The fourth instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise proves that there is still much fun to be had with Captain Jack Sparrow and a new bunch of supporting characters.

Considering the bloated affairs which were Dead Man’s Chest and At Worlds End, the odds that On Stranger Tides would succeed were slim at best. Yet by dumping the dead weight which was Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, and casting a new supporting cast and new director in Rob Marshall, On Stranger Tides surpasses its low expectations to make for a fun and moralistic adventure on the high seas.

Loosely adapted from the Tim Powers novel “On Stranger Tides” (many characters and sub plots have been changed), the film begins with the English Protestants, Spanish Catholics, and irreligious nomad pirates in a race to find the Fountain of Youth.

Stuck in the middle is that rambunctious pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), who has found himself in the grasp of the villainous Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and his daughter Angelica (Penelope Cruz), who also happens to be Sparrow’s jilted ex-lover.

Another new edition is Sam Claflin who plays Philip, a missionary who provides a Christian infused moral core to the violence, treachery and greed which these characters partake in at any given moment. As a result, On Stranger Tides is more in tune with the Chronicles of Narnia movies than the other POTC films, with religious ethic mixing very well with box office spectacle, which should please both secular and Christian audiences.

Depp’s reprise as Sparrow is a welcome one, with the talented thesp hitting all of the right notes. Yet it has always been the supporting cast which will make or break these films, and here they deliver. Ian McShane is perfectly cast as the E-V-I-L Blackbeard, while Penelope Cruz is at her saucy, spirited best and almost steals the film in certain moments. Geoffrey Rush is solid as always in his return as gritty pirate Barbossa, and look for big things from the previously mentioned Claflin.

Most impressive of all is director Rob Marshall, who takes over the reins from Gore Verbinski and guides this franchise through smoother waters. Marshall knows how to work with a star studded casts, and his handle on action cinema is impressive, opting for choreography over any type of shaky cam theatrics or CGI heavy fight sequences (as many first time action directors tend to do).

Great SFX and production design is featured throughout; zombies and mermaids add a nice supernatural touch; Depp sways, Cruz sizzles, and  Claflin preaches. All add up to a good ol’ blockbuster time at the flicks.