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I found 31 different ranked lists online of “best pirate movies of all time” and averaged them all to create this list. My full results and methodology are on my website: https://www.listobsession.com/best-pirate-movies/.
- Captain Pirate
- Waterworld
- A High Wind in Jamaica
- The Sea Hawk
- Swiss Family Robinson
- 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
- Treasure Planet
- Cutthroat Island
- Muppet Treasure Island
- The Black Swan
Our list of best pirate movies starts off with Captain Pirate. In Blackbeard the Pirate, we see Newton’s Pirate Captain in full force, walking on two legs and exhibiting strange mannerisms. There is a term for over-the-top acting: “chewing the scenery.” Newton not only chewed up but also digested and expelled the scenery. Without him, any scenes in...
Waterworld is another outlandish selection for a list of the finest pirate movies, but it contains all of the necessary components. Although it is an odd pirate picture, it features lots of sailing, swashbuckling action, and a map leading to an unexpected treasure. Rather than being set during the golden period of the pirate, it is set far into the...
A High Wind in Jamaica is a traditional pirate tale based on Richard Hughes’ novel of the same name. The year is 1870, and in Jamaica, a storm has made landfall. A British couple living on the island with their five children decides that the time has come to take their children to England for a decent education, fearful that they would grow up “unc...
If you’re searching for a fast-paced pirate film with a historical backdrop, go no further than the 1940s The Sea Hawk. Captain Geoffrey Thorpe (Errol Flynn) is a privateer, one of the numerous Sea-Hawks that patrol the maritime routes on behalf of Queen Elizabeth I (Dame Flora Robson). When he destroys a Spanish galleon carrying Don José Alvarez d...
Swiss Family Robinson revolves around a family who gets shipwrecked on a desolate tropical island on their way to tropical New Guinea. They are compelled to remain on the island due to the ship’s damage and the pirates that wander the islands. They establish a home on the island (centered on a massive treehouse) and spend their time exploring the i...
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is set in the year 1868, a monstrous creature terrorizes the waters, destroying ships! Three odd friends join a battleship in pursuit of the beast, only to discover the engine of devastation is actually a submersible boat. The trio is apprehended by the Nautilus’s captain, Captain Nemo, and embarks on an adventure and d...
With his father absent and his mother distraught, Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a wayward adolescent seen by the world as a hopeless slacker with no future. Even Jim is unable to recognize the positive aspects of his existence until one tragic night when a dying pirate hands him the map to his dreams – the famous booty of Captain Nathaniel ...
Cutthroat Island is centered around Morgan Adams. Morgan Adams’ father leaves her his pirate ship and a portion of a treasure island map – strangely written on his scalp. Considered in need of a Latin scholar to decipher the map, Elizabeth acquires knowledgeable slave William Shaw and embarks on a quest for the remainder of the map. However, Shaw, ...
Muppet Treasure Island is a Muppet adaptation of a famous novel. The Muppets fit in perfectly in this film, with Kermit the Frog serving as captain and Gonzo as a crew member. However, Tim Curry’s Long John Silver is the film’s star, and he is plainly enjoying the fun of his life playing a pirate alongside Muppet characters. After recounting young ...
This 1942 pirate picture, The Black Swan, received critical acclaim for its breathtaking graphics at a period when many films were still filmed entirely in black-and-white. The Black Swan received an Academy Award for Best Cinematography in Color, which no longer exists. Additionally, The Black Swan is based on a novel of the same name written by n...
- Captain Blood (1935) Available to rent through AppleTV, Google Play, and Vudu. Captain Blood is, arguably, the foundation of modern pirate movies. Most of the pirate movies that followed in the decade after it was released in theaters were to see if studios could replicate its success.
- The Crimson Pirate (1952) Available to rent on Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu. The Crimson Pirate is a near-perfect pirate movie (for its time, of course).
- The Princess Bride (1987) Available to stream on Disney Plus. The Princess Bride is an iconic film, filled with memorable moments and quotes that stand the test of time.
- The Black Swan (1942) Available to rent on Google Play and Vudu. This pirate movie is an absolute classic, from 1942 - and a three-time Academy Award nominee (and winner for Best Cinematography).
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom. 1,058 votes. Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) sets sail in this swashbuckling adventure as he teams up with blacksmith Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) to rescue Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) from cursed pirates led by the fearsome Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush).
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley. 868 votes. Embark on a thrilling journey as Captain Jack Sparrow seeks out Davy Jones' heart to escape his debt to the monstrous sea captain.
- The Princess Bride. Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin. 951 votes. This timeless classic combines romance, comedy, and swashbuckling heroics as we follow Westley's quest to rescue Princess Buttercup from her unwanted betrothal to Prince Humperdinck.
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley. 542 votes. As Lord Cutler Beckett tightens his grip on piracy itself, our heroes must unite their enemies under Pirate King Elizabeth Swann’s command to face off against Davy Jones' Flying Dutchman crew – now under Beckett’s control.
- Captain Blood. It's hard to beat Studio Ghibli or the Muppets, but this crackling pirate adventure deserves the top spot. This early pairing of Errol Flynn and director Michael Curtiz made stars out of Flynn and his onscreen love interest, Olivia de Havilland.
- Muppet Treasure Island. Everything's better with Muppets. Add Tim Curry, and you have a bona fide classic. This is the third adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel on this list, and it is by far the most entertaining.
- Castle in the Sky. "Castle in the Sky" is the second Studio Ghibli film on this list, but it was the first movie produced by the famed animation studio.
- The Princess Bride. What more can be said about "The Princess Bride"? As Roger Ebert noted in his 1987 review of the film, it's "a sly parody of sword and sorcery movies," but the movie manages to have its cake and eat it too, sending up multiple genres — including the pirate movie — while lovingly recreating them.
Jan 2, 2024 · Thanks to this phenomenon, we have a whole list of pirate movies that allow audiences to dive into their favorite, embellished tales of wonder and exploration. Below we've gathered the best...
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Mar 14, 2024 · From classics like Treasure Island to modern hits like Pirates of the Caribbean, these are the best pirate movies of all time.
