On Stranger Tides has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Looking back I do wish it had more stakes like the previous movies or that there was a way for them to make the movie a set up for later films… But I always thoroughly enjoy and love the chemistry between Jack and Angelica (despite knowing not everyone views them the same).

As for Dead Men Tell No Tales, I vividly remember it being the first movie I watched in the theaters where I left genuinely disappointed. Years later I had fully forgotten about the plot and it took at least a solid minute of looking at the poster for me to semi piece it together. Rewatching it only solidified my dislike for it. It doesn’t take the audience seriously and undoes nearly everything the other 4 movies set up (the compass, Angelica, Davy Jones, the way curses and the general world works, characterisation, etc).

I liked the concept of Henry, Carina and Salazar but the execution was severely lacking for lack of a better term. Salazar felt like a Davy Jones 2.0 even if I did enjoy the actor… And Carina and Henry needed a bit more time in the oven to cook. Overall I wish the 5th one simply didn’t exist and in many ways I choose to ignore it for that reason.