Blogamole › Ian McShane

By Michael Lopez

Last year, many hardcore Jack Sparrow fans were divided after hearing the announcement about Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The previous trilogy of films wrapped up the story nicely and many wondered if Johnny Depp could still make his iconic character interesting. Plus, a new director and the loss of key actors Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley didn't help matters. But we're happy to say that Pirates 4 has surpassed the expectations and is a worthy addition to the beloved franchise.

To be honest, the one character we would have really hated to lose was Geoffrey Rush's Captain Barbossa. A true scene stealer and an awesome sparring companion for Captain Jack, having Rush on board is a major boost for Stranger Tides. And we can wholeheartedly say that Geoffrey does a fantastic job with his over-the-top pirate caricature, right down to the wooden peg leg!

Speaking of great pirate caricatures, the Stranger Tides ensemble has added a real life legend of the seven seas. Ian McShane's portrayal of Blackbeard is just as vicious and iconic as those historical stories you've heard about. Sporting a zombie crew and insanely large sword (which looks great in 3D), this bad guy is just as memorable as old squidface from the last set of sequels.

Another new addition to the cast is Angelica, played by Blogamole regular Penelope Cruz. Though we hate to say it, Penelope is probably the least interesting part of the movie. Though she does have some fun scenes with Johnny Depp, her character never really gels with the overall storyline and the romantic subplot between Captain Jack and Angelica seems to fizzle before the third act.

But with so much sword fighting, fiery explosions, and epic shipwrecks happening in between, it's not like you'll even notice. Pirates 4 never tries too hard to meld itself into a love story (though there is an interesting mermaid romance thrown in). It's obvious the creators know that fans love the movie series' trademark comedy, action, and fantasy and you can bet Stranger Tides delivers on that promise!

Johnny Depp slips into Captain Jack's boots flawlessly. So much so, it hardly seems like he ever stepped away from the character. Plus the supernatural storyline involving the fountain of youth is actually rather interesting and leads to a great bombastic finale. There is no doubt that On Stranger Tides is destined to be a summer smash, and thankfully it's well deserved!

Bottom line: One of the great things about Stranger Tides is that you don't have to be a fan of the series to "get it." This is a movie that definitely stands on its own, but still offers plenty of winks and nudges for die-hard fans (including a nice homage to the Disneyland ride). Plus, the 3D aspect gives Johnny and company a fresh new perspective. But be sure you take care of your bathroom breaks before the movie starts. At two hours and change, you won't want to leave your seat for quite a long time!

Are you looking forward to Stranger Tides? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Geoffrey Rush, Hot Stuff, Ian McShane, johnny depp, Movie Reviews, Movies & CineMás, Penelope Cruz, Pirates of the Caribbean, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

By Michael Lopez

You know you’ve hit blockbuster territory when your movie premiere gets thrown at California’s Disneyland theme park. This weekend, Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, and a host of famous faces took over “The Happiest Place On Earth” for the kickoff of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Blogamole was there to capture every moment of it.

To celebrate the fourth installment of the hugely popular Pirates franchise, Disneyland workers covered its trademark Main Street USA with skulls, cannon balls, and a 3,000-foot long "black carpet" stretching out to the park’s Rivers of America. From there, guests were able to watch the 3D film on a 90-foot screen and experience Pirates-themed fireworks at the grand finale.

Needless to say, it was southern California’s hottest ticket on Saturday night. In addition to all of the celebs who attended the event, several park goers had the chance to watch it too. But their admission price was not cheap. Disney sold exclusive premiere tickets for $1,000 a pop, with proceeds going to the Boys & Girls Club of America.

Our cameras made sure to capture every exciting moment of the event. Before the celebs arrived, spectators were treated to juggling pirate demonstrations, festive live music, and several Jack Sparrow lookalikes. Even a Pirate-themed Mickey Mouse danced and posed for the crowd!

Once the famous faces rolled in, it was clear that they were thrilled by the ambiance. Eva Longoria was seen hugging Pirate Mickey, Johnny Depp smiled and signed dozens of fan autographs, and BEP’s Taboo seemed very amused by “Jack the Monkey,” who actually appears in the film.

We had a moment to catch up with Ian McShane, who plays Stranger Tides’ resident baddie. When discussing his portrayal of the notorious character Blackbeard, the 68-year old actor said,

"It was organic. You’re never too old to be a pirate!"

The Losers' Óscar Jaenada, who plays a Spanish captain in the movie, also spoke to Blogamole about what it took to suit up for the swashbuckling film series,

"We rehearsed for three months. The sword fighting was intense."

He went on to say that shoots would last up to 15 hours a day for some of the movie’s more intricate sword fighting sequences. But, in the end, it was clear that all of the hard work paid off. On Stranger Tides does a fantastic job of continuing Jack Sparrow’s legacy. Be sure to keep checking Blogamole in the next two weeks, for our exclusive movie review!

Are you excited to see Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Óscar Jaenada, Celebrities, Disneyland, Eva Longoria, Hot Stuff, Ian McShane, johnny depp, Movie Premieres, Movies & CineMás, Penelope Cruz, Pirates of the Caribbean, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stanger Tides, Premieres, Tr3s Exclusives

MTV News recently caught up with model and actress Natalie Martinez on the set of Lala’s latest music video. Natalie, who will be co-hosting an upcoming style special titled MTV Tr3s Fashionista, couldn’t stop talking about the new movie she’s working on.

It’s called Death Race with Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson and we have Joan Allen and Ian McShane. It’s really exciting. It’s this whole action film that’s around prison and race for our freedom.

But don’t take any little brothers, sisters or primitos to this one:

There’s a lot of violence. It’s very Mad Max, it’s very raw. So it’s a lot of fun.

Well, it’s a good thing Natalie enjoyed herself on a set like that; usually action flicks can be pretty tough training-wise. About her labor-intensive gig, Natalie says:

It was definitely physical... I love getting rough and doing stunts. So that was a lot of fun for me. Arriba las Latinas Fuertes!!!

And we aren’t kidding; Natalie plays a pretty strong character in the film:

In the movie I play Case. She is in jail for killing her husband and she happened to be a police officer.

Wow, a husband-killing cop in jail? Cuidado!!

I’m hooked up with Jason Statham to be his driver and we race in prison. Yeah, I play his navigator. I’m definitely his sidekick.

Sounds to me like there may be a little bit of romance going on there! You can catch all the action in Death Race which hits theatres August 22nd. [MTV News]

More pics of Natalie after the jump:

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Tags Death Race, Ian McShane, Jason Statham, Joan Alle, LaLa, MTV NEws, Natalie Martinez, Tyrese Gibson