[Jacob Boersma]

Of course, the unspoken reality is that none of the convoluted plots or wavering tones would have mattered if the films were still fun, and the reason many fans soured to the series has little to do with its inconsistency and complexity. By the time the fourth (and worst) Pirates of the Caribbean movie, On Stranger Tides, was released the franchise had dropped much of its old cast and carried over only the reliable audience favorite Captain Jack Sparrow, alongside a couple of supporting plays such as Barbossa and Joshamee Gibbs. The problem was, by this stage Depp's version of the character was more than a little tired and audiences were sick of what had once been a fresh new antihero.

[tddert]

The first Pirates of the Caribbean movie was an instant action-adventure classic upon release, so what went wrong with the film's many disappointing sequels? Directed by The Ring's Gore Verbinski and based on a theme park ride, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl did not look like much when it arrived in cinemas way back in 2003. But the film was a surprise success and managed the rare feat of winning over both critics and audiences with its quick wit, swashbuckling action sequences, and game cast.

[geekmug]

The movie had a secret weapon in the form of a career-defining central turn from Johnny Depp as the feckless antihero Captain Jack Sparrow, a role Disney studio originally hated. But there wasn't a weak link in the large cast, the romantic subplot was more moving than perfunctory, the scary scenes packed a real punch, and the plot was agreeably twisty and unpredictable for a summer blockbuster. So what went wrong with the film's string of increasingly weak sequels?

[marktaylor142]

Part of what made the first film such a delightful surprise upon its release was the surprisingly high stakes of its story and the genuinely threatening villains. From the opening scene onwards The Curse of the Black Pearl is filled with legitimately scary scenes, and audiences unfamiliar with Jack Sparrow spent most of their first viewing certain he wouldn't survive until the credits. Some still argue that killing off Jack Sparrow is the only way to reestablish meaningful stakes in the series, as from his first appearance in Dead Man's Chest it was clear that Jack was an indestructible cartoon character who could be tossed down a ravine without the incident leaving a scratch on him. This change resulted in a sequel where the stakes were non-existent, lightening the movie's tone way too much. Even the first film's dark and foreboding night-time cave settings were replaced by sun-bleached desert islands straight out of a Tex Avery cartoon. more

[russ]

The East India Trading Company's attempts to play various parties off one another resulted in a string of double and triple crosses that were less clever and more needlessly complex. Even outside of their involvement, the plot already had three conflicting villains to deal with by the first sequel alone, with the disgraced Norrington, the undead Barbossa, and the octopus-faced monster Davy Jones all vying for screen time. The second sequel brought in a set of Pirate Lords (including Keith Richards as Jack Sparrow Senior, bizarrely), and inevitably added more cooks to this by-now thoroughly spoiled broth. Even if the East India Trading Company's contributions to the narrative were disregarded entirely, nine Pirate Lords, two love stories, two antagonists, and an undead army are too much for one story

[adv]

The real-life institution's impending destruction of the pirate world marks the arrival of modernity in this old world setting and, though the series always hinted that it would come to a close with the end of the piracy era (later tacked-on sequels notwithstanding), multiple lengthy scenes of characters discussing the particulars of maritime law do not an exciting Pirates sequel make. Between the gloomy, grey-dominated visual palette of this third installment, numerous surprisingly bleak characters deaths, and an unexpectedly poignant ending which left none of the characters happy, this third film dipped into territory which was simply too sad and self-serious for a series originally adapted from a theme park ride. So it's no wonder Will and Elizabeth didn't return for Pirates 4 after their shared storyline came to a brutal close in this film's grim final scenes. Fans were confounded by a complicated plot that dragged the film out to a whopping 168-minute runtime, as well as Will and Elizabeth being left apart at their story's unexpectedly tragic end.

[yturroiepe]

See production, box office & company info

[bitboy]

Behind external beauty, a good game of actors hides a famously twisted, dynamic and very clever plot.

[cardinalshark]

Elizabeth Swann: There will come a time when you have a chance to do the right thing. more

[fellowtraveler]

Better than anyone can manipulate the moves of Jack Sparrow. He is very sensitive to the nerve of conversation, instantly assesses the situation and gives a decent response to any "gifts" of fate. From the first viewing it is difficult to realize how profound the film is. [links]

[edgeleyx]

Will wants Jack so he can escape the gallows. He also wants the heart to free his dad’s soul. Jack wants Will in order to settle a debt with Jones. Jones wants Jack, whose time of scheming as a living swindler is up. Lord Beckett wants Jack and the compass, which ultimately leads to the chest. Elizabeth’s ex-fiancé, Commodore Norrington, wants revenge on Jack and hopes to earn the approval of Lord Beckett. And Elizabeth just wants to be married—or so it seems. Whew! Talk about your tangled and mangled treasure hunt.

[andyc]

A dim-witted pirate is mocked for his attempt at turning toward Christianity (albeit a garbled version of it). He credits “divine providence” for his release from jail and for his friend’s intelligence. However, when that comrade points out that the Bible-toting pirate can’t actually read, the simpleton reasons, “It’s the Bible—you get credit for trying.” At various times during the rest of the movie, the duo and others make cross signs and refer to stealing a ship as “saving souls.” Crosses are shown at a few gravesites.

[copsewood]

Johnny Depp still shines as one of Hollywood’s most memorable characters in recent years. And Dead Man’s Chest even includes some Christ-like themes of self-sacrifice. But those plusses are hard to appreciate when you’re checking your watch only an hour into this surprisingly plodding, convoluted story that’s basically a string of loosely connected mini-adventures.

[magxakic12]

Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner were the lead couple in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and here's how old they were through the film series.

[bijenu]

The franchise began in 2003 with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which introduced the characters that would lead the rest of the movies, most notably Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). The movie also introduced Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), daughter of Governor Weatherby Swann and who is taken captive by Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), a blacksmith’s apprentice who was found clinging to a floating piece of a shipwreck by Elizabeth and her father when he was young. Pirates of the Caribbean had its dose of romance through these two characters, who were secretly in love for years and finally married some time later.

[astrid01]

The arc built through The Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man’s Chest continued in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, where Elizabeth and Will were around 21-22 years old. This movie also saw the unusual wedding of Will and Elizabeth, and a post-credits scene showed her and their son, Henry, standing atop a cliff searching the horizon for the Flying Dutchman. This scene is set ten years later, so Elizabeth (and Will too, though by then he was already the immortal captain of the Dutchman) was 31-32 years old.