Skeletons and Mermaids and Zombies! Oh, my!

Last night, I had some time before going to the El Capitan, so I had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe at Hollywood and Highland, and did some shopping, too.  I didn't find much more than one piece of jewelry for a gift.  I found some other stuff that was either too expensive or didn't fit me, but that wasn't the main point of the evening anyway.

Hollywood & Highland

The main point:  seeing "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" with my friends.

Part of the pre-show

• Pre-show was pretty cool, complete with skeletons in cages and fire and, of course, confetti with doubloon design to match the little doubloons we received in a little pirate booty bag.
• I bought a marquee pin as I always do when I see a movie at the El Cap, and also got a button that said "Mermaid's Tear" before I knew what it was about.  They also had a pin of Mickey being dragged by the King's guards, which I bought after seeing the movie.
• I love me a good sword fight, especially on top of rafters.
• Did Jack Sparrow get highlights?
• Cindy and I could not stop laughing because we kept thinking of "The King's Speech" every time Geoffrey Rush said "The King".
• Nice cameos by Keith Richards and Judi Dench!  "Is that it?!"  So, with Judi and Geoffrey in this movie, they couldn't sneak in a cameo by Joseph and Gwyneth?  I would have sooo loved that.  ;)
• Mermaids are awesome.  I've loved mermaids since I was a little girl.  I used to play "mermaid" in the bathtub with my friend Jenn.  It is no accident that Ariel is my favorite Disney character.  These mermaids, evil, with fangs and Spider-man-like skills with kelp, are the coolest mermaids ever.   They've taken the place of the baby cheetahs on my desktop background.
• Jack and company were LOST.  I'm just saying.
• "He's even more annoying in miniature."
• "Zombie Jamboree" was not sung.  Disappointing.  Not that it would have fit into the movie, really, but still.
• Johnny Depp continues his perpetual wonderfulness in this role.  He's got the best lines, he has the best moves, there's even a voodoo doll of him.  I love him.  Savvy?

Jack Sparrow Voodoo Doll

• Ponce De Leon!!!  (Don't Touch The Map)
• So was I the only one that thought of "The Princess Bride" when a) the crew had not seen Blackbeard (like The Dread Pirate Roberts) and b) the 2 chalices, one with something extra, one without?  No? Just me then.G
• Great music by Hans Zimmer, and Eric Whitacre conducted some of the choir.  Yay!  Guitarist Rodrigo y Gabriela was awesome as well.  

Mermaids notwithswimming, this is my favorite POTC of them all.  I may need to see it in the theater again.