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Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Prepare to be blown out of the water.

Release:2003
Runtime:2h 23m
Country:United States
Director:Gore Verbinski
Language:English

Genre

ActionAdventureFantasy
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Keywords

BlacksmithGoldExotic IslandGovernorSkeletonJamaicaBritish EmpirePirate
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Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb8.1/10· 1.3M votes
Rotten Tomatoes79%
Metacritic63%
TMDb7.824/10· 22K votes

With 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 8.1/10 on IMDb and 63/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been positive.

About Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

When wily pirate Captain Barbossa seizes Jack Sparrow’s beloved ship, the Black Pearl, and kidnaps the governor’s daughter, Elizabeth Swann, blacksmith Will Turner reluctantly teams up with the unpredictable pirate Jack to rescue her—only to uncover a terrifying curse that turns Barbossa’s crew into the undead.

Cast of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

  • Johnny Depp

    Johnny Depp

    as Jack Sparrow

  • Geoffrey Rush

    Geoffrey Rush

    as Barbossa

  • Orlando Bloom

    Orlando Bloom

    as Will Turner

  • Keira Knightley

    Keira Knightley

    as Elizabeth Swann

  • Jack Davenport

    Jack Davenport

    as Norrington

  • Jonathan Pryce

    Jonathan Pryce

    as Governor Weatherby Swann

  • Lee Arenberg

    Lee Arenberg

    as Pintel

  • Mackenzie Crook

    Mackenzie Crook

    as Ragetti

  • Damian O'Hare

    Damian O'Hare

    as Lt. Gillette

  • Giles New

    Giles New

    as Murtogg

  • Angus Barnett

    Angus Barnett

    as Mullroy

  • David Bailie

    David Bailie

    as Cotton

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl facts

Budget
$140M
Box office
$655M
Collection
Pirates of the Caribbean Collection

Our take on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Gore Verbinski's 2003 swashbuckler sends blacksmith Will Turner into unlikely alliance with the erratic Captain Jack Sparrow after the ruthless Barbossa steals Jack's ship, the Black Pearl, and abducts the governor's daughter Elizabeth Swann. Their rescue mission uncovers a curse that has turned Barbossa's crew into the undead. Blending action, adventure and fantasy, it revives the seafaring epic with supernatural menace and a wink, anchored by an unpredictable rogue at its center. It's the kind of big, playful studio spectacle that works for a wide audience, families included, favoring momentum and charm over grit. Ideal if you want breezy high-seas escapism with a fantastical twist and plenty of movement.

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026MethodologyData sources

Audience opinions

What the audience liked

  • •Gore Verbinski brings brisk energy to theme park ride adaptation
  • •Eighteenth century adventure sparkles with swashbuckling spectacle charm
  • •High IMDB rating reflects audience enthusiasm for blockbuster entertainment

What the audience disliked

  • •Formulaic adventure structure follows predictable treasure quest beats
  • •Lower meta score suggests critics found narrative occasionally generic
Saga: Pirates of the Caribbean Collection

Trailer

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