I enjoyed Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. I also enjoyed the second and third Pirates movies which I know a lot of people didn’t. On Stranger Tides had a fantastical, convoluted plot, but it was thoroughly entertaining and it was fun to see Johnny Depp again playing Captain Jack Sparrow. This really isn’t a thorough review of the movie, just some thoughts on On Stranger Tides from a Christian perspective. As always, I’ll do my best to keep things spoiler-free, but the Mickey Mouse cameo reeked of corporate synergy.
The Fountain of Life
The focal point of On Stranger Tides’ plot is the fabled fountain of youth. The quest for the fountain of youth speaks to one of humanity’s deepest fears: mortality. There’s a very good chance that if we’re born, we’re eventually going to die; over the course of human history the mortality rate is pretty close to 100%. Unfortunately there’s nothing we can do about our mortality; we’re all going to die eventually. Which is why Jesus’ offer of an eternal life, which begins in the here and now, is so exciting. We don’t have to find a mythical fountain of life because we have a savior who is living water and the bread of life. A line from the movie sums up this search perfectly: “You’re looking for something in the fountain that you can only find in faith.”
Redemption
Another theme that ran through On Stranger Tides was redemption. The question was raised a few times of whether or not anybody is beyond redemption. In Luke 15, Jesus paints a great image of the lengths the Father goes to redeem his children. The parables of the lost coin, lost sheep and lost sons show that God cares about those who are far from him and that he searches for them and celebrates when they are found. In the end, though, it’s not up to us to work out the redemption of another person. God is the one who changes hearts; we are only tasked with showing love and shining Jesus’ light in the world. Should Captain Jack Sparrow find redemption, though, it would be sweet to sail around with him in heaven.
Supernatural
If you’ve seen any of the other Pirates movies, then the inclusion of supernatural elements shouldn’t come as a surprise. On Stranger Tides has its fair share of the supernatural ranging from voodoo to magical water to mermaids. Some Christians choose to abstain from supernatural things like that and some don’t. Obviously, since I saw the movie, I don’t. There is nothing in On Stranger Tides that I found offensive or challenging to my faith. Other people may have a different perspective but I don’t love Jesus any less for having watched the movie. In fact, the opportunity to think through topics like mortality, immortality and redemption has been beneficial. And I got to see some sword fights. I’d say that’s a win-win.
I thought Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was an entertaining summer movie and a good way to further the adventures of Jack Sparrow. The movie got me excited for another potential Pirates movie and even made me think a little bit.
What did you think about Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides?
Well purely from the entertainment standpoint it was a great movie but then again I like all of them thus far