Top Ten Pirate Movies

10. Pirates Of The Caribbean: At The Worlds End (2007)

With a grand finale to a fabulously entertaining trilogy that will last through the ages, At the Worlds End was entertaining and fun.  With two huge movies before it, it found it’s footing and is a nice addition to it’s predecessors.  It should have won the Oscar for special effects this year, but then that’s just my opinion, and not the Academy’s.  At The Worlds End was good fun and will be appreciated by anyone who enjoyed the first two.

9. The Sea Hawk (1940)

Ahhh.  Erroll Flynn.  If when you think of Pirate movies you don’t think of Erroll Flynn and The Sea Hawk, you haven’t seen enough Pirate movies.  He plays Geoffrey Thorpe, a buccaneer, is hired by Queen Elizabeth I to nag the Spanish Armada. The Armada is waiting for the attack on England and Thorpe surprises them with attacks on their galleons where he shows his skills on the sword.  Love, adventure, and action follow is the undeniable guilty pleasure.  If duels are what you seek, there are some very memorable ones in this movie.

8.The Bounty (1984)

I love Marlen Brando more than just about anybody, but as far as overall films go I enjoyed the Mel Gibson/Sir Anthony Hopkins one far more.  It’s the familiar story of Lieutenant Bligh, whose cruelty leads to a mutiny on his ship. This version follows both the efforts of Fletcher Christian to get his men beyond the reach of British retribution, and the epic voyage of Lieutenant Bligh to get his loyalists safely to East Timor in a tiny lifeboat.  The story itself is told in an incredibly invigorating way, but there are some amazing and noteworthy performances here that really evelate the movie to a re-make that surpasses it’s predessesors.

7. Captain Ron (1992)

Captain Ron may not be on anyone’s best list of anything anywhere, but I know there are people out there that love this movie just as much as I do.  Aside from the bigger picture, I applaud the concept of making a film with pirates that is a comedy at heart.  Captain Ron himself is much of a scalawag pirate as any other.  In fact, the closest pirate to Ron is Captain Jack Sparrow himself.  The essence of his character is hysterical, and this is truly one of my favorite Kurt Russell roles of all time.  Timeless, simplistic, brilliant.  That’s Captain Ron.

6. The Princess Bride (1987)

The Princess Bride is structured around the idea that love conquers all. But in this story of giants, coward princes, men with extra limbs, sword fights, torture, revenge, bandits, pirates, heroes and true love it’s told through a realm of comedy along with it’s epic scope. With a perfectly structured cast and fantastic screenplay it is entirely conceivable. Wesley’s unconditional love for Buttercup enables us to believe that love has no boundaries. And Buttercups conviction that he will rescue her from her fate as Humperdink’s wife is unwavering. The final sword fights are meticulously choreographed and are one of the most exciting and technical ever on film. Rob Reiner captures the perfect balance of action with comedy while giving the film it’s overall feel of utter sweetness.   It is essentially a fairy tale made for the old, the young and the in between. The Princess Bride will be able to be enjoyed for all time and is a movie everyone should put on their list to see. In an over the top way it creates a mystic fun world that everyone wants to be part of. Cheers for Buttercup and Wesley. F

5. Hook (1991)

Directed By Steven Spielberg and staring Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman, this movie was magical.  The concept of Peter Pan growing up and then becoming a grumpy lawyer is enough to revolt even your most hardened of souls, but Robin Williams is the perfect actor to be awful and frantic and unhappy, while coming around and turning into a joyous child again.  Dustin Hoffman as the illustirous Captain Hook, who’s actually annoyed he doesn’t have a formidable foe to do battles with anymore is eccentric, witty, and darkly hilarious.  The performances and Spielbergs incredible vision makes this film great, but really the idea to go back and remember the joys of childhood and remembering not to lose them just because of responcibilities is a timeless lesson.

4. The Black Swan (1942)

When notorious pirate Henry Morgan is made governor of Jamaica, he enlists the help of some of his former partners in ridding the Carribean of Buccaneers. When one of them apparently abducts the previous governor’s pretty daughter and joins up with the rebels, things are set for a fight.

3. Peter Pan (1960)

In this magical tale about the boy who refuses to grow up, Peter Pan and his mischievous fairy sidekick Tinkerbell visit the nursery of Wendy, Michael and John Darling. With a sprinkling of pixie dust, Peter and his new friends fly out the nursery window and over London to Never-Never Land. The children experience many wonderful and exciting adventures with the Lost Boys, Tiger Lily’s Indian tribe, and Peter’s arch enemy the dastardly pirate Captain Hook.  Aside from reading this was my first real experience enjoying the magical tale of Peter Pan, and even today Mary Martin has been my favorite Peter of all time.  There is so something magical and exciting and genuine about this interpretation.  I do love Disney’s animated version, but this made for TV adaptation remains my favorite.

2. Treasure Island (1990)

Young Jim Hawkins, while running the Benbow Inn with his mother, meets Captain Billy Bones, who dies at the inn while it is besieged by buccaneers led by Blind Pew.  Jim and his mother fight off the attackers and discover Billy Bones’ treasure map for which the buccaneers had come.  Jim agrees to sail on the S.S. Espaniola with Squire Trelawney and Dr. Livesey to find the treasure on a mysterious island.  Aside from being wildly entertaining this remake (I still enjoy the 1950 version as well) that was made for television has great costumes, effects, shot beautifully, and coupled by an incredibly talented cast.  When I think of Pirate movies, this is one of the first that comes to mind.

1. Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003)

Captain Jack Sparrow and the rest of the Pirates Of The Caribbean cast took the world by storm in 2003.  This took most people by surprise considering the basis for the film was an amusement park ride in Disney world.   Regardless, pirates are some of our favorite villains to love and hate, and Pirates Of The Caribbean gave us just that.  Gore Verbinski paid homage to it’s Disney creation by using the ship, “The Black Pearl” and some of the sequences from the ride itself, but added was a fantastical script, exhilarating special effects, and some highly substantial performances by Orlando Bloom, Kiera Knightly, Geoffrey Rush, and the marvelous Johnny Depp.  With a great love story, intense battles, insanely entertaining character’s, and plain good fun, Pirates Of The Caribean is a classic film, that will be remembered and last threw the times.

Honorable Mentions: Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest, Cutthroat Island, Mutiny On The Bounty (1983), Peter Pan (1953), Treasure Island (1950), and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea

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The Goonies