Jack back to his near-best
found themselves swaying on.
A feisty Scodelario survives comparisons with Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Swann and Thwaites cuts a dashing enough young hero, despite the occasional turn into blandness.
Bardem, who has previously tormented the likes of Bond and Josh Brolin, serves up another memorable antagonist, helped no end by some well-rendered CGI that makes him look like something the cat – or Jaws – has dragged in.
But Geoffrey Rush’s returning Captain Barbossa is given short shrift again and there’s a Mackenzie Crook and Lee Arenberg-sized hole in the comedic chops department that the likes of Stephen Graham (Scrum) struggle to fill.
There’s the usual MacGuffin-pursuing nonsense going on – this time Jack is trying to get his mitts on the trident of Poseidon – but thankfully Jeff Nathanson and series regular Terry Rossio’s story is easier to follow than the previous three entries’.
Norwegian directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg (Kon-Tiki) make a good job of their franchise bow with a series of joyous set pieces reminiscent of the first film and indelible creations including zombie sharks.
Slapstick looms large but there’s a surprising amount of emotion packed into the satisfying climax.
It’s an ending that would have worked well as the series’ farewell – but then a post-credits scene pops up to suggest a sixth sail is on the horizon.
As entertaining as Salazar’s Revenge is, I’m not sure audiences’ goodwill will survive another two-hours-plus with Captain Jack and Co.