The originalPirates of the Caribbeanmovie,The Curse of the Black Pearl, gave audiences one of Johnny Depp’s most iconic characters, but the franchise made some significant changes afterward. The mischievous Captain Jack Sparrow is one ofJohnny Depp’s best villain characters, andThe Curse of the Black Pearlpitted him against both the son of his old crewmate, and the governor’s daughter. The original movie was an adventure with a big horror element, as Jack and his newly-formed crew try to break a curse afflicting the antagonist, Captain Barbossa, and his crew.
The five existingPirates of the Caribbeanmovieshave all starred Johnny Depp. It is currently unknownwhat the sixthPirates of the Caribbeanmovie will be about, but it is possible that Depp will reprise his role as Jack Sparrow.Keira Knightley has made it clear that she does not plan to play the Governor’s daughter(and Pirate King) Elizabeth Swann again, but it has been rumored that an upcoming movie in the franchise will star an all-female pirate crew. This would be a major change for the franchise, which changed significantly afterThe Curse of the Black Pearl.
7Captain Jack Sparrow Went From Villain To Anti-Hero
Johnny Depp’s Character Stole The Show
Captain Jack Sparrow was one ofthe bestPirates of the Caribbeanvillains, and was introduced as an antagonist inThe Curse of the Black Pearl. Jack’s ridiculously long list of crimes was read out in a scene that managed to be hilarious, even as Jack appeared to be facing execution. That said,while Jack Sparrow was far from being a good character in the original movie, he was set up to become an antihero.By the first sequel, Jack has become a morally-ambiguous rogue, and he eventually gave up the chance at immortality to save Will.
While there are some excellent villains in adventure movies,Jack Sparrow was too likeable to remain an antagonist, and he had some of the best lines in an already quotable film. When Norrington accused Jack of being the worst pirate he had ever heard of, Jack retorted “But you have heard of me!” Jack Sparrow is the iconic face of thePirates of the Caribbeanmovies and stole the show with his distinctive appearance and swagger. He might have been a great villain, but his interesting approach to a moral code made him more interesting.
6The Pirates Of The Caribbean Franchise Leaves Port Royal After The Original Movie
Another Pirates Of The Caribbean Location Is Based On A Real Place
WhilethePirates of the Caribbeanfranchise made several historical mistakes, many of the locations were based on real places. Port Royal is based on the real-life Jamaican harbor, which was a bustling trading post regularly visited by pirates.Much ofThe Curse of the Black Pearlis set in Port Royal, including Jack Sparrow’s iconic introduction as he steps off his stolen sinking boat. While the town makes brief appearances in laterPirates of the Caribbeansequels, it does not play the key role that it does in the first movie.
The island of Tortuga, where Jack takes the reluctant Will to recruit a new crew, is also based on a real place and takes a much larger role in the franchise. Tortuga is located north of Haiti and was a historical pirate stronghold.The Curse of the Black Pearldepicts it as raucous and mostly lawless, and this becomes one of the movie’s running jokes. In the first sequel,Dead Man’s Chest, Jack returns to Tortuga for another crew and ends up in a bar fight. Later, even Captain Barbossa announces his intention to sail there inOn Stranger Tides.
5The Stories Became Much More Complex
Pirates Of The Caribbean’s New Approach Was Not Necessarily A Good Thing
The Curse of the Black Pearlwas an easy story to follow, as most of the movie involved a quest, chasing Captain Barbossa and the captive Elizabeth Swann to the Isla de Muerta. The simple story allowed the characters to lead the action, and most reviews of the movie praise the way that even smaller characters were memorable.Dead Man’s Chesttook a major leap, introducing mythology, magical items, and heavier themes of morality into the franchise. While some characters like Tia Dalma and Davy Jones were captivating, this did not make up for the flaws in the writing.
One of the major issues with the laterPirates of the Caribbeanmovies was the use of overly-complex plots. The sprawling stories and multiple supernatural items with their own rules led to some of the manyplot holes in thePirates of the Caribbeanfranchise.The movies appeared to prioritize style over story, especially in the sequel,At World’s End, which features a visually stunning but very confusing scene in which the ship flips over, altering the world’s dimensions and inverting the sky and sea. Still, Rotten Tomatoes audiences gaveAt World’s Enda 72% positive rating.
4Pirates Of The Caribbean Introduced More Female Characters
Elizabeth Swann might have been the main female protagonist inThe Curse of the Black Pearl, but she was not the most interesting character. Zoe Saldaña’s character, Anamaria, had a very brief appearance and few lines, but these suggested an intriguing backstory. While Anamaria’s eventual fate is unknown,thePirates of the Caribbeanfranchise introduced more female characters afterThe Curse of the Black Pearl, and made Elizabeth much more exciting. The women in thePirates of the Caribbeanfranchise may be flawed, but the next movie could be able to change this.
Zoe Saldaña toldBuzzfeed UKthat her experience filmingThe Curse of the Black Pearlwas “definitely an experience not worth repeating.” That said, it is possible thatAnamaria could return forPirates of the Caribbean 6. Saldaña received an apology from the producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, and it seems that there is much more that could be done with her character. Jack Sparrow promised Anamaria the Interceptor to make up for his theft of her ship, anda female pirate on a famously-fast ship could be exactly what thePirates of the Caribbeanfranchise needs.
3The Visual Effects Changed Dramatically
The New Effects Turned The Pirates Of The Caribbean Franchise Towards The Fantasy Genre
The visual effects inThe Curse of the Black Pearlwere groundbreaking for their time, but they were used sparingly. Most of the movie was shot using practical effects, and this made the scenes in which Captain Barbossa’s undead, ghostly crew transformed under moonlight even creepier. The sequels took a dramatically different approach to their effects, especially withDead Man’s ChestandAt World’s End. The movies used much more CGI, and while the octopus-headed Davy Jones and his barnacle-encrusted crew were striking and still hold up today, the effects overshadowed the first movie’s grittiness.
As the world ofPirates of the Caribbeanexpanded, the effects grew more extreme, showing giant maelstroms, the goddess Calypso, and the Kraken. Though many of the scenes were fun to watch and visually exciting,some reviewers felt that the large-scale spectacle overshadowed the horror elements fromThe Curse of the Black Pearl. The later movies often feel as though they cross into the fantasy genre, especiallyOn Stranger Tides, which features a love story between a mermaid and a missionary. The genre switch is not necessarily bad, but it is drastically different from the original movie.
2Elizabeth Swann Becomes A Pirate
The Pirates Of The Caribbean Movies Haven’t Replaced Keira Knightley Well Enough
Elizabeth Swann was not necessarily a typical damsel-in-distress character inThe Curse of the Black Pearl, as she often stood up for herself against Barbossa and his crew, thinking on her feet and using her knowledge of the pirate code to parley. Still, there was a significant difference in Elizabeth fromDead Man’s Chestonward. Elizabeth was shown to be fascinated by pirates, even from childhood, but she behaved like one in the firstPirates of the Caribbeansequel, including sword fighting and bar brawls, beforethe Pirate Lordsofficially elected her the Pirate King inAt World’s End.
Penelope Cruz’s Angelica had the potential to be exciting inOn Stranger Tides, but her story revolved around Blackbeard, and she wasn’t interesting enough on her own.
AdisappointingPirates of the Caribbeanfranchise trendis its wasted female characters. While Elizabeth Swann had the best character arc of all, Keira Knightley only starred in the first three movies, and the franchise has not been able to replace her. Penelope Cruz’s Angelica had the potential to be exciting inOn Stranger Tides, but her story revolved around Blackbeard, and she wasn’t interesting enough on her own. Carina Smyth was an unusual new introduction to the franchise, but again, she was underwhelming and felt more like a plot device than a character.
1Captain Barbossa Is No Longer A Villain
Barbossa’s Redemption Arc Began After The Curse Of The Black Pearl
While Jack Sparrow was more of a comedic villain inThe Curse of the Black Pearl,the main antagonist in the movie was Geoffrey Rush’s Captain Hector Barbossa. Barbossa was Jack’s mutinous first mate, and as well as betraying Jack, he was also a thief, murderer, and a kidnapper. All of Barbossa’s actions were carried out to serve himself, and he was a truly spooky character. Rush made the character mesmerizing, and his death was expected but a loss for the franchise, until Tia Dalma resurrected him inDead Man’s Chest, beginning his redemption arc.
On Stranger Tides, but Barbossa made the switch to a real hero inDead Men Tell No Tales.
Barbossa spentDead Man’s Chestworking with Jack and his crew, putting him on the right side, though reluctantly. He even helped rescue Jack fromDavy Jones' Locker, though this was still a relatively self-serving act. He continued in this morally-gray area inOn Stranger Tides, but Barbossa made the switch to a real hero in thePirates of the Caribbeanmovie. It is revealed that he has secretly been funding his daughter’s education, and he ends up dying for her. While some may think thatBarbossa didn’t deserve his redemption arc, it was a typically unpredictable act for the character.
Source:Buzzfeed UK
Pirates of the Caribbean
A series of fantasy swashbuckler films produced by Disney, featuring the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow. Known for its supernatural elements, high-seas action, and iconic characters, the franchise has become a cultural phenomenon and was loosely based on the Disney theme park ride of the same name.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Cast
The Curse of the Black Pearl is the film that kickstarted the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, a series of supernatural swashbuckling adventures. In 1720, blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate “Captain” Jack Sparrow to save his love, the governor’s daughter Elizabeth Swann, from Jack’s former pirate allies, who are now undead.
