Where else will you find the Fountain of Youth, mermaids and an assortment of crazy characters than in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides? Johnny Depp makes an excellent return to form as Captain Jack Sparrow. He recalls the same qualities which distinguished his work in The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). The wild indifference, those cheeky facial expressions as well as the spot-on dialogue make this offering a guaranteed money earner.

Jack Sparrow, having escaped custody, becomes drawn into a quest to find “the Fountain of Youth,” a place which may hold the secret to everlasting life. Both the Spanish and one Captain Barbossa (the spellbinding Geoffrey Rush) set out in search of two chalices and a mermaid’s tear, the items required to perform the ritual at the Fountain. Naturally, there’s a catch -- and it emerges in the form of infamous pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane). His desire to find the Fountain at any cost, even including putting the life of his daughter Angelica (Penelope Cruz) on the line, adds to the excitement of this very entertaining film.

Depp may have found his niche here. After years of starring in oddball projects like Ed Wood (1994) and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), he’s still as weird as ever. The difference is that he knows how to please a mass audience now. He could go on making many more Pirates of the Caribbean films in the knowledge that he has discovered the winning formula. Yet, I suspect that a quirky and original project might be just on the horizon.

The fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean series gives Geoffrey Rush ample screen time to show off. And by “show off,” I mean speak his lines with devilish inflections. One can tell that Rush loves playing this part.

Ian McShane seems very good as Blackbeard, yet he’s a touch too serious in places. The Deadwood star has a sense of humour even if it’s an acquired taste. Penelope Cruz plays the only one-dimensional part in the picture. Her model-like good looks don’t necessarily lend themselves to good acting. After all, beauty isn’t everything.

The film’s pacing feels moderately consistent. Audiences should be comfortably entertained for the duration. Director Rob Marshall (Memoirs of a Geisha) has learned to lighten up a bit. He still requires more experience at getting the tone right, but Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides reignites the creative fuse by providing merriment, thrills and action in equal measure.

(Released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and rated "PG-13" by MPAA.)