Piracy in review

Thought I'd do a film review today for a change.  Lynn took me to see a Pirates of the Caribbean yesterday.  I wasn't particularly looking forward to it - they've been milking the success of the first one for too long now.  I've lost track of all the pirates and their ships - don't think it really mattered anyway.  Personally I preferred the ride at Disney.

Anyway, trying to avoid too many spoilers here, this film is about some pirates.  It's not set off the coast of modern-day Somalia, and there isn't really any piracy in it as I remember.  What's it's about is some Disney pirates going in search of a fountain of eternal youth.  Which involves drinking the water of life.  From chalices inscribed with 'water of life', and mixed with a mermaid's tear (representing suffering or maybe joy?)  Quite rightly, the properly Christian Spanish don't like this pagan ritual.  Though any good Catholic would be reminded of the perpetual sacrifice of the Mass.

The worst scene in the film comes near the beginning when, after much comedy violence, a British soldier is shot down in cold blood.  Didn't like that at all.

The film redeemed itself for me though because the best character in the film is some kind of missionary cleric.  He says that the pirates are looking in the wrong place for the real water of life.
It comes as a surprise when there's a character in a film who's clearly a Christian, and who is clearly the good guy (just about the only one.)   He prays and preaches and suffers for it.  He puts his own life on the line; which results in his Bible being used to hold open a box to keep a mermaid-girl breathing and alive.  There could be a metaphor there.  The words of the Bible are literally life-giving for her.
Later, the cleric again shows compassion - he picks up the girl who's fallen over (due to her being unused to walking on legs - she is a mermaid after all).  He's the only one who sees her true value as a person (one of God's creatures) when everyone else just wants to use her for their own purposes.  He tries to see good and the chance of redemption in even the most evil pirates.  (He has to ask the mermaid for forgiveness and healing later on, which she is pleased to give, and there may be a happy-ish ending.)

The ending for one of the pirates could have been better done.  There was a redemption theme going on, and there was a neat, moral way; and a half-joke for Johnny Depp way.  Johnny Depp won.

Lynn didn't think the film was funny enough, and almost fell asleep.  Although she really likes Johnny Depp.  He's the same age as me and we both have a beard sometimes, but I don't have a pirate's hat or eye shadow.  I'm just not sure about the funny walk ...

Revelation 7:17 NLT 
"For the Lamb on the throne  will be their Shepherd.
   He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.
      And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”