Movie Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge

It's been a while since we saw Johnny Depp put on that familiar pirate garb and spoke the familiar crazy talk of Captain Jack Sparrow in a new Pirates film by Disney, but here we are with a brand new installment in the franchise that acts as a true sequel to the first three "Pirates of the Caribbean" films that saw a lot of character development and adventure in the seas - and in particular the return of two very notable faces that were missing in the 2011 film "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides". This time, Captain Jack is dealing with an evil force of his own creation - the ghost crew of the Silent Mary led by the vengeful Spanish captain and pirate hunter Armando Salazar - who wants Sparrow's head in a platter. Add to the fact that Will Turner's son Henry is seeking to free his father from his curse, a mysterious woman named Carina searching for her own father, and Sparrow's rival turned ally Captain Hector Barbossa returning, and you have a new Pirates adventure that's sly, cunning, and pretty much revisiting the roots of the first film "Curse of the Black Pearl" at the same time.

Thanks to Walt Disney Studios PH, I got to see "Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge" on the gorgeous 4DX Cinema at Bonifacio High Street Cinemas, and yes it was absolutely SAVVY! Together with friends from the movie watching crew and comrade cosplayers from Black Pearl Philippines, I enjoyed the special screening held last May 22nd, and the film certainly had a lot to offer in terms of excitement, adventure, and tension! While by all means a straightforward tale on its own that sees Depp reunite with old cast mates like Geoffrey Rush and meet a grand new foe in Javier Bardem's Salazar, the fifth Pirates film delivers stellar new twists and definitely acts as a unique sequel to "Dead Man's Chest" and "At World's End" - particularly concerning the fate of Orlando Bloom's character Will Turner. He makes a cameo in this latest installment, and his grown up son is played by Brenton Thwaites, who more than lives up to the legacy of his father and is quite dedicated to freeing him from his curse. Kaya Scodelario also gives a great leading lady presence as Carina Smith, and it's all these players that make "Salazar's Revenge" a nice throwback to old Pirates fun.


Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge Pay-off Trailer
In a nutshell, Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge is another pirate adventure that should please fans of the franchise and takes a proper step back in the direction that made the series wacky, fun, and over the top in depicting a pirate's life in the seas and the legends that world has. I would certainly like to see more and directors Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg got this one right despite presenting nothing new or vastly different that makes it a game changer. Other than resolving plots left hanging in previous films, this one opens up brand new possibilities for future installments in the franchise. Go and catch it in theaters now!

Rating - 4/5

Movie Review: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

As a film I didn't expect a lot going into, Guy Ritchie delivered quite the unexpected treatment when it comes to the legend of one of the greatest British leaders and kings ever depicted in romances and stories - King Arthur. In his vision of the future king of Camelot's origin story, we see a young boy raised in a brothel after his entire family is betrayed by a power hungry uncle, forging the orphan into a man who eventually locates and pulls the sword Excalibur out of its stone mount.

Taking a page out of fantasy properties like "Lord of the Rings" and "Masters of the Universe", King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is not your regular kind of fantasy epic film - it's non-linear presentation and fast paced editing choices gives that kind of experimental vibe that should intrigue those that are looking for something different in their movies. Add to the fact that the film has a stellar cast of supporting talents like Djimon Hounsou and Game of Thrones' Aidan Gillen, and you have a unique interpretation of the Arthur legend before his time with the Knights of the Round Table. Big thanks goes to Warner Bros. Philippines for allowing me to see this film prior to its release in theaters last week!

Movie Review: Alien: Covenant

As one of the most extraordinary science fiction franchises to endure the test of time, nothing is more frightening than the "Alien" film series when it comes to experiencing horror in space. When the original film was released in 1979, Ridley Scott gave viewers a reason to believe the tagline accompanying the poster "In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream". True enough, when Sigourney Weaver faced down the very first Xenomorph alien in that movie - everything about having a "horror house" type setting with an unknown lifeform came to head - the discovery of the Space Jockey and Facehugger infecting a crew member - leading to the terror that would only grow in numbers with the 1986 sequel "Aliens" and the series' subsequent follow ups.

Fast forward to 2012, and Ridley Scott returned to the Alien universe to tell an offshoot prequel story with "Prometheus" - which followed the crew of the exploration ship of the same name landing in the moon called LV-223 to discover mankind's origins and creators. What they found was something "unexpected", leading to strands of DNA connecting to the origins of the titular "Alien" species fans know but not quite giving a definite answer. Scott aims to change that with the release of his follow-up "Alien: Covenant" - a sequel to Prometheus and taking place years before the 1979 Alien film, explaining how the Xenomorphs came to be and what exactly happened to the survivors Elizabeth Shaw and the android David.

After seeing the film courtesy of 20th Century Fox PH some weeks back, here's a straightforward review for "Alien: Covenant" - which is now playing in theaters!