Lorde "Melodrama" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 4.5/5

If there was any large artist who had a lot of pressure to make another good album, it's Lorde. This indie pop artist made it big in the scene with her smash hit "Royals". She was only 17 at the time, making her the youngest solo artist to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 since 1987. That's insane to think about. Her debut album "Pure Heroine" only served to increase her popularity as the album received widespread critical acclaim and hit number one selling for its first week in a lot of countries. I loved Lorde's debut. It had many highlights such as "Team", "Ribs", and "Buzzcut Season". So Lorde certainly had a lot to live up to. Her second studio album "Melodrama" just came out a few weeks ago, and the reaction it's having is somehow even bigger than her debut. The critical acclaim is higher, and it seems like this album is already being declared a modern pop classic. Is that a fair evaluation? Oh, yes, it absolutely is.

I have to first say how refreshing this album is in a musical landscape where the billboard Hot 100 is a complete wasteland. Hardly anything redeemable ever appears on it, with the same things being done over and over. Pop albums seem to enjoy being super minimalist, using absolutely basic trap beats, repetitive choruses, predictable beat drops, and droning vocals. Thank goodness that Lorde does the complete opposite and makes an album that sounds alive and huge in all the right ways. We get that sense immediately with the awesome single "Green Light", which is a highlight in a release with many highlights. This track establishes the concept of the album: the whole thing takes place at a party where Lorde and her ex are both present. This song deserved to be number 1 on the Hot 100 for a long time. It's upbeat, catchy fun, and danceable. The lyrics are also incredibly complex, as Lorde says she's waiting for a green light, meaning she's waiting to move on from this recent breakup she had. Everything about this song works so well. "Sober" is a highly intriguing track in its own right, establishing the idea of ribbons being tied around Lorde, which symbolize that she is tied to the bitterness she has because of this breakup. This track also contrasts romanticized ideas about the party life ("We're the Kings and Queens of the weekend") with lyrics that take a hard look at reality ("But what will we do when we're sober?"). Lorde acknowledges the party life is glamorous, but it's only temporary, and reality has to come in at some point. This is some much needed commentary that is very mature. This song musically is excellent as well, starting out with bare-bones pop beats and then unexpectedly shifting into having some huge brass instrumentation. The chorus is so odd-sounding (a common trend on this album), but it somehow gets immediately stuck in your head.

"Homemade Dynamite" is one of the most fun sounding songs I've heard all year, especially in the chorus which is just so freaking catchy and interesting. This song brings in the idea that Lorde is also in fault for the break-up, not just her ex. She acknowledges, albeit sarcastically in the lyrics: "I'll give you my best side, tell you all my best lies/Yeah, awesome right?". Lorde has met someone else who she might be attracted to, so she makes a perfect fabrication of herself. The stuttering of dynamite gives an auditory image of dynamite about ready to blow up. It also cleverly shows how Lorde and this guy she just met are going to have an "explosive" good time because they make it that way. "The Louvre" is one of my absolute favorites, because much like the location its named after, this song feels huge and extravagant. This also introduces a new side of Lorde: the side of her that is psychopathically obsessed with her ex, and to a greater extent, relationships. This is where the theme of melodrama really comes to play, as a lot of things in this song feel clearly exaggerated: "But we’re the greatest/They’ll hang us in the Louvre/Down the back, but who cares—still the Louvre". It's absolutely crazy to think that any relationship would be memorialized in the Louvre, and I think Lorde realizes that. But for all the craziness of the exaggerated relationship, this song also has Lorde recognizing that her songs have impact: "Broadcast the boom,boom,boom,boom/And make 'em all dance to it". The "boom" refers to the beating of Lorde's heart, symbolizing that she broadcasts her heart/emotions to her audience and they can feel the emotion emanating from her music. I love this idea. Plus, the ending to this song has some beautiful acoustic guitars, which only serves to make it even better.

Right after this highly romantic song (in every sense of the word), we get what is the most raw track on the album in "Liability". This song is no easy listen, as it represents just how Lorde literally amplifies her heart for everyone. The track immediately draws you in with compelling lyricism: "Baby really hurt me, crying in the taxi/He don't wanna know me/Says he made the big mistake of dancing in my storm/Says it was poison". This is Lorde at her lowest, her most vulnerable. The rawness in her singing is palpable and heartwrenching. Lorde seems to think that she's a burden to everyone because of what she does- her fame is not easy for others to deal with or understand. It's only logical for this song to move in to "Hard Feelings/Loveless", a 6-minute epic. The two segments of this song are both great in their own right. I think I enjoy "Hard Feelings" a little more, especially with its gospel-like feel. It finds Lorde reflecting on the good times she had with her ex, and what she has to do now that he's not in her life anymore: "I light all the candles/Cut flowers for all my rooms/I care for myself the way I used to care about you". Lorde makes it clear that all of this relationship was felt very heavily by her, so the aftermath of the breakup is equally heavy. "Loveless" is a genius second part, feeling like a completely different side of the coin. Whereas "Hard Feelings" felt extravagant and had a lot of interesting visual imagery, "Loveless" has Lorde robotically chanting about how millennials are "Generation Loveless", playing off the idea that this generation feels like it is hard to find real love.

I actually think I enjoy "Sober II (Melodrama)" more than its first part. The strings sound beautiful and really reflect the vibe I get from the album artwork. At this point, all the glamor of the party is over, and now reality has set in. All that remains is broken champagne glasses and dimmed lights. This song fully acknowledges how the party life is melodramatic: it has ecstatic highs, but it also has incredible lows in the aftermath. Lorde questions why she would possibly want to have this life, and she doesn't seem to have an answer. There's also some clever allusions to "Romeo and Juliet", which is also about a melodramatic love affair. The album then goes to what is certainly my favorite song from Lorde, "Writer in the Dark". This song is creepy, beautiful, sad, and satirical all at the same time. Lorde shows some intelligent self-awareness in this song addressed to her ex, as she says menacingly over a piano "Bet you rue the day you kissed a writer in the dark". It's interesting that Lorde shows how she's fully aware that her ex probably hates getting this type of exposure, but because the relationship was such a big part of Lorde's life, of course she's going to write about it. The song also has some dark satire in it as Lorde creepily sings in the chorus "I'll love you 'til you call the cops on me". There is something unsettling in the fact that Lorde is stalking her lover, but it's also hilarious because it's clear to me that this song is making fun of other over-the-top relationship centered songs. This song is excellent musically as well, with the beautiful piano and Lorde's voice reaching incredible highs and lows. "Supercut" has Lorde compiling all the best moments of her relationship with her ex into one supercut and trying to make them an accurate representation. But she realizes that she's really just trying to romanticize her relationship; these moments do not ring true for their whole time together. This song is joyously upbeat, which only makes it shine more. "Liability (Reprise)" offers satisfying closure where Lorde finally realizes that she's maybe not as much a burden as she thinks, because people can take her stories and emotions and be impacted by them.

The only track on this album I'm not really liking is the closing song "Perfect Places". I enjoy its upbeat nature, but lyrically it feels like it's trying too hard to be a song for Lorde's generation. It shows how the party life may actually be perfect in its imperfections. This is not a satisfying conclusion to the album, especially as Lorde asks what perfect places actually are. This song felt too contradictory, which I'm sure was its purpose, but I just didn't like the way it was delivered. Still, what more can be said about "Melodrama" besides that it's a masterpiece? Lorde has delivered the most refreshing pop album of the 2010's, something that is accessible while being uniquely odd, has memorable lyrical moments, and is full of incredible musical composition. I think even people who don't normally like pop would enjoy this album; I absolutely recommend it!

Favorite Songs: "Writer in the Dark", "Liability"/"Liability (Reprise)", "Green Light", "Sober II (Melodrama)", "Hard Feelings/Loveless, "The Louvre"
Least Favorite Songs: "Perfect Places"

Rise Against "Wolves" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 4/5 Stars

It's crazy to think that it's been 16 years since Rise Against's debut album released. This punk/rock and hardcore outfit has been putting out albums for a long time. I didn't get into them until "Endgame" came out. Ever since I heard that album, I've gone back to their other releases and have been hooked on them ever since. This band knows how to make effective political and relationship charged tracks. They also know how to make a chorus that gets stuck in your head. I think RA lost that sense somewhat on "The Black Market"; it wasn't a bad album by any means but it didn't have quite the punch some of their other releases offer. The band's newest album, "Wolves", is a welcome return to their more intense roots, while effectively adding in their more radio-friendly current sound into the mix.

This album opens with a bang in the title track. This is easily one of the best tracks on the whole album, as everything about it feels aggressive. Zach Blair's guitar riffs hit hard, and Tim McIlrath's vocals teeter between singing and screaming. The lyrics on this song are rebelliously fun in nature as Tim chants, "We are the wolves at the gates/Our numbers growing every day, yeah/But you can't fight us all no". The band certainly wastes no time in establishing that this album will be full of songs against political power, and it's nice to see the band proposing that everyone come together and fight corruption instead of dividing. That's something that I've always appreciated about this band; they never completely identify as liberal or conservative. In fact they seem to be against the idea of divisive politics entirely. "The Violence" is one of Rise Against's strongest and most thematically resonating tracks to date. The subject matter of this song still gives me chills as Tim asks whether humanity is inherently good or if we can't avoid violence. This song feels hopeful as Tim pleads with us to try and be good enough and come out of our state of being ignorant to the horrors happening around us. This song is important for America in the heightened state of violence it is in now. That makes this song a huge and important moment in context of the whole album.

"Welcome to the Breakdown" feels like a song that could easily fit onto one of the band's earlier, more hardcore infused albums. It's an absolute delight to listen to as the guitars and drums unleash. The intense nature of this song is also fitting for the lyrical content of the track which discusses the chaos of living under a corrupt president: "When we all go deaf in the chamber of echoes/Cheering the missile parade/Agreeing to let all the banks rob the people/Together we circle the drain". Tim's screams in this track only serve to make it even more enjoyable to listen to. "Far From Perfect" is a  bit of a different track for the band as they experiment with a pop/rock sound. It actually works for this song, though, as Tim acknowledges how our imperfections actually make us works of art. This message sounded a bit cheesy to me at first, but as I listened to the song and how the lyrics played out the song grew on me a lot, and I now find the message to be very touching and genuine. "Politics of Love" does a good job at doing what the title of the track implies: putting politics and love together. It's an interesting concept that the band has done before, but it works particularly well on this song, especially with all the visual imagery that Tim describes.

"How Many Walls" is easily the best track on this whole album. The song is absolutely intense and angry in all the right ways. This track can be easily seen as an attack on Trump, and I certainly believe that is part of its intent. But this song also serves as a criticism for the government as a whole, as Tim points out that the people are coming to a breaking point with how much corruption they can take: "How many walls can you put up?/How many guns 'til you feel safe?/How many times can we watch this story over, and over, and over again?/How many years have we wasted counting the lies that we've been fed?" I passionately resonated with the lyrics of these songs, as they feel like things that need to be said. Tim's screaming in this track is unbridled, and the guitar and drum work goes to heights that the band has not gone to before. The chorus to this song is undeniably catchy and memorable, which only helps to bolster the lyrics. This is one of RA's best songs to date, and it's one of the best songs of the year so far. "Mourning in Amerika" does a great job at emulating the confusion and hysteria that America is in currently. "Miracle" is a purely hard rock track with a surprising breakdown near the end that put a smile on my face. This track is another major highlight as Tim implores us to stop waiting for things to happen and instead try to change the world for ourselves. This song ends the album on a hopeful note that we can indeed come up against the powers that be and leave an impact.

There are a few weak points in this album. "Bull***t" is the weakest track, as it panders to a lot of what makes for a generic radio rock song. The gang vocals are a little cheesy, and the lyrics aren't necessarily interesting, especially with the track's name being repeated over and over again. The song is really more annoying than anything, and is one track that I actively skip now. "House On Fire" didn't particularly intrigue me as a single, and it's become less interesting over time. RA has made better relationship-centric tracks than this. Also, the song comes across as cliched as it is about a volatile relationship, and I've heard this theme done in better ways. "Parts Per Million" tries to combine politics and love, but it doesn't come across that well in comparison to "Politics of Love". The song also feels like it adheres to the typical Rise Against formula: fast paced verses, with a slow-building chorus.

Overall, Rise Against have delivered yet another great product in "Wolves". This album really surprised me with how intense it was, as I was expecting this to follow in "The Black Market's" footsteps with delivering something more radio-friendly. Instead, the band decided to take a risk and go back to their more intense sound, and it makes for a refreshing listen in a year where a lot of mainstream rock bands have decided to go more pop friendly for whatever reason. "Wolves" warrants a lot of replays, as many of the songs are just solid and fun to listen to, and there is a lot of important subject matter to digest. Don't miss out on listening to this album!

Favorite Songs: "How Many Walls", "The Violence", "Welcome to the Breakdown", "Miracle", "Wolves", "Far From Perfect"
Least Favorite Songs: "Bull***t", "House On Fire", "Parts Per Million"

"It Comes At Night" Movie Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Horror movies always seem to have very polarizing responses from their audiences. You either love them or hate them, there is absolutely no in between. That is the case with this new suspense movie "It Comes At Night". If you look it up online, you'll see that the ratio of people who liked it to people who disliked it is nearly 50/50. This movie revolves around a family who is isolated in the wilderness in a post-apocalyptic world. Some sort of mysterious illness with no cure causes instant death to anyone who comes in contact with it. Paul (played by Joel Edgerton) wants to make sure he does everything to protect his wife Sarah (Carmen Ejogo) and son Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) from the dangerous outside world. But one night a man named Will comes knocking at this family's door asking desperately for them to help his family. Paul reluctantly agrees, and the other family comes into their house. This leads to distrust between the two families with the suspicion that one of them could be sick. Also, Travis continues to have disturbing visions about the house and the other family living in it.

There is a lot more to this film than your typical horror tropes, and that is exactly what I love about it. The thematic arcs of paranoia, distrust, and what constitutes good vs. evil run deep throughout. You can tell that Paul and Will both care about their families. There is not one character in here that is inherently evil, which is absolutely intriguing. The real evil seems to be the fear of the unknown. This disease (it's unknown what it really is, it could be some demonic presence or it could be an airborne virus) causes a sense of heightened paranoia, as neither family trusts the other. Travis's visions cleverly make the audience paranoid as well, as it makes it hard for us to distinguish between what is real and what isn't. We begin to question like Travis does: is it Will and his family that are the problem, or is Travis's own family the real threat? Director Trey Edward Shults does a great job at developing all six of the central characters, which is an amazing feat. We understand each and every one of them. We realize that both Paul and Will are fearful of the world around them, and because of that, they will do anything to keep their families safe. Sarah and Kim are both loving mothers who care deeply about their sons. Because of that it's hard to root for one side, and that is the point of the movie. It's more of a tragic exploration of how something unknown but horrifying can break people apart and reveal a more darker side that everyone tries to keep hidden. All of this makes for a movie that kept me intrigued and constantly asking questions. This film is utterly engaging just from a thematic standpoint.

Of course, the most important part of a horror movie is how it uses its style to make you scared. I think a part of the reason that audiences were so divided by this movie is that we often expect horror movies to be fast paced, with the scares being fairly consistent. That is not the case with this movie. Instead, there is a building feeling of dread throughout. There's an especially memorable scene where Travis thinks he hears something in the forest; perhaps it is the thing that causes the disease, and perhaps it isn't. We never see what this thing is that has Travis and the rest of his family so scared. But that is such a clever move on Shults's part. I had chills in so many parts of the movie because you just felt that this threat was dangerous due to the characters' reactions. Not showing the threat never gives the audience a feeling of release as to what it actually is, so they are effectively on edge for the whole movie. I haven't had a feeling of unstoppable and real fear like that since I watched "The Babadook" (That is my favorite horror movie as well as one of my favorite movies of all time, so know that is a significant compliment). The scenes of Travis's dreams- which seem like they have some truth to them- are highly frightening in the way that the camera keeps on getting closer to the Red Door, which is the ultimate source of paranoia as well as symbolism for fear of the unknown. It also helps this movie that we don't exactly know much about what this apocalyptic world has to offer. The family wears gas masks occasionally, there is no electricity, and there is some sort of threat that makes people die. That's all we know, and that makes for a frightening world with potentially undiscovered dangers. We realize that the main characters are never safe no matter what they try to do, and that only increases the dread.

As I said earlier, the characters in this movie are all great, and they are lifted even more by superb actors. Joel Edgerton is the easily identifiable highlight as Paul. I think that Edgerton is an incredibly underrated actor, and this film proves it. He never makes forcefully makes his performance outshine the other actors, but he still owns the screen every time he's there. He makes Paul subdued and likeable, and though there is a definite darkness in this character, I was still able to sympathize with him. We understand him fully; we get his motivations and no action that he does feels contradictory to his character. Kelvin Harrison Jr. does a great job as main character Travis. I enjoyed following this character, as we got to see him question everything that was going on around him. He always did a good job of embodying what the audience felt. He was really the heart of this movie, as he felt compassion for his own family and Will's family. There was just a purity to Travis that always felt genuine, like he was always trying to be good in a world that is very cruel. This movie is pretty dark, and it's fitting that the protagonist is the one that offers a semblance of hope. Because we love this character, it becomes hard to watch once we see that Travis is losing the parts of him that keep him human. Carmen Ejogo and Riley Keough both give respectively excellent work as Sarah and Kim, with both of them showing in touching and heartbreaking ways how much they love their children. Christopher Abbot is highly intriguing as Will, who I felt a little unsure of throughout the movie. It was interesting to see him getting developed and becoming more sympathetic as the film went on.

I can get why audiences were divided on this one. It's not your typical horror movie. There are no jump scares, it focuses on the characters' reactions rather than the horror itself, the answers aren't instant revealed, and the film has a slow burn feel. To me, all those things are positive. Shults doesn't underestimate the audiences' intelligence by giving them everything at once, instead naturally unfolding the plot. He makes our dread come out progressively rather than all at once. The characters in this movie are some of the most intriguing characters I've seen in any horror film, as they are all three-dimensional and sympathetic. In my opinion, "It Comes At Night" is a pitch perfect movie which goes beyond the cliches of horror. Instead, it gives us something which is plenty frightening but also has great characters and hard-hitting themes. I can't recommend it enough, as for me it's contender for best movie of the year.

Katy Perry "Witness" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 1.5/5 

My relationship with Hot 100 artists is overall very straightforward. There are some good ones out there that I think make good music have some songs that do deserve to gain attention. But, at the end of the day, I usually detest the Hot 100. Most of the songs and artists on it don't feel all that genuine. The music that these charts produce as of late is empty, repetitive, and often emphasizes on sexuality, materialism, and popularity as the best things in the world. One artist I feel has always been representative of this common pop culture ideology is Katy Perry. I'll admit, I enjoy some of the songs that she did when she was doing the pop punk style; "Hot N Cold" is catchy and fun (also her best song). But once she went full pop, I've never understood why people like her so much. From "E.T." to "Dark Horse", I've never felt there was much in the way of interesting content in Katy's music. I think this new album "Witness", which already seems like it alienates her fans, is easily her worst release. It truly shows why even when Perry claims to to be making "purposeful pop", her music overall only produces a hollow shell.

I always try my best to be open-minded on any album as a critic, even when delving into an artist I don't like. This release turns out only a few songs that I found to be remotely salvageable. The title track is one of the only listenable songs on the whole album, as it's the only upbeat song that feels like it has real energy in it. Perry's voice is infused with a bit more passion, and even the lyrics are ok as she discusses how we're all looking for something to make us feel whole in this life. "Save As Draft" feels like it has some weight as a break-up ballad. This might be one of Perry's better songs in recent memory, as her voice doesn't have this flat lining sameness that permeates almost any other song she does. This is easily the best track on the album. "Pendulum" has a sort of fun quality to it.

Only three tracks on a fifteen-song album have any redeemable qualities. That is not a good sign. At almost an hour long, this album drags on and on, with one uninteresting song after another. Some of the worst this album has to offer are in the singles. I've only found the message that Perry is giving in "Chained to the Rhythm" more ridiculous over time. The song is basically saying how all of us are slaves to whatever the system feeds us, and we don't even realize it. She says "Dance to the distortion/Turn it up, keep it on repeat/Stumbling around like a wasted zombie". I can't believe that Perry doesn't see the hypocrisy in her own lyrics. She has been one of the hugest music stars for a long time, and NO ONE could escape singles like "Firework" or "Rise". It's odd for her to say that all of us live in a bubble when she herself is wrapped in a bubble of rich privilege. "Swish Swish" is a petty response to Taylor Swift's equally petty track "Bad Blood". These two artists are apparently in a feud, and both of them care enough to make a song about it and capitalize on it. This song is bottom of the barrel awful. The line "Swish, swish, bish" is one of the most cringe worthy lines I've ever heard in any song. Nicki Minaj's feature only serves to make this track more unbearable, and the innane beat in the background make this far and away the worst song on the album. "Bon Appetit" is no easy listen either, with Katy Perry sexualizing her body, comparing it to food. This seems a little odd as other songs are concerned with empowerment, yet in this song Katy Perry is literally calling herself a buffet. I'm not quite sure what's empowering about that. It just feels like this is another song that is meant to have success on pop charts just because of its subject matter. The production on this track is once again awful, with the chorus becoming quickly annoying. Migos prove once again that they are overhyped at the moment; I'm making sure I won't actively listen to another track with them in it. Even on the video of this song there are quite a few dislikes; I'm glad even a lot of Perry's fans dislike this one.

There's really not much to be said about the rest of the tracks here. Most of them leave no impact whatsoever. "Hey Hey Hey" is just about as typical of a pump up anthem as you can get. I suppose there's something inspirational to Perry building herself up, but she just sounds so bored and far from genuine while doing it. "Roulette" is just about a one-night stand, one of the most basic subjects in the pop industry. Nothing new is being said here. Like in many other pop songs with this subject, Perry romanticizes a one-night stand as being "dangerous". Nothing about this song pops out; it instead comes out as a cliched mess. "Mind Maze" tries to be this lyrically artsy song but it comes across as meaningless with contradicting imagery just haphazardly thrown together ("In a mind maze, All these hurricanes/Caught in a cage, a complex cage"). The excessive auto-tune really makes this song a pain to try and get through; in fact I couldn't ever listen to this track in completion without getting utterly disgusted at just how much Katy and her production team weren't trying. And really, what else is there to be said about the rest of the songs on this album? It was not easy to listen to an hour's worth of content where a lot of the content was just boring. Most of the songs were felt like they had the same trap beat. Katy's voice hardly ever went to any interesting places, instead feeling monotone throughout most of the album. Her vocals don't impress here at all. This album is like listening to "Rise" (my least favorite song of Perry's) repeatedly.

This album is a shining example of why it blows my mind that Perry rose to fame. But at the same time, it sadly makes sense. She checks off all the boxes for what makes your most basic pop song in the 2000's: an unoriginal beat, bland vocals with obnoxious overproduction, and lyrics that ultimately leave no impact. It seems like most of the singles on this album are not doing very well, and that is a good thing, maybe a sign that people are finally tired of Perry. At the end of the day, we will always see another generic artist like her, so the fact that she is losing popularity somewhat is only a mild catharsis for this awful release. Avoid "Witness" (with the exception of the rather good "Save As Draft") at all costs.

Favorite Songs: "Save As Draft", "Witness", "Pendulum"
Least Favorite Songs: "Swish Swish", "Chained to the Rhythm", "Bon Appetit", "Mind Maze", "Roulette", "Hey Hey Hey", "Into Me You See"

"Pirates of the Caribbean" Saga Ranked and Reviewed

I've always had a certain affection for the "Pirates" franchise. They were some of the first PG-13 movies I was introduced to when I was younger, and I find myself coming back to the first three movies frequently. The newest movie in this franchise, "Dead Men Tell No Tales", has released. So, I figured it would only make sense to review all the movies all together, as well as rank them (ironically their ranking goes in the same order as the saga does). So here we go!

1. "The Curse of the Black Pearl" (5/5 Stars)
 

There is no competition in regards to what is the best movie in this series. It's most certainly the first one. Even today, this movie still feels fresh and fun; I wish all the Pirates movies were like this. It is a little unfair to the rest of the movies, as this one is one of my top 10 movies of all time, so the rest of the films are held to an undeniably high standard. This is the film where we were first introduced to Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow, and boy does he make for a great character here. I love how Depp portrays Jack, as someone who has plenty of hilarious moments and a pirate's heart. But Depp also provides depth to his character, as he shows how Jack wants to help other characters out of selflessness. Jack Sparrow is an entirely interesting character here to me, one that I wanted to follow. The same can be said for Geoffrey Rush's incredible turn as Captain Barbossa. I love Rush as this incredibly fun villain; every scene he's in you can tell he's having fun. He's one of the best parts of every movie in this franchise. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley give effective grounded performances as Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan. Will's sense of bravery and honor is impressive, and I love how Elizabeth breaks out of the mold of her restrained upbringing. The chemistry between these two is rather good here, as you can feel how much they care for each other. Both of these characters also work incredibly well with Jack, both having their own intriguing relationship with him. There are plenty of other superb performances, from fan-favorite Kevin McNally as the delightfully interesting Gibbs to Lee Arenberg and MacKenzie Cook's Pintel and Ragetti creating some of the most gut-wrenchingly hilarious comedic relief I've ever seen. The plot in this movie about how Aztec gold turns people into undead skeletons is so creative and works well for the Pirates universe. Getting to learn about the history between Jack and Barbossa is highly compelling, and the world-building in this movie is just awesome. Gore Verbinski's directorial skills are apparent, as he makes this movie have some very enjoyable action sequences as well as giving it a bit of a dark tone that works to the film's benefit. The score of this movie (and all the ones following) has some of the most memorable I love this movie. It's a classic in every way, and embodies all that is good in this franchise.

2. "Dead Man's Chest" (4/5)

Though not quite as good as the first movie, there is still plenty to like about this sequel. First off, the plot of Jack having to repay his debt to Davy Jones is a cool idea. Davy Jones is often used as a figurative term, and it seemed like that was what they were going for in the first movie. But making him a living being is altogether more frightening. Bill Nighy is absolutely terrifying as Davy Jones. This is not the more satirical villain that Barbossa was. Jones is someone that is immensely terrifying, both in appearance and demeanor. Skellan Skarsgard gives perhaps the best performance of this movie as Will's father Bootstrap Bill.  Skarsgard gives Bill a lot of depth in how he cares for his son and will do anything for him. In appearance a character like this might be a villain in other movies, but Verbinski is smart in building him up to be an unfortunate victim of his circumstances. Depp once again makes Jack a character you sympathize with. There is a bit more goofiness to him, but it is balanced by plenty of moments of humanity, especially in this film's awesome finale. Bloom and Knightley both give great performances as well, with Knightley especially shining as she transforms into a full-on pirate. Ragetti and Pintel are more hilarious in this film. They are a shining beacon in a film that is a much darker in tone. That is a slight issue I have with this movie. It doesn't always have the same adventurous vibe as the first one, with the darker content sometimes verging on being overdone. But, it never actually goes overboard, and there are still fun moments here, especially in that memorable wheel battle scene. The ending to this movie certainly left on a high note with the epic return of Barbossa!

3. "At World's End" (4/5)

I'll admit, the first time I saw this movie I wasn't too big on it. But as I've seen it more times, it has grown on me. It is nearly on equal terms with the second film, though certain things about it make it slightly worse. Depp gives Jack Sparrow some excellent character growth in this film as we get to see a more compassionate side of this pirate. I liked how Depp wasn't overdoing his character in this movie (which he did a little too often in the second one), and instead made Jack's story have some real weight. I also like how Verbinski decided to expand on Davy Jones's back story, actually giving this overall evil character some sympathy from the audience. I did feel for him at some points, even though I still knew he was evil. Tom Hollander expands on the already frightening Lord Beckett and makes him more menacing and more interesting to watch. Geoffrey Rush makes a glorious return as Barbossa. I can tell that he enjoyed playing this character; he is simply a delight to behold here. Him and Jack have some hilarious scenes where they are competing with each other to be the Pearl's captain, and the results are worth it. I still crack up at all the moments shared between the two of them, and they make for some quoteable scenes. Jonathan Davenport absolutely nails it as Norrington here (I haven't mentioned him until now, but he is a superb part of all the trilogy), and his character gets a fitting redemptive moment. I like how the trilogy gives a somewhat satisfying closure for Will and Elizabeth (though maybe not the best ending they could've given them). Unfortunately the romance between these two characters was not quite as compelling here, with it bordering on the cliche at times. Another problem with this film is that it's way too bloated. There are so many plots going on it gets confusing at times, and the movie is unnecessarily long at nearly 3 hours. But I still like how this film did wrap up everyone's story, with Jack going on to new adventures, Barbossa captaining a new ship, and Will and Elizabeth married. The first three movies are all very enjoyable and make for a great series I recommend you to watch. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the next two.

4. "On Stranger Tides" (3/5)

I was very excited for this series to return after a long hiatus. I didn't expect it to come back, but when I saw it would be about the Fountain of Youth,  I was interested to see if it would do a similar thing where it took something historically real (ex. Aztec gold) and do an interesting twist on it. Sadly, the end product was a bit underwhelming. It is nice to see Depp once again return as Jack Sparrow. His performance isn't quite as interesting here, but he still plays his character as fun with a bit of a serious edge. I did want to follow him on this adventure, as his character is certainly likeable. Penelope Cruz fits in the Pirates universe very well as someone who is probably more conniving and deceptive than Jack is. Kevin McNally is a lot of fun as Gibbs, though he gets a short amount of screen time. Though Barbossa looks stupid in his wig, which reduces him of his more awesome appearance, Geoffrey Rush still gives a great performance and it's clear he's having a lot of fun with it. The rest of the performances are a bit weak. Ian McShane as Blackbeard is by far the weakest villain in all the movies, with nothing about him truly standing out. I didn't feel any fear; unlike Jones or Barbossa there was no characteristic that made me interested to learn more about him. Philip and Serena are incredibly dull characters, due to both writing and performances. They were clearly meant to be imitations of Will and Elizabeth, and they are very pale ones. I didn't get an impression for why I should root for these characters, as it was clear that after this movie we'd never see them again. Their presence, especially Philip's, was entirely pointless. Also, this movie is shorter than its predecessors, but it is a bit boring at times. There are still some fun moments here, such as the crazy finale and the very fun beginning chase scene. The scene with the Mermaids was cool as well. Hans Zimmer made the theme for the mermaids intense and ingrained in my memory (much like the rest of the music he wrote). This movie has good moments, even if it doesn't match to its predecessors.

5. "Dead Men Tell No Tales" (2/5)

For what is supposedly the final film in this series, a down-on-his-luck Jack Sparrow finds himself being hunted down by his greatest fear Captain Salazar after Jack "betrays" his compass. The only hope for Jack to save himself is to find Poseidon's Trident. He forges an alliance with Will Turner's son Henry and an astronomer Carina, who has knowledge in science that makes people believe she's a witch (more on that later). Henry wants to find the trident to save Will from an eternity of captaining the Dutchman, while Carina hopes the trident will reveal history about the father who abandoned her.

 I so wanted to like this film. But right from the beginning this movie feels like it wants to be like "Curse of the Black Pearl" but only comes off as a cheap imitation. Johnny Depp is sadly the worst part of this movie. For the first time, a character that I have loved in every other movie I couldn't stand. Jack Sparrow is basically a caricature in this film, with any of the weight or compassion of his character gone. Now Depp enjoys just drunkenly staggering and eating up the scenery with obnoxious and unfunny comedic antics. He doesn't seem to care for anyone else, and it's his own needless stupidity that causes Salazar to come after him. Jack is supposed to be a clever character, but he's just not in this movie. He also seems to hate Will and Elizabeth; what's the deal with that? I think Depp got way too much freedom here and needed a director to reel him in, but unfortunately it's not Verbinski at the helm anymore. Brenton Thwaites and Kaya Scodelario feel like even more pale imitations of Elizabeth and Will than Philip and Serena were. So, they're essentially pale imitations of pale imitations. Henry being Will's son was an interesting idea, but nothing is done to build on the potential. The creators were clearly trying to connect the trilogy and this movie together, but it doesn't feel united really.  Carina's character makes for an odd attempt at a feminist message. The misunderstandings the pirates have about her are meant to be funny, but they are repetitive and annoying more than anything. Brenton and Caya both show themselves to be capable actors, but their characters are badly written, so it was hard for either actor to make them compelling. Hans Zimmer's score is sorely missed here as well, with Geoff Zanelli only offering a cheap clone of it, replicating moments of Zimmer's score to convince us that his is good.

There are some things that work about this movie which keep it from being awful. Javier Bardem gave a solid performance as Captain Salazar. He's much more memorable than Blackbeard, and the effects on him and the rest of his undead crew are pretty unsettling. Geoffrey Rush single handedly saves this film as he gives the best leading performance. Barbossa is the only character here who gets something at least emotionally salvageable to work with. If it had been a different actor, I think that this story arc wouldn't have worked because the way it is written in the script is cliched. Because of Rush's immense acting skills, I did feel some gravitas to Barbossa's touching character arc. He was the one person in this film that I was able to relate to in the midst of characters that were either boring or very overdone. The action scenes are still fun to watch, especially in the beginning chase scene (which is so ridiculous and exaggerated it's just enjoyable) and the relatively tense climax. There are some laughs to be had in this film, especially in a marriage scene which I did crack up at, and there are a few other good punchlines here and there.

I don't hate this movie entirely, but I don't like it entirely either. I'm more disappointed than anything else. This film felt like it was trying to connect to the original trilogy and have some weight by giving a bit of a backstory to Jack. Instead, we get a weak script, too much CGI, and one of Johnny Depp's least memorable performances to date. Depp's performance really brought this film down for me, as I've always loved Jack Sparrow, even in "On Stranger Tides". It was hard to watch this movie with Depp constantly being an unlikable idiot. Two really solid performances, some good laughs, and well-executed action scenes give this film some merit. Those positives aren't enough for me to say that you should go out and watch this movie. I suppose if you want closure you will in some way get it. However, I think "At World's End" is a good enough place to stop, until (maybe) the next Pirates film comes around.