Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales

Rated PG-13
3 hours
Starring: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, and Javier Bardem

I did not intend to watch this movie, but I’ve seen all the others so I might as well.  We all know that the first Pirates was amazing! We loved the swashbuckling Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightley) and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush)!  They were all wonderful characters who made us cheer for the pirates and “oohh and awe” as the skeletons walked under water.  From there though, the following movies went downhill.  They got all squishy with water and drenched.  Will and Elizabeth didn’t always come back and eventually, it seemed it was all about the money of the franchise and not the story.  Then along comes, Dead Men Tell No Tales!  It doesn’t rate as good as the first one but it does rank higher than some. 
What I really liked about it is I did become engaged in the new characters.  It centers around Will’s and Elizabeth’s son, Henry, who's on a mission to rescue his dad, Will, from The Flying Dutchman.  Along the way he teams up with a spunky woman, Carina, who is looking for her dad.  The two share the same  goal and they must also trust Jack to help them.  It wouldn’t be a Pirates movie without the plundering, the explosions, the funny off-beat jokes and a true hearted pirate that sacrifices all so that another could live.
There were a few twists and turns that kept me engaged and even though I thought the movie was too long  – the ending still held up to a Pirates standard.  If this is the final one of the series - then I’m glad I went along for the ride.  It’s always nice to be with friends one last time, before they eventually head out to sea for their final voyage.





47 Meters Down

Rated PG-13
89 minutes
Starring: Mandy Moore and Claire Holt

The next Jaws?  Ummm…NO!  I wouldn’t say this movie was completely horrible – I’ve definitely seen worse shark movies.  But, it wasn’t “great” either.  Lisa and Kate are sisters that are vacationing in Mexico and decide to get a thrill by going down in a shark cage to get close to swimming sharks.  It’s all good until – SURPRISE - something breaks, dropping their cage to the bottom of the water and no way to safely get back to the surface.  The added element to all of this is their air supply is almost gone, too.  Of course, there are mean sharks that always seem to be one step ahead and almost able to read people’s minds.  It all just seemed so basic.  Just when I thought there was something new, it tried to get more “dramatic” – now her leg is stuck under the cage and she can’t move!  Oh, no!  Then a leg is cut and there’s blood in the water!!!  What else could go wrong???!!!!  Just about everything, seemed like…  Overall, it had it’s moments, but they were few and far between.  I think it was better than it seemed, but wouldn’t expect very much from this one.

Wonder Woman

Rated PG-13
141 minutes
Starring: Gal Gadot and Chris Pine

I loved this movie! I was getting tired of all the superhero movies that keep being released, but decided to give this one a chance. Gal Gadot plays Diana, princess of the Amazons, who has been trained as a warrior. When a World War I pilot crashes his plane into her world and tells her about the wars going on where he was from, she decides to leave her home for the first time and use her training to help stop the threats. The more she fights, the more she is able to realize her true powers and find her destiny. Galdot’s character was the perfect mix of being hopeful, optimistic, beautiful, and strong, yet still innocent and likable. I liked the story, the pacing, and the characters. It all just built more and more as the film went on and made for a great movie!