So anyways I finally saw On Stranger Tides and watched it twice. --But I was wondering if anyone here bought the box set? --It was said to include a new short film (story?) and I was curious as to what it was about and if it adds anything onto the series and/or hints at Pirates of the Caribbean 5 (which Orlando Bloom says he would come back (what did I say!) and Bruckheimmer just stated that they had a script, but have decided to scrap it an start over--they plan to shoot summer of 2012 with a 2013 release date!)
Oh! I think I found it over at Pirates of the Caribbean Encyclopedia! It's called "Tales From The Code: Wedlocked"....
Pirates of the Caribbean: Tales of the Code: Wedlocked was a short film, directed by James Ward Byrkit, based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and films. It stars John Vickery (Auctioneer), Vanessa Branch (Giselle), and Lauren Maher (Scarlett). It was directed by James Ward Byrkit and produced by Leora Glass.
“Wedlocked” was a labor of love, a short film I directed especially for super-fans of the “Pirates” movies. Knowing we had a small budget and borrowed sets, Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott wrote a script for me that recalled the Pirates ride more than the movies. “Slappers” Vanessa Branch and Lauren Maher turned in leading lady performances that should get them their own tv spinoff.
Beautifully shot by Nic Sadler.I found it online - it's more like a trailer to a spinn off! kind of cute!
http://www.fanpop.com/spots/pirates-of-the-caribbean/videos/22931188/title/new-pirates-caribbean-tales-code-wedlocked-not-fanmade-coming-soon----------------------------
I wrote a bit of a review/commentary...
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a fun addition to the series, but alas it only meets Tim Power's novel of the same name to a shallow extent. It's clear form many articles preceding the film's release that Disney promised a stand alone adventure remincent of Curse of the Black Pearl, trying to appeal to those fans that claim they only like the first installment, but for me, a bigger fan of it's sequels, I was afraid that if Disney kept it's word, it would deminish the series as a whole.
Ultimately after seeing it, I have more appreciation for it and hope that the way the story was writen was a smart move on Disney's behalf. On Stranger Tides plows threw a basic story on the surface which gives it a 'stand alone' feel Disney promised and many nods back to Curse of the Black Pearl itself, but for fans who read between the lines and/or have read other Pirates of the Caribbean novels and/or Tim Power's novel, can see that they are also simultamously slowly establishing a new set of building adventures and/or mythology.
There are many things introduced, but not fully explianed by the end of the film. Blackbeard's sword, ships and crew in bottles, unrequited love, revenge...Angelica left behind with a Blackbeard's Jack voodu doll, Serina taking Philip elsewhere...
Tim Power's novel, like all in the Pirates series, plays on ideas about fear of the unknown, fear of death, fear of being forgoten, and ultimately is story about the right to be able come to terms with your own beliefs and one's own actions and not at the expense of the control of others. In a sense his novel is a can of worms in terms of the exploartion of these things, as voodu literally takes control of another's body, spirits of the dead are attempted to be summoned back and put in another's body, and one good man thrown into a whirl wind of piracey, when all he wanted to do confront his uncle to avenge his father, in which then also people are connected to each other in ways they hadn't known before! Magical objects are made to control super natural elements, including a ritual involving one's blood to be forged into a sword. Mr. Powers mythology is explianed that during the beginning of time there was much magic in the world, which would then allow for possibilities (free will), but over time man has learned to use more and more of magic and this is leading to less possibility (free will)...most the characters in the novel need natives of non European Lands in order to use the magic, which then plays on ancient civilizations use of magic paralleled and proved their beliefs in polytheism or pluralism.
In the film ideas of these things are also present. We have a voodu Blackbeard, who seems to live to terrorize and fears his death, his corrupt daughter who brings a missionary to save his soul and the missionary seems to
believe that God is pro compassion and forgiveness and that this is all that matters, Barbossa who pretends to honor the belief's of the British crown simply to execute revenge, and the Spanish who come to Aqua Di Vita to declaire the ancient civilation of the fountian "Pagan"-- an abomination to their belief against the one and only God.
Even in the previous films and novels it is clear that the mythology's magic centers around many gods (Calypso, Titan, ect) and many objects of power. To some extent On Starnger Tides doesn't quite give way to which perception of reality is correct. But Jack himself, like the Spanish (but with out the mass destruction), was able to walk away from life extension and it may be that perhaps the mythology will suggest that the gods are broken down and misused facets of God and that the characters need to forgive and in order to be free, maybe they have to find a way to give all the magic back and that Jack's temptation hasn't really been tested yet..as perhaps he needs to do something to the black pearl?
Other things to note is Blackbeard's sword. In the junior novelizations young readers learn about The Sword of Cortes`. This sword is used by Cortes and others to be able to take control of whole civilizations. In the first novel which the sword appears, a pirate named Stone-eyed Sam, who obtains the sword, finds an Island filled with a city that structure is remincent of Acient Rome. He curses the Island and it becomes 'The Land of the Dead'. It's possible that Blackbeard's sword could be the sword of Cortes, which would be a nice tie back to Curse of the Black Pearl since Isla Di Meurte was the place that held cursed treasure of Cortes` that also induces the possibility for 'living dead'...But this is not the only magic sword to make an appearence in the expanded Pirates universe. The online game, Pirates of the Caribbean Online, introduces the phantom sword. It allows it's user to move 'ghostly' from place to place. It seems like Captain Teagues currently has this sword. The only other explaination for his sudden appearence and disappearence could be explained by the clock that stops and/or distorts time. -But back to Blackbeard's sword, I have to wonder if the sword is not also changing the identity/fate of it's user...
A game was going be released, but canceled at the last minute, prior to the film's release. Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damend, was a prequel game featuring a new Pirate, Captain James Sterling. It was to be a role playing game in which the dicisions made by the the game player would determine the "fate" of Sterling...a legendary pirate, or a dreaded one...the characters appearence would also change to reflect his path. Additionally the character was cursed himself by a cursed Spanish Ghost Fleet..When the character appeared dreaded he would use a HUGE black anchor to attack others...some say that a man with and anchor on his back, apart of the 'drifting dead', could be seen in Davey Jones Locker in the previous video game, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. I just wonder if the anchor itself was what made Sterling bad...it was influencing him somehow, considering his ship was a wrecked ship named nemesis that he had to 'put back together'???
Rob Marshell's presence could be felt. His choriography was spectacular as usual and his landscape of London gave Pirates a more historic and dramatic feel. One could more feel the weight of establishment and empericalism. Visually the film was astonishing, but yet not too over the top.
Over all the super natural elements were subtle and mysterious, which allows fans to hang to this installments title...the strangeness of the pursuit of beliefs. Even Angelica and Blackbeard's real motives have been left in the dark. By the end of the film I don't know what to beleive about them, especially Angelica, who's name also goes hand in hand on the philosophical debate over God, gods, magic, choices, and human purpose. Is she like an Angel, or isn't she? Or what is it she is an Angel of? But there is surely something missing and ungrounded here. Jack's own explaination for not being tempted seem to go along with this as well, as the mystery of life and perhaps the key to Jack's own fate may lie in not wanting to know the mystery, but rather just let things unfold as they will. However, I still think even this philosophy only goes so far. A prequel novel was also released, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom in which we see Jack attempt a simple honest life and still he ends up in the hands of the EITC, who want to expose a lost civilization and need Jack to do it...IMO Jack wasn't quite himself in On Stranger Tides...the fact that it seems he could just walk away and/or really didn't seem to be overly tested in itself is a mystery to me, seeing how Davy Jones Locker had previously effected him. Maybe he just knows something we don't?
I think the movie is a good movie, but I think once Pirates of the Caribbean 5 is upon us (which Bruckheimer has announced there is a script, but they are re writting it) On stranger Tides will be a better film, as it serves more like Pilot or a second season premiere. Bill Turner the II had been left in the most useful position, seeing that he fairies the souls of the dead, and that Davy Jones Locker seems to be types of tranistional sudo-parallel relaities between reality, which is kind of similar to the idea of ships trapped in a bottles. It appears that the crew might be alive in the bottles and so I can only imagine that On Stranger Tides acts like it's strays from things that came before, but next installment(s) most likely may weave it all together and continue to expand on things presented in Power's novel and Pirates expanded universe. Orlando Bloom has also stated at the Three Musketeer premiere that he would love to jion the franchise again (which I always speculated that his and Knightley's disgruntle behavior was a front so that Disney could do this). So who knows where we might go from here, but I am still on board!
