Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales – Blu-ray Review

Arriving on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and DVD is “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”.

The following was from my theatrical review…

“Dead Men Tell No Tales” is the fifth movie in the hugely successful “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise.  I would be lying if I told you that the latest chapter in the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow wasn’t the best film since the second one. However, that isn’t really saying much.  “On Stanger Tides” was nearly unwatchable and “D.M.T.N.T.” isn’t much better.

Set five years after the last time we saw Captain Jack (Johnny Depp), things haven’t been going great for the drunken’ pirate.  He is flat broke, his beloved Black Pearl is shrunken down into a bottle, and his crew abandoned him.  To make matters worse, the cursed ghost of Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) is on the hunt for Sparrow after being released from a tomb that the pirate trapped him in many years prior.

Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites), the son of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) wants to free his father from a curse so he can come back to the land of the living.  Unfortunately, he needs the help of Sparrow to locate a mystical trident that is capable of doing so.  The same trident can also destroy Salazar.  Along for the adventure is Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario) who is also after the trident for her own reasons.  While Sparrow, Turner, and Smyth quest for the trident, Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) is forced to help Salazar hunt down Sparrow.

There is a whole lot going on in “D.M.T.N.T.”, and Bardem is easily the best villain this series has had so far.  I just wish the whole thing didn’t feel like a 129-minute rehash of all the previous films.  Even though this latest outing is less of a mess than the last few, it still feels bloated and overly long.  I wanted the movie to end so badly that I couldn’t even remain seated for the post-credits stinger.  Sure, Depp and the rest of the cast of veterans are great, but it’s the lack of originality in the writing that I had trouble with. I will say there was one sequence involving Sparrow and spinning guillotine that really had me laughing.

If you love this series and even enjoyed the last couple, then I am sure you will enjoy this one too, but if you had enough by the time the third film was released, then I can’t recommend you go in for this latest adventure.

Bonus features:

• Dead Men Tell More Tales: The Making of a New Adventure – Get unique access into the making of this exciting new “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie with this collection of revealing and entertaining stories that you can view individually or as a “play all.”
• A Return to the Sea – Two talented filmmakers, Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, team up to bring “Pirates of the Caribbean” back to the screen. Hear how this new chapter of the tale was developed.
• Telling Tales: A Sit-down with Brenton & Kaya – Meet Brenton Thwaites and Kaya Scodelario, the young actors behind Henry and Carina. The two sit down together for a revealing conversation on becoming a part of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film franchise and its continuing legacy.
• The Matador & The Bull: Secrets of Salazar & The Silent Mary – Oscar-winner Javier Bardem reveals more about his menacing new character and the foreboding ship he helms.
• First Mate Confidential – Go on-set along with Kevin McNally, the affable actor behind the feisty Mr. Gibbs, Captain Jack’s reliable first mate from all five movies.
• Deconstructing the Ghost Sharks – Peer below the depths at how these ferocious, mythical monsters were designed and brought to life.
• Wings Over the Caribbean – Captain Jack has a memorable encounter with Sir Paul McCartney – rock ‘n’ roll royalty.
• An Enduring Legacy – Take one more look at the “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” experience and the impact of “Pirates of the Caribbean” — the movies, the ride and beyond.
• Bloopers of the Caribbean
• Jerry Bruckheimer Photo Diary
• Deleted Scenes
• Highwayman
• Henry Turner Learns a Lesson from Captain Jack
• A Whale in Poseidon’s Tomb
• Alternate Coda: Murtogg & Mullroy “Flogging”

By: Marc Ferman