Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Depp's rummy rogue is clever and lovable as ever, and that's a big reason audiences are always willing to yo, ho, ho. Director Rob Marshall has stripped away some of the overlong, puzzling plotlines and overdependence on CGI effects that marked Gore Verbinski's first three Pirates films, especially the second and third ones. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' race for the Fountain of Youth is a simple, easy-to-follow premise; there are fewer extraneous characters to keep track of (remember all of those pirates in At World's End?); and Cruz and Depp have an entertaining, charming chemistry with each other that sizzles when they're trading barbs and half-dueling, half-flirting.

With the notable absence of Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom, whose star-crossed lovers Elizabeth and Will had closure to their story in the last installment, the good-looking-young-couple role is left to Claflin and Berges-Frisbey. But as sweet as they are, their forbidden-love subplot isn't nearly as moving as Elizabeth and Will's. McShane, on the other hand, has built an impressive career one villainous character at a time, so he's naturally fierce and frightening as Blackbeard. And music lovers will appreciate the flamenco-guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela's contributions to the soundtrack.