The Current Crop of Movies (spoilers for On Stranger Tides)

I went to see Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides today. It was okay...but totally, totally predictable. There were no surprises

I enjoyed the first Pirates. Barbossa was a villain, a charming villain but a villain for all that, and he got his comeuppance in the end. So popular was his character, however, that he was brought back for the next two movies, and of course he's in On Stranger Tides.

All of the characters are villains, really, pirates - and the pirate life is made to look quite attractive. So much so that in the end, Barbossa tears up his letter of marque from the crown to become a pirate again.

So villainy is rewarded and this man, who stood by while his entire crew - albeit of British sailors, not pirates - were killed by bloodthirsty mermaids - gets another ship, and if there is another sequel, he'll be in it again.

Before the movie started, there were 5 or 6 previews of films...and my heart just sank as I watched them, and the utter blandness and pandering to the common denominator - they they are going to make a little more common - they were.

First there was Zookeeper, which appears to be a remake of Night at the Musuem, even including titles and music! Now I liked the two Nights at the Museum movies (although the first one was superior to the second one) but this one, starrng the obese Kevin James (but of course obesity is just fine in male actors) will just be ridiculous.

Then there was some kids movie, Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer. The whole plot is told in the trailer (which seems to be the norm these days). Judy's parents go off for the summer, and the "quirky aunt" (is there any other kind?) comes to stay and helps Judy and her annoying brother have a fun summer. Of course the aunt can't drive, so there's lots of property damage, but of course no one gets killed.

Then there was an update of the movie Switch. Two men, one happily married, the other single but apparently living the good life with sex every single night, urinate into a public fountain while at the same time wishing that they were the other guy. So, wish granted, and of course each one discovers that the other's life isn't all its cracked up to be.

What is it with men and public urination, anyway?

Suffice it to say that Hangover II is tops at the box office for another straight week, doing twice the business of On Stranger Tides, and that is just .... so sad. I predict we'll see a lot more idiots with facial tattoos shortly.