Cast
- Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow
- Geoffrey Rush as Hector Barbossa
- Penelope Cruz as Angelica
- Ian McShane as Blackbeard
- Kevin R. McNally as Joshamee Gibbs
- Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey as Syrena
- Sam Claflin as Philip Swift
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a 2011 American fantasy swashbuckler film, the fourth installment in
the Pirates of the Caribbean film series and a standalone sequel to At World's End (2007). It is the first film in the
series not to be directed by Gore Verbinski, replaced by Rob Marshall. Jerry Bruckheimer again served as producer.
In the film, which draws its plot loosely from the 1987 novel On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers, the eccentric pirate
Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is forced into a shaky alliance with Angelica (Penélope Cruz), a mysterious woman
from his past, as they embark on a quest for the Fountain of Youth, confronting the infamous pirate Blackbeard
(Ian McShane) and outrunning Jack's old foe Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush).
The film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It was the first film in
the series to be released in the Disney Digital 3-D and IMAX 3D formats. Writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio first learned
of Powers's novel On Stranger Tides during the back-to-back production of Dead Man's Chest (2006) and At World's End, and
considered it a good starting point for a new film in the series. Pre-production started after the end of the 2007/2008 W
riters Guild of America strike, with Depp collaborating with the writers on the story design. Principal photography
lasted for 106 days between June and November 2010, with locations in Hawaii, the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico and
California. Filming employed 3D cameras similar to those used in the production of the 2009 film Avatar, and ten
companies were involved with the film's visual effects. Following inflated production costs which ballooned the net
budget to $379 million, the film currently ranks as the most expensive film ever made. On Stranger Tides was released
in the United States on May 20, 2011. It received mixed reviews from critics for its screenplay and lack of
originality, but received praise for its performances, visual effects, and action scenes. The film broke many box
office records and was the third highest-grossing film of 2011. A fifth film, titled Dead Men Tell No Tales, was
released in May 2017, and a sixth film is in development.
In the middle of the 18th century, a man is rescued from the ocean off the Spanish coast and brought to King Ferdinand
of Spain, where he claims to be a crewmate of Juan Ponce de León, who disappeared 200 years ago searching for the
Fountain of Youth. Seventeen years after the battle of Calypso's maelstrom, after a failed attempt to rescue
his first mate, Joshamee Gibbs, from execution in London, Captain Jack Sparrow is brought before King George II.
The king asks Jack to guide an expedition to locate the Fountain of Youth, before King Ferdinand and the Spanish
Navy locate it. Captain Hector Barbossa, now a privateer, and sporting a peg leg, is captaining the expedition,
though only requires Sao Fengs navigational charts, rather than Jack.
Jack escapes, meeting his father, Captain Teague, who tells Jack that the Fountain requires a ritual to use. Jack learns an
impersonator is recruiting pirates for another expedition. The imposter is Angelica, Jack's former lover, and daughter
of the legendary Blackbeard. Jack is shanghaied into service onboard Blackbeard's ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge.
Blackbeard survived his historic death using voodoo magic, due to a predestined, fatal encounter with Barbossa. He wields
the Sword of Triton, which allows him to control his ship. Though Jack leads a mutiny, Blackbeard subdues the crew
into obedience. Amongst the crew is Philip Swift, a captured missionary. Barbossa recruits Gibbs, who burns the charts,
admitting he memorised every location. Jack is told by Angelica that two silver chalices must be retrieved from Ponce
de León's flagship, the Santiago. A mermaids tear must be placed in one chalice, and both chalices must be drunk
simultaneously to activate the Fountain's healing properties. The drinker who lacks the tear will die, their lifeforce
given to the other. Jack discovers Blackbeard's collection of captured, miniaturised ships, including the Black Pearl.
The Revenge sails to Whitecap Bay to capture a mermaid, successfully netting Syrena, who they, at first, must
carry in a glass container. When Syrena is dropped, her tail turns into legs. Philip, caring for her,
(and seeing she cannot walk) offers to carry her.
Angelica and Blackbeard send Jack to get the chalices, taking his magic compass as a bargaining chip. Jack meets Barbossa
on the Santiago, but find the chalices have been taken by the Spanish. Retrieving the chalices, Barbossa explains Blackbeard
attacked the Black Pearl, leading to the loss of his leg via self-amputation. Syrena's tear is extracted by
Blackbeard after Philip expresses love for her, leaving her to die of dehydration, and Philip is forced to go
with the crew. Jack returns, bargaining for the return of his compass in exchange for the chalices. When Blackbeard
agrees, Jack sends Gibbs off on an errand. Blackbeard's crew locate the Fountain, but are confronted by Barbossa
and his men. The Spanish arrive, condemning the Fountain as an abomination against God, throwing the chalices
into a deep pool. In the chaos, Philip frees Syrena, who retrieves the chalices, returning them to Jack.
Barbossa stabs Blackbeard with his poisoned sword, steals the Sword of Triton, declares himself captain of
the Revenge, and returns to a life of piracy. The Spanish crush the Fountain before leaving. Angelica cuts
her hand on the poisoned sword. Jack retrieves remaining drops of water from the Fountain, adding Syrena's
tear to one of the chalices. When Blackbeard asks Angelica to die for him, Jack tricks him into drinking the
chalice lacking the tear. Angelica is healed, whilst Blackbeard dies. Syrena returns to an injured Philip,
kisses him, and guides him underwater to an unknown fate. Jack maroons Angelica on a cay, unsure if he can
trust her. Afterwards, he reunites with Gibbs, who used Jack's compass to locate the Revenge, retrieving the
bottled Black Pearl. In a post-credits scene, a voodoo doll of Jack created by Blackbeard washes ashore onto
Angelica's cay.