Okay, so, yeah, this was kind of inevitable. Number five, ladies and gentlemen. 2017. Share your thoughts here. I will share mine below...
Number three was OK in my opinion. One was the best, and I actually liked the latest one (unlike everyone else). I thought it was fresh, plus I liked the new cast. But just because it was "fresh," that does not mean that they can do it again. The last one worked, from a storytelling perspective, but they cannot do another movie with the same formula.
Here's what the Franchise should do...
1. Take the focus off of Jack - they did this in the trilogy, and I liked that he was the static character who does not develop. It was funny. It worked. The last movie tried to develop him as a character. No. He was not initially written that way. He was merely the catalyst. While I like him, each movie becomes duller and duller. He is overused, and he keeps essentially saying the same things, and it is not as funny anymore. Take the Lone Ranger for example, a movie I did not even bother to waste my time on. They made Tonto the star of the show. They might as well have called it "The Adventures of Jack Sp-err, Tonto" (yes, they were the same character). Step back Jack. The second movie could have done without him, but they made us purposefully attached to him once it did, as if he WAS the franchise. Now it seems impossible (so to speak) to do away with Jack without making it "suck." He is the movie now, unfortunately. But it is not impossible to do away with Johnny Depp. It will be hard, but not impossible. Here's what they can do - Reboot the franchise...utterly REBOOT it. Different formula. Different characters. Different feeling. Like Star Trek the Next Generation. Just friggin get new characters and new every things and make it fresh. Or, maybe, make a TV show, like on netflix (which Disney has a deal with). No Jack...just do it under the banner of PotC. Maybe Jack's younger days? Jack is the Han Solo of the franchise. He does not change, but we love him because he is funny, charming, and drives the story along.
2. Keep it Classy - the first one was romantic, so to speak, in terms of romanticizing piracy and the era. It was funny, and it was fresh. Most of all, it was classy. It was straightforward. While the first did have about three or four story arcs going on, they were easy to follow. The other ones are sloppier and harder to follow. Keep it romantic...and keep it classy. It was extremely charming, and not overthetop.
3. No more supernatural: Okay, it was cool in number one, and cool in number 2, because the Davy Jones thing was pretty original, and in number three it kinda sucked. Especially with the weird many jacks and the calypso thing and all that flying dutchman nonsense that they added. I did not mind the mermaids and the fountain of youth, because it seemed like the toned it down a bit, but the zombies on the Queen Anne's Revenge added absolutely nothing...at all. Same with the shrunken voodoo ships and the weird Poseidon sword. What even is that? The rigging taking the crew and the ship being basically alive? I liked Blackbeard, but everything else was random. That is what held the movie together. While I liked that it was recast and had different characters, in theory, I did not care for them as much as the other characters in the other movies. It was the villains, the solid writing, and the overall story that held the film together. No more supernaturally. It's over. The franchise has explored so many themes, but there is one thing it has not done yet: It has not had a movie about pirates. Yes, the franchise has never done a movie about true pirates. The potential is staring Disney RIGHT IN THE FACE. Do a movie about pirates. No zombies, no skeletons, no weird voodoocabodoo. Pirates! Just pirates. Unfortunately, Disney wants gimmick. I have heard rumors that they are making the new one about witches.
Yes, witches.
They might as well put MacBeth in there. Witches and pirates do not go well together. It seems like they are trying to pull ideas for supernatural elements out of their arses. They think historical things would be boring to people. They insult our intelligence.
They can learn a lot from the Assassin's Creed series. While the templar/assassin war never really gets old, the last game was AMAZING because they took a break from it. It was solely around story and character development. It took it in a new direction entirely, and it was fresh. One of the most intriguing video games since Mass Effect. Coincidentally, the game was about pirates, which should make it easier for Disney to learn from it. While Black Flag still had Templar/Assassin elements, that was not a primary focus, which was mostly on the development of Edward Kenway's character, as well as the other pirates (who were all real). That is exactly what Disney can do: don't make the supernatural a primary focus. You can keep a few elements, but don't make that the main idea of the movie. Let Barbossa keep his new magic sword, but don't go out and fight ghost pirates that steal the crown jewels of the queen Jack is in love with for some unknown reason.
Unfortunately, it will most certainly be about the supernatural. I will probably still see it, but it would be a waste of a movie.
4. Don't be afraid to kill off your characters: People will be pissed and sad, but it will make it intriguing and raise viewership.
Maybe do a twist and make Will Turner a villain...as if the Dutchman corrupted him or something, and Will gets killed in the end. Don't continue the Will/Elizabeth story arc though.
Sadly, Disney cares too much about its popular characters to let them die.
I love the franchise, but I hate what it looks like it will become. It is a materialistic cash cow. No longer quality. Why not let someone else direct? Maybe Abrams? He made Star Trek cool again, and will probably do the same with Star Wars. But they won't. They keep the same formula, because the formula is what makes them money. Jack is what makes them money. The possibilities for the series are limitless, but Disney is shortsighted, and they cannot see that they can do more to make it such. If they are too attached to the formula, and do not want to change the franchise, maybe it is time to let the franchise die, in peace. It will someday. It can either die in peace, in suicidal butchery by Disney (which probably will not even kill it, if it means money), or in a Blaze of Glory (as in, make one final good one then end it), which probably will not happen.
Disney, if you can't bear to leave out the supernatural, let it die peacefully, amongst the waves. After all...valar morghulis...
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