Pirate;s life suits Depp

In a summer packed with superheroes and sequels, producer Jerry Bruckheimer said that "On Stranger Tides" is one of the first big adventure films to shoot in 3D on location, rather than against a green screen or entirely on sound stages.

But it's Depp's character, partially modeled after Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards (who once again plays Sparrow's father) whose larger-than-life persona holds the enterprise together.

The "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise has made $2.7 billion at the worldwide box office so far, and turbo-charged Depp's career.

Depp happily admits that his pirate alter ego has been hard to shake, even in his private life.

"Either fortunately or unfortunately, he's there and he's not too far from the surface kind of at all times, depending on the situation," Depp told journalists.

"I did my best, even to the point of trying to get fired on the first one, but they just couldn't bring themselves to do it. It's kind of interesting to experience that kind of a ride after essentially 20 years of enjoying a career based on failures. And then suddenly something clicks," he said.

A NEW CREW

Oscar-winner Cruz shot the film while pregnant with her first child. "We did a lot (of our sword fights and stunts) together," the Spanish actress said of her work with Depp. "They were very protective at every moment."

"She was luminescent," added Depp. "She was really glowing the whole time and she already glows, so it was multiplied by a zillion."

Marshall is better known for directing musicals like "Chicago", but said he had little trouble adapting.

"This is a very different genre for me, but once I began working on it, it felt very akin to things I've done before," he said.

"Like most people, I always loved the Disneyland ride, and for me the idea of doing an action/adventure film was incredible. I'm the first in line to see those films during the summer, so as a filmmaker, to change it up from 'Chicago,' 'Memoirs of a Geisha' and 'Nine' was really exciting," he added.

The globe-trotting three-month long shoot began in Hawaii and ended up in London, with stops in Los Angeles and Puerto Rico along the way.

Jack's Back: Pirates Of The Caribbean On Stranger Tides NEW TRAILER Official Disney HD

"It's a pity they died in the end, cause they could have gone on forever."

So said Robert Redford in reference to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, their iconic characters in the movie of the same name.

The producers of this storied franchise (which, word has it, was meant to be filmed in the renowned pirate haven in Port Royal) have long since skipped over that little hurdle and, with the global box office continuing to reward them, they have thus continued to spin out this "sprightly" mix of pirate legend and "macabre-lite"

In the midst of the swashbuckling and mast-trimming is Johnny Depp as Capt Jack Sparrow . In the opening 10 minutes alone, he jumps, swoops, slashes, butts and skulks his way through loads of the King's soldiers and other adversaries, including his old foe, Barbossa.

Not long after, they head off on separate ships in search of the fabled Fountain of Youth intimated by Ponce de Leon. Sparrow ends up with a flame from his past (Penelope Cruz) who purports to be the daughter of "pirate of all pirates" Edward "Black Beard" Teach. Teach is, of course anxious to get hold of the eternal youth elixir as his years are fading. And, of course there are complications. Chief among them, mermaids, whose tears are required for elixir. The ladies of the sea (which include Jamaican beauty queen Sanya Hughes) have their own intentions: lure the men with their beauty and song and then drag them to the bottom for lunch...or supper.

Rob Marshall ("Nine", "Chicago") steps in at the helm for Gore Verbinski (who collaborated with Depp to such great effect on the previous Pirate movies as well as this year's "Rango") brings his Ziegfeldian sense of production numbers to this outing  - especially in the mermaid scenes - but fortunately retains much of the sense of fun that hallmarks the franchise. 

Ultimately though, as 2 hours +, this instalment, while still fun, is simply too long. Sure the characters could go on forever - just not in one movie.

A Legend In his Own Mind?: Rango Trailer HD (2011)

The first bit of good news surrounding this movie is - it's not in 3-D.

That's really a good start, but it gets better. Rango is smart, stylish, wide-ranging, socially aware and pretty damn funny. Its also cartoonish and formulaic in spots, but hey, you can't hit every ball out of the park.

Johnny Depp voices the lizard of the title and I suspect it must have been one of his more taxing assignments cause this reptile talks - a lot. He narrates the story first of all (with the help of some mariachi owls) and when he's not addressing the audience - or himself - he engages nearly everyone in the film in some kind of conversation.

Still, Rango is someone you actually want to hear from, most of the time anyway. Having been rudely tossed from his  insular yet boring existence of imagined plays, he must first survive the harrows of the desert (a marauding hawk, dehydration etc) before alighting on the town of Dirt (yes, that's it).

There, with water critically short, a series of unfortunate (or fortunate) events and Rango's big mouth lands him the job of sheriff, which he takes on with some gusto. That is, until the real bad guys - and the real cause of the town's water shortage - becomes ever more evident. In the process he also meets and falls in love with Beans (Isla Fisher) the proverbial orphan now grown who also owns last bit of unconsolidated property in town.

Thereafter, director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean I) and the riders rip off and assimilate just about every Western movie cliche there is but, it must be said, with a considerable degree of skill, and style. Through the course of the story, the main theme of rampant capitalism and corporate greed vs individual and community development is played out, but with smart jabs at the viewer rather than with a hammer. Rango is also called upon to walk the walk and not just talk the talk as sheriff and face the bad guy Jake the Snake (Bill Nighy).

There are other choice bits which I won't deign to reveal here. Suffice to say you likely will not regret giving your ear and eye to Rango, the liveliest, happy-go-luckiest lizard in the West.   

BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, BUT NOT MUCH ELSE:The Tourist - Official Trailer (2010)

Its unusual these days that a film's score leaps out. Haunting, forceful and superbly orchestrated, this film's music has both immediate and lingering effects.

The problem, of course, is that roughly 0.00001% of all moviegoers pay even scant attention to film music. They watch stars (generally big ones), action, romance and other forms of spectacle. The Tourist, which pairs Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp in the city of Venice, with a high-stakes manhunt at the centre of its plot, has those things in spades.

The ingredients simply don't make for an appetizing movie meal. We are asked to believe that Jolie, a front (and romantic partner) for a man wanted by both Federal police and the Russian Mafia has chosen, for her decoy, a Midwestern schoolteacher who somehow has money for a train ride from France to Venice, that said schoolteacher has fallen in love with her, and that said schoolteacher - faced with his own mortality courtesy of the goons - has the physical abilities and mental wherewithal to escape and outwit his pursuers.

Fat chance. Not even the presence of an excellent supporting cast, including Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind), former James Bond Timothy Dalton, and Steven Berkoff (he was Eddie Murphy's first nemesis in Beverly Hills Cop) can lift this Tourist Trap out of the doldrums. it looks as good as it sounds (its Venice, after all), but the ending is just too pat, and Christopher McQuarrie's script just doesn't have the juice to sustain serious attention.

if films were vacation attractions, the The Tourist would be barely a sideshow. Indulge, if you wish, but save some coin for the good stuff.