as 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides'. Marshall visited the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in Disneyland for inspiration, eventually paying homage with a skeleton holding a magnifying glass in Ponce de Len's ship. An appearance of "Old Bill", the pirate who tries to share his rum with a cat, was also filmed but cut. Pintel and Ragetti were originally supposed to make an appearance, but director Rob Marshall opted out of the idea as he feared their roles would be cut.
Cook resigned in September 2009 after working for Disney for over 38 years. Depp's faith in 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' was somewhat shaken after the resignation, with Depp explaining that "There's a fissure, a crack in my enthusiasm at the moment. It was all born in that office". Depp also explained Cook was one of the few who accepted his portrayal of Jack Sparrow: "When things went a little sideways on the first 'Pirates' movie and others at the studio were less than enthusiastic about my interpretation of the character, Dick was there from the first moment. He trusted me".
Writing
During production of 'Dead Man's Chest' and 'At World's End', writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio discovered Tim Powers's 1987 novel 'On Stranger Tides', which they considered a good foundation on which to base "a new chapter" in the 'Pirates' series. Disney bought the rights to the novel in April 2007. Rossio stated that he and Elliot had considered using Blackbeard and the Fountain of Youth in the story before reading the book, "but whenever you say those words, Powers's novel comes to mind. There was no way we could work in that field without going into territory Tim had explored." However, they denied that it would be a straight version of the novel: "Blackbeard came from the book, and in the book there is a daughter character, too. But Jack Sparrow is not in the book, nor is Barbossa. So I wouldn't call this an adaptation." Rossio declared the script was written to be a standalone film, "kind of a 'James Bond' sort of thing", instead of the "designed to be a trilogy" structure of the previous installments. They hoped to "design a story that would support new characters," as characters such as Will Turner would not return. Bruckheimer added that there was a decision to "streamline the story a little bit, make it a little simpler and not have as many characters to follow", as the number of characters and subplots in 'At World's End' caused the film to have an unwieldy length. The duo decided to employ another sea myth alluded in the previous episodes: mermaids, which are briefly referenced as "suck-you-byes, female demons that weirdly and erotically occupied the last hours of men marooned on barren islands" in the fourth chapter of the book. The mermaids' role expanded in the film's script, which included a vast attack sequence.Depp was deeply involved with the story design, frequently meeting the writers to show what he was interested in doing, and in the words of Rossio, being "involved in coming up with story lines, connecting characters, creating moments that we would then fashion, shape and then go back." Among Depp's suggestions were turning Philip into a missionary and having a Spanish contingent following the protagonists. Afterwards, Rob Marshall and executive producer John DeLuca met Rossio and Elliot, and did alterations of their own, including building the female lead.
Casting
Depp signed on to return as Captain Jack Sparrow in September 2008, saying that he would come back if the script was good. Almost a year later, Disney announced that Depp would be paid $55.5 million for his role, realizing that without him the franchise would be "dead and buried." Geoffrey Rush expressed interest in returning to his role as Barbossa, and Bruckheimer later confirmed his presence. Rush was positive on Barbossa having lost a leg, as he considered the disability made him "angrier, more forceful and resilient as a character", and had to work with the stunt team for an accurate portrayal of the limp and usage of crutch, particularly during sword fighting scenes. While the production team considered a prop pegleg to be put over Rush's leg, the tight schedule caused it to be replaced with a blue sock that was replaced digitally, with a knob on the shoe to give Rush a reference for his walk. Three other actors from the previous films returned, Kevin McNally as Joshamee Gibbs, Greg Ellis as Lt. Theodore Groves, and Damian O'Hare as Lt. Gilette. Keith Richards also had a cameo, reprising his role as Captain Teague from 'At World's End'; he and Depp tried to persuade Mick Jagger to audition for the part of a pirate elder. Previous cast members Orlando Bloom (Will Turner) and Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Swann) stated that they would not reprise their roles, as they wanted to be involved in different films. They both thought the storyline involving their characters had gone as far as it could. On August 1, 2009, Bill Nighy expressed his desire to return as Davy Jones, who died in the previous film, citing a possibility to resurrect the character, but at the end, his inclusion was scrapped. On February 5, 2010, Mackenzie Crook also announced he would not be reprising his role of Ragetti, stating, "They haven't asked me. But actually I don't mind that at all. I'm a fan of the first one especially and I think the trilogy we've made is great. I'd almost like them to leave it there."
New cast members include Ian McShane, who plays the notorious pirate and primary antagonist of the film, Blackbeard, and Penlope Cruz, who plays Angelica, Jack Sparrow's love interest. According to Marshall, McShane was chosen because "he can play something evil but there's always humor behind it as well" and the actor accepted the job due to both the "very funny and charming" script and the opportunity to work with Marshall. The beard took one hour and a half to get applied, and McShane likened the character's costume to "a real biker pirateit's all black leather. Marshall said Cruz was the only actress considered for the role, as she fit the description as "an actress who could not only go toe to toe with Johnny and match him, but also needed to be all the things that Jack Sparrow is in a way. She needed to be funny and clever and smart and crafty and beautiful", and invited her for the role as they wrapped the production of 'Nine'. The actress spent two months working out and learning fencing for the role. During filming, Cruz discovered she was pregnant, leading the costume department to redesign her wardrobe to be more elastic and the producers to hire her sister Mnica Cruz to double for Penlope in risky scenes. Depp recommended Stephen Graham, who worked with him in 'Public Enemies', to play Scrum, a Machiavellian pirate and sidekick to Jack Sparrow,Shennan, Paddy. [http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-life/liverpool-lifestyle/2010/10/22/this-is-england-star-stephen-graham-on-why-he-s-celebrating-halloween-in-liverpool-this-year-100252-27523066/#ixzz1363tpfy6 "This is England star Stephen Graham on why he's celebrating Halloween in Liverpool this year"] 'Liverpool Echo' (October 22, 2010). Retrieved 2011-03-15. and Richard Griffiths for the role of King George II, as Depp was a fan of Griffiths' work on 'Withnail and I'. Sam Claflin, a recent drama school graduate with television experience, was chosen to play the missionary Philip, and British actor Paul Bazely also joined the cast. Spanish news website 'El Pais' reported that the film had four Spanish actors: Cruz, Bergs-Frisbey, scar Jaenada, and Juan Carlos Vellido. Jaenada was picked for both his work in 'The Losers' and a recommendation by Cruz.
Casting for mermaids required the actresses to have natural breastsno implants. As Bruckheimer explained to 'EW', "I don't think they had breast augmentation in the 1700s, [...] So it's natural for casting people to say, 'We want real people.'" Marshall invited Spanish-French actress strid Bergs-Frisbey to play Syrena after seeing her in a French magazine article on up-and-coming actresses. Bergs-Frisbey had to take lessons of English, swimming and breath control for the role. The rest of the mermaid portrayers, such as Australian supermodel Gemma Ward, were chosen for having "exotic sense, an otherworldly sensibility, but also under those layers a deadly quality", according to Marshall, and had to take swimming lessons to learn movements such as the dolphin and eggbeater kicks.
Filming
Principal photography began on June 14, 2010, in Hawaii. Filming was moved to California in August 2010, primarily at the Long Beach shore and a recreation of Whitecap Bay done in the Universal Studios backlot, as the original Hawaiian location on Halona Cove was plagued with strong tides. After a brief shoot in Puerto Rico, with locations in both Palomino Island and the Fort of San Cristbal in San Juan, production moved to the United Kingdom in September, where principal photography wrapped on November 18 after 106 days of shooting. Locations included Hampton Court Palace in London, Knole House in Kent, and Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich. Interiors were shot at London's Pinewood Studios, and a replica of an 18th-century London street was built on the backlot alongside the soundstages. The producers also considered using New Orleans as a location. In October, security was breached at the UK site when a celebrity impersonator gained access to filming at the Old Royal Naval College by dressing up as Captain Jack.After the joint production of 'Dead Man's Chest' and 'At World's End' cost over $300 million, Disney decided to give a lower budget to the fourth installment. Many costs had to be cut, including moving primary production to Hawaii and London, where tax credits are more favorable, and having a shorter shooting schedule and fewer scenes featuring special effects compared to 'At World's End'. The tighter scheduleaccording to Bruckheimer, "We had a 22-week post, and for a picture like this, with almost 1,200 visual effects shots, it's usually 40 weeks"meant that Marshall supervised editing of sequences during filming. The British financial statements of the film revealed total expenditures of 240.7 million ($410.6 million) by 2013, with Disney receiving a rebate of $32.1 million from the British government, making 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' the most expensive film ever made to date.
Bruckheimer said the decision to film in 3D was made due to its being "immersive filmmaking; I think it makes you part of the actual filming because you're part of the screen." Bruckheimer described it as the first major "exterior movie" to be shot in 3D, as 'Avatar' was mostly done in sound stages. At first Marshall was not much interested in 3D, but the director eventually considered it a film that could benefit from the format. "You are on an adventure and with the 3D experience you are inside that adventure." While the original plan was to add 3D effects during post-production, the decision was made to shoot digitally with 3D cameras. Only one sequence was shot conventionally and needed a 3D conversion. The cameras were improved versions of the ones James Cameron developed for 'Avatar', which were made more compact for extra mobility. This meant the cameras could be brought into locations such as the Hawaiian jungle.
'Queen Anne's Revenge' was built atop 'Sunset', the same ship used to depict 'Black Pearl' in previous installments. In February 2010, 'Sunset' was sailed from Long Beach to a shipyard in Hawaii for the reforms, where a big concern was to make it imposing, with three stories, without sacrificing actual seakeeping. Given Blackbeard was meant to be the meanest pirate to appear in the series, the look for 'Queen Anne's Revenge' was ominous, with sails dyed blood red, various elements on fire, and a decoration based on skulls and bones (drawing inspiration from the Sedlec Ossuary in Czech Republic). Damage from cannon fire was also added to show that "not only Blackbeard was a dying man, but his ship is also a dying ship". The ship's figurehead also drew inspiration from Blackbeard's pirate flag. The replica ship was used for Barbossa's ship, HMS 'Providence', and all the scenes aboard 'Providence' were shot on the Long Beach shore as 'Surprise' could not be sailed to Hawaii. Over 50 designs were considered for the Fountain of Youth, with the final one representing a temple built by an ancient civilization around the Fountain, which itself was located in a round rocky structure to represent "the circle of life". The locations leading up to the Fountain were shot in the Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Oahu, but the Fountain itself was built at the 007 Stage on Pinewood.
Effects
'On Stranger Tides' employed 1,112 shots of computer-generated imagery, which were done by ten visual effects companies. Cinesite visual effects supervisor Simon Stanley-Clamp claimed that the most difficult part was doing the effects in 3D: "Rotoscoping is tricky. Cleaning up plates is double the work, and tracking has to be spot on." The lead companies, with over 300 effects each, were Industrial Light & Magicresponsible for, among others, the mermaids and most water effectsand Moving Picture Company, who created digital ships and environment extensions, such as changing weather and designing cliffs and waterfalls. Filming the mermaids involved eight model-actresses, who portrayed them outside the water, as well as 22 synchronized swimming athletes and a group of stuntwomen, both of whom wore motion capture suits to be later replaced by digital mermaids. Mermaid corpses were depicted by plaster models. The design tried to avoid the traditional representations of mermaids in paintings and literature, instead going for a scaly body with a translucent membrane inspired by both jellyfish and the fabric employed in ballet tutus. To make the mermaids more menacing underwater, the faces of the actresses had some digital touch-ups on the underwater scenes, adding sharper teeth and a shimmery fish scale quality on the skin. ILM also handled Blackbeard's death, where Ian McShane's actual performance was covered by digital doubles which turned him into a "boiling mass of blood and clothing", and a hurricane-like formation that represented "the waters of the Fountain taking his life". Cinesite handled the recreation of London and Barbossa's peg leg, CIS Hollywood did 3D corrections and minor shots, and Method Studios created matte paintings.Music
The film's score was written by Hans Zimmer, who had worked in all of the previous entries in the franchise; being the main composer for the second and third installments. Zimmer said that he tried to incorporate a rock n' roll sound, as he felt "pirates were the rock 'n' rollers of many, many years ago", and Spanish elements, which led to a collaboration with Mexican guitarists Rodrigo y Gabriela and a tango song written by Penlope Cruz's brother Eduardo. American composer Eric Whitacre contributed several choir-based cues,Whitacre, Eric. [http://ericwhitacre.com/blog/pirates-iv "Pirates IV! Blog"] . (January 25, 2011) EricWhitacre.com Retrieved 2011-03-15. as well as regular assistant Geoff Zanelli.
Marketing
Disney's marketing president, MT Carney, said that the film's advertising campaign was intended "to remind people of why they fell in love with Jack Sparrow in the first place and also introduce new elements in a way that was elegant". Sony Pictures' former marketing president, Valerie Van Galder, was hired as a consultant. The first footage from the film appeared on 'Entertainment Tonight' on December 4, 2010. Three trailers were released, one in December, which had a 3D version included with the release of 'Tron: Legacy' and broadcast by ESPN 3D; a Super Bowl XLV spot in February 2011, which was later released online in an extended version; and a final trailer in March that focused more on the plot than the previous trailer and commercials.
Promotional tie-ins included 'Lego Pirates of the Caribbean' toy sets and a related video game, a cell phone app by Verizon Wireless, a special edition of Pirate's Booty, lines of nail polish by OPI, clothing from Hot Topic, and jewelry from Swarovski. Goldline International produced replicas of the "Pieces of Eight" coins from the movies and gold Mexican Escudo coins, which were given in sweepstakes at the El Capitan Theatre. At Disney California Adventure Park, the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' segment of the 'World of Color' show was extended to include visual clips and music from 'On Stranger Tides'.
Release
Theatrical
and Johnny Depp promoting the film at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.|alt=On a staircase with a red carpet stand both a man wearing glasses and a white jacket atop a black business suit, and a woman wearing a blue dress with transparencies.On January 6, 2010, Disney announced that the film would be released in the United States and Canada on May 20, 2011, following Columbia Pictures' announcement of a delay in the 'Spider-Man' reboot and Paramount Pictures slating 'Thor' for May 6, 2011. The film was released in IMAX 3-D, as well as traditional 2D and IMAX 3-D format,[https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=70692 "Pirates of the Caribbean Teaser Trailer with TRON: Legacy"] . 'ComingSoon.net'. Retrieved March 15, 2011. with Dolby 7.1 surround sound. This film was also the first film to be released in the 4DX motion theaters in Mexico and in the Western Hemisphere, featuring strobe lights, tilting seats, blowing wind and fog and odor effects. It is available exclusively at select Cinpolis cinemas.
The world premiere of 'On Stranger Tides' was on May 7, 2011, at a premium ticket screening at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, home of the original 'Pirates of the Caribbean' ride that inspired the film series. Many of the film's stars were in attendance. Two other early screenings followed, one in Moscow on May 11, and another during the Cannes International Film Festival on May 14. The international release dates fell within May 18 and 20, with opening dates in the United Kingdom on May 18, in Australia on May 19, and in North America on May 20. The film was released on a then-record 402 IMAX screens, 257 screens in North America, and 139 in other territories. The total number of theaters was 4,155 in North America and 18,210 worldwide. For the film's release in the United States, 'On Stranger Tides' received a PG-13 rating by the Motion Picture Association of America for "intense sequences of action/adventure violence, some frightening images, sensuality and innuendo"; marking it the first Walt Disney Pictures film to be rated PG-13 for sexual content.
Home media
The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 12, 2011, in the UK, topping both the Blu-ray and DVD sales charts during its first two weeks. The film had its high-definition home release on October 18, 2011, in the United States and Canada. Three different physical packages were made available: a 2-disc combo pack (Blu-ray and DVD), a 5-disc combo pack (2-disc Blu-ray, 1-disc Blu-ray 3D, 1-disc DVD, and 1-disc Digital Copy), and a 15-disc collection featuring all four 'Pirates' movies. 'On Stranger Tides' was also released as a movie download in both high definition and 3D. The regular DVD edition was released on December 6.In its first week of release, it sold 1.71 million Blu-ray units and generated $48.50 million, topping the weekly Blu-ray chart. However these results were quite skewed due to the one-month delay of its DVD-only release. It sold 3.20 million Blu-ray units ($83.46 million) after 11 weeks. It has also sold 1.12 million DVD units ($19.32 million). Upon its television premiere on December 29, 2013, in the UK on BBC One, it was watched by a total of 5.4 million viewers, making it the third-most watched program that night, according to overnight figures.
Reception
Box office
'On Stranger Tides' earned $241.1 million in North America and $804.6 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $1.045 billion. It is the third-highest-grossing film of 2011 and the second most successful installment of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' series. On its worldwide opening weekend, it grossed $350.6 million, surpassing 'At World's End's $344 million opening as best in the series and ranking as the seventh-highest worldwide opening. It scored an IMAX worldwide opening-weekend record with $16.7 million (first surpassed by 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon').It set records for the least time to reach $500, $600, and $700 million worldwide (in 10, 12 and 16 days, respectively). The first of these records was first surpassed by 'Dark of the Moon' and the other two by 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2'. After 46 days in theaters (July 2, 2011), it became the eighth film in cinema history and the fourth film released by Walt Disney Studios to cross the $1-billion-mark. It set a record for the fastest Disney-distributed film to reach the milestone (first surpassed by 'Marvel's The Avengers') and it is the fifth-fastest film overall to achieve this.
North America
During its Thursday-midnight showings, 'On Stranger Tides' earned $4.7 million from 2,210 theaters, and $34,860,549 in total on its opening day. It earned $90.2 million on its opening weekend, topping the weekend box office, but earning much less than its two immediate predecessors ('At World's End' $114.7 million and 'Dead Man's Chest' $135.6 million) and the directly preceding Johnny Depp spectacle ('Alice in Wonderland' $116.1 million). 3D showings accounted for only 46% of its opening-weekend gross. It closed on September 29, 2011, with a $241.1 million gross, ranking as the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2011 and the least profitable film of the franchise. However, it was the top-grossing movie during May 2011 (with $166.8 million by May 31).
Outside North America
Outside North America, 'On Stranger Tides' is the sixth-highest-grossing film, the third-highest-grossing Disney film, the third-highest-grossing 2011 film and the highest-grossing film of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' series. It is the highest-grossing 'Pirates' film in at least 58 territories.
During its opening day (Wednesday, May 18, 2011), 'On Stranger Tides' made $18.5 million from 10 territories. It added 37 territories and $25.7 million on Thursday, for a two-day total of $44.2 million, and on Friday, it expanded to almost all countries, earning $46.2 million for a three-day total of $92.1 million. On its five-day opening weekend as a whole, it earned a then-record $260.4 million from 18,210 screens in more than 100 territories, in all which it reached first place at the box office. The record debut was surpassed later in the same summer season by 'Deathly Hallows Part 2'. Earnings originating from 3-D showings accounted for 66% of the weekend gross, which was a much greater share than in North America. Its highest-grossing countries during its first weekend were Russia and the CIS ($31.42 million including previews), China ($22.3 million) and Germany ($20.53 million). It dominated for three weekends at the overseas box office despite competition from 'The Hangover Part II', 'Kung Fu Panda 2', and 'X-Men: First Class'. It reached the $300, $400 and $500-million-mark at the box office outside North America in record time (7, 11 and 14 days respectively), records first surpassed by 'Deathly Hallows Part 2'.
'On Stranger Tides' set opening day records in both Russia (including the CIS) and Sweden. Subsequently, it set opening-weekend records in Latin America, the Middle East, Russia, Norway, Ukraine and Turkey, still retaining the record in Russia ($26.8 million) and Ukraine ($2.15 million). Its highest-grossing market after North America is Japan ($108.9 million), followed by China ($71.8 million) and Russia and the CIS ($63.7 million). It is the highest-grossing film of 2011 in Russia and the CIS, Austria, Ukraine, Greece, Portugal and Angola, South Africa, Romania, Bulgaria, Egypt, Estonia, and Latvia.
Critical response
CinemaScore polls reported that the average grade moviegoers gave the film was a "B+" on an A+ to F scale.Roger Ebert gave 'On Stranger Tides' two out of four stars, saying that although the removal of Knightley and Bloom as well as the addition of Cruz were positive aspects, the film in general was "too much of a muchness" for him. Tom Long of 'The Detroit News' gave a D+, saying that Jack Sparrow had "worn out his welcome". Despite the more linear plot, "the movie is still ridiculous". He found 'On Stranger Tides' to be "precisely what you'd expect of the fourth installment of a movie based on an amusement park ride: a whole lot of noise, plenty of stunts and complete silliness." British film critic Mark Kermode gave the film an overwhelmingly negative review on his '5 Live' show, saying "it's not as staggeringly misjudged as the third part, because it is just nothing, it is just a big empty nothing, whereas part three I think was an active atrocity, it's just nothing at all".
As with the previous films, the plot was criticized as incoherent and confusing. 'The Arizona Republic' critic Bill Goodykoontz rated the film two out of five, stating that "the movie is a series of distractions tossed together in the hopes that they will come together in a coherent story. That never really happens." Online reviewer James Berardinelli considered the script "little more than a clothesline from which to dangle all of the obligatory set pieces", and 'USA Today's Claudia Puig found 'On Stranger Tides' "familiar and predictable...often incoherent and crammed with pointless details."
Mike Scott from 'The Times-Picayune' mentions that "while this latest chapter isn't quite sharp enough to restore the sense of discovery that made that first outing so darn exciting, it's enough to make up for most of the missteps that made the third one so darn arrgh-inducing." Writing for 'The A.V. Club', Tasha Robinson described 'On Stranger Tides' as "a smaller film than past installments, by design and necessity", and felt that "the series has needed this streamlining" as the film "feels lightweight, but that's still better than bloated."
'On Stranger Tides' also had positive reviews; some critics found the film to be entertaining and well-made. Richard Roeper gave the film a B+, describing it as "the most fun installment since the first", calling the story "pure cartoon, but a lot easier to follow than the other sequels", and summing as "the franchise is getting tired, but Penelope energizes it." Along the same lines, Ann Hornaday of 'The Washington Post' gave the film three out of four stars, writing that it "feels as fresh and bracingly exhilarating as the day Jack Sparrow first swashed his buckle, infusing new reckless energy into a franchise that shows no signs of furling its sails". She said that Marshall "swiftly and without fuss delivers the action set pieces and eye-popping escapism" and praised Depp, Cruz, and McShane's performances. Ray Bennett from 'The Hollywood Reporter' considered that Marshall "shows terrific flair with all the usual chases and sword fights, and he handles the 3D well", and welcomed Penlope Cruz's character, saying she "brings her Oscar-winning vivacity" and had "lively sexual tension" with Depp. Writing for 'The Globe and Mail', Rick Groen found the action scenes to range from "merely competent to tritely cluttered", but he was pleased with the overall result, calling McShane a "fresh villain" whose "stentorian tones are welcome anywhere". 'Variety's' Andrew Barker considered the film derivative, but accessible. "It has nary an original idea and still doesn't make much sense, but it's lost all pretensions that it should". He praised Geoffrey Rush, stating that he "not only gets the funniest lines and reaction shots, but also starts to siphon away much of the roguish charm that used to be Depp's stock and trade."
Accolades
The film was nominated for four Teen Choice Awards: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie, Sci-Fi/Fantasy Actor, Sci-Fi/Fantasy Actress, and Villain. Its trailer and TV spot were nominated for Golden Trailer Awards. The film won Best Movie for Mature Audiences Award at the 2012 Movieguide Awards.
Sequel
The fifth installment in the franchise, 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales', was directed by 'Kon-Tiki' directors Joachim Rnning and Espen Sandberg, and released in May 2017.
Notes
References
Buy Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides now from Amazon
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