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Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) travels to London to locate the person who has been impersonating him. The impostor has reportedly been recruiting a crew to search for the legendary Fountain of Youth. First Sparrow rescues his former first mate, Joshamee Gibbs (Kevin McNally), who is about to be hanged, though the two are captured. Jack is brought before King George II (Richard Griffiths), who wants him to guide an expedition to the Fountain before the Spanish find it. Heading the expedition is Jack’s old nemesis, Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), now a privateer in service to the British Navy after having lost Jack’s ship, the Black Pearl, as well as his leg.

Jack escapes, and is found by his father, Captain Teague (Keith Richards), who warns Jack about the Fountain’s tests. Jack soon discovers that the impostor is Angelica (Penélope Cruz), his former lover and daughter of the ruthless pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), who possesses supernatural powers and practices voodoo magic. Jack is forced to join Blackbeard’s crew and to lead them to the Fountain. Meanwhile, Gibbs, who memorized, then destroyed, Sparrow’s map, barters with Barbossa to lead him and his crew to the Fountain.

Aboard Blackbeard’s ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, Jack learns that the Fountain’s water must be drunk simultaneously from two silver chalices once belonging to Juan Ponce de León. The person drinking from the chalice containing a mermaid’s tear has their life extended, while the other person dies, their years of life drained from their body. Blackbeard intends to use the Fountain’s power to circumvent his fated fatal encounter with a one-legged man, and sets a course for Whitecap Bay. There he traps a mermaid that Philip Swift (Sam Claflin), a captive missionary, falls in love with and names Syrena (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey). Blackbeard then sends Sparrow to retrieve the chalices from de León’s grounded ship. Sparrow arrives finding only Barbossa: the Spanish have already taken the chalices.

Barbossa’s only wants revenge against Blackbeard for having captured the Black Pearl, forcing Barbossa to amputate his own leg to escape. He and Jack plot to defeat Blackbeard, then steal the chalices from the nearby Spanish camp. Meanwhile, Syrena, who returns Philip’s love, is tricked into shedding a tear, which Blackbeard collects, then leaves her to die while forcing Philip to go with him. Sparrow returns with the chalices and Gibbs, who he had reunited with while helping Barbossa. Jack negotiates with Blackbeard to return his confiscated magical compass and to free Gibbs in exchange for the chalices and his leading them to the Fountain. Blackbeard agrees, and Gibbs departs with Jack’s compass.

At the Fountain, Blackbeard and his crew are attacked by Barbossa and also the Spanish, sent by their king to destroy the Fountain, believing its power is an abomination against God. After an intense battle, Barbossa stabs Blackbeard with a poison-laced sword, but Angelica is also wounded by it. Barbossa claims Blackbeard’s magical sword, and assuming command, leaves with Blackbeard’s crew. Philip, mortally wounded, escapes and returns to free Syrena. After finding the chalices that the Spaniards tossed into deep water, Syrena gives them to Sparrow, then retrieves the dying Phillip, taking him underwater to heal him.

Angelica intends to sacrifice herself for her father, but Sparrow deceives them, and Angelica unknowingly drinks from the chalice containing Syrena’s tear, thus killing Blackbeard and saving her. Although they declare their love, Jack, knowing she may avenge her father’s death, strands her on an island, intending for a passing ship to pick her up. Jack then finds Gibbs, who used Sparrow’s compass to locate the Revenge and retrieve all the captured ships that Blackbeard had magically shrunk and bottled, including the Black Pearl. The two head off, hoping to find a way to return the Pearl to its original size.

In a post-credits scene, Angelica, still on the island, finds Blackbeard’s voodoo doll of Sparrow, which has washed ashore.

Once again, we see the best of the franchise in this the 4th Pirates. Lets hope they keep coming and keep being better. Great in 3D.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Former cop Brian O’Conner partners with ex-con Dom Toretto on the opposite side of the law. Since Brian and Mia Toretto broke Dom out of custody, they’ve blown across many borders to elude authorities. Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom. As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead. But he’s not the only one on their tail. Hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs never misses his target. When he is assigned to track down Dom and Brian, he and his strike team launch an all-out assault to capture them. But as his men tear through Brazil, Hobbs learns he can’t separate the good guys from the bad. Now, he must rely on his instincts to corner his prey… before someone else runs them down first.

The best of the Fast and Furious franchise so far. Don’t miss this on XD or Imax if available in your area.

Rating: 5 out of 5

“When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, drifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her. Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.”

A good movie based on a book by the same name. I fear the movie may be considered more palatable than the book with regard to the ending. I much prefer that of the movie. One of the better movies with Robert Pattinson and an excellent venue for Reese Witherspoon and Christopher Waltz. A must see.

Rating: 4.7 out of 5

An action-thriller about a writer who takes an experimental drug that allows him to use 100 percent of his mind. As one man evolves into the perfect version of himself, forces more corrupt than he can imagine mark him for assassination. Out-of-work writer Eddie Morra’s (Cooper) rejection by girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish) confirms his belief that he has zero future. That all vanishes the day an old friend introduces Eddie to NZT, a designer pharmaceutical that makes him laser focused and more confident than any man alive. Now on an NZT-fueled odyssey, everything Eddie’s read, heard or seen is instantly organized and available to him. As the former nobody rises to the top of the financial world, he draws the attention of business mogul Carl Van Loon (De Niro), who sees this enhanced version of Eddie as the tool to make billions. But brutal side effects jeopardize his meteoric ascent. With a dwindling stash and hit men who will eliminate him to get the NZT, Eddie must stay wired long enough to elude capture and fulfill his destiny. If he can’t, he will become just another victim who thought he’d found invincibility in a bottle.

OK plot. Cinematography and editing made me dizzy. Not as big a box office hit as they figured even with Bradley Cooper having scenes with his shirt off. The ending was good and it is ok to sleep through the first hour.

Rating: 1.8 out of 5

Valerie (Seyfried) is a beautiful young woman torn between two men. She is in love with a brooding outsider, Peter (Fernandez), but her parents have arranged for her to marry the wealthy Henry (Irons). Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that Valerie’s older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village. For years, the people have maintained an uneasy truce with the beast, offering the creature a monthly animal sacrifice. But under a blood red moon, the wolf has upped the stakes by taking a human life. Hungry for revenge, the people call on famed werewolf hunter, Father Solomon (Oldman), to help them kill the wolf. But Solomon’s arrival brings unintended consequences as he warns that the wolf, who takes human form by day, could be any one of them. As the death toll rises with each moon, Valerie begins to suspect that the werewolf could be someone she loves. As panic grips the town, Valerie discovers that she has a unique connection to the beast–one that inexorably draws them together, making her both suspect…and bait.

An interesting take on an old Fairy Tale. Just when you think you have it figured out and say the movie is too predictable, it takes a turn and wakes you up again. If you like this genre, you should like this movie. I cannot stand Amanda Seyfried and her exophthalmosis, but she was appropriately cast in this move (what big eyes you have).

Rating: 3.8 out of 5

A couple of married guys are always looking at other women, treating their own wives like trash. Their wives are fed up with their behavior, and grant them a ‘hall pass’: a week off their marriage allowing them to do anything. But the guys take their time and their week is almost up. What they don’t realize is that at the same time their wives make connections of their own.

In keeping with the genre of The Hangover, a little rude, crude, and sometimes socially inept. Still it had is funny moments.

Rating: 2.3 out of 5

Interesting movie with Jake Gyllenhaal.

Colter Stevens an American Army helicopter pilot whose last memory is flying in Afghanistan, wakes up on a commuter train. But he discovers he has assumed the identity of another man. 8 minutes later the train explodes and Stevens finds himself in some kind of pod. He then talks to someone named Goodwin who tells him he has to go back and find who the bomber is. He is sent back and is going through the whole thing again and tries to find who the bomber is but fails and the bomb goes off and he is back in the pod. He is sent back again and still can’t find out anything. When he comes back he asks what is going on, Goodwin and Rutledge, the scientist in charge tells him he is part of a project that can put someone in another person’s consciousness during the last 8 minutes of their life. Stevens says why doesn’t he just stop the bomb, he is then told that he is not going back in time but placed in the moment so he can find out who the bomber is and if there are any other targets. But Stevens finds himself falling for the woman traveling with the man who’s consciousness he is in.

You don’t quite figure out what is going on at first, but when you begin to see it evolve, it becomes even more interesting. It is one of those movies that leaves you feeling perplexed at the end, such as Shutter Island and Inception. This movie previewed over a year ago and I don’t know what held up production and release unless it was these other similar movies opening at the same time. Smart marketing as it would have been lost among them. Not a bad movie and watchable.

Rating: 3.9 out of 5

Another movie that had a great plot and used Matthew McConaughey to increase its box office take. Based on a book by the same name. Pretty good movie and worth the watch.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5

A great movie that got what it deserved with the Oscars. How anyone could call Black Swan a good movie is beyond me.

Rating: 4.7 out of 5

Typical Sci-Fi destructo thriller apparently filmed with hand-cam with jerky pictures and editing much like The Green Zone. Watchable, nothing extraordinary. You may want to wait to see it on network TV.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5