Ahoy there Buccaneers! Seeing as it’s Talk Like A Pirate Day, JOE decided to pick our favourite ever Pirate movies, all with thanks to our good friends over at Captain Morgan.
Now, we’re in no way encouraging the practice of movie piracy (wahey!) but, if you haven’t seen these films yet, then sit yourself down, grab a barrel of popcorn and a flagon of rum, and enjoy our favourite swashbuckling treats starring some of our saltiest cinematic seafarers and meanest movie marauders.
“But matey,” we hear you ask, “why are these particular films your favourites?”
Well, because they ARRRRR.
Ha. Another great Pirate joke there.
The Princess Bride (1987)
Before he was busy trying to escape the clutches of the psychotic Jigsaw in Saw, Cary Elwes was winning hearts and swordfights alike with his portrayal of the Dread Pirate Roberts AKA Westley AKA The Man In Black in the brilliant 80s film, The Princess Bride.
Have a look at one of the film’s finest moments – Dread Pirate Roberts’ super swordfight with Inigo Montoya atop the Cliffs Of Insanity:
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003)
Although the latter films in this particular series went completely batshit crazy, and all of them unecessarily lasted for about four and a half days long each, the initial installment – The Curse Of The Black Pearl – was actually a completely fresh, enjoyable and funny action comedy pirate adventure. Now there’s a niche genre.
Bizarrely based on a Disney theme park ride (and owing a LOT to the excellent Monkey Island game series) the first Pirates film received universal acclaim from critics and audiences alike, primarily due to Johnny Depp’s iconic and Keith Richards-inspired portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow:
The Goonies (1985)
You didn’t expect us to leave out the legendary film pirate One-Eyed Willie did you? Not with a name like that anyway.
If The Goonies wasn’t staple viewing when you were growing up then, and we’re sorry to have to tell you this, but you had a deprived childhood. One of cinema’s greatest adventure comedies of all time, this Steven Spielberg-produced classic followed Mikey, Mouth, Data, Brand, Andy, Stef, and Iain Dowie Sloth as they followed One-Eyed Willie’s old map in the search for his long-lost Pirate treasure.
And, don’t worry, of course we didn’t forget about the incomparable Chunk:
The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists! (2012)
This excellent and fun stop-motion adventure comedy was made by Aardman Animations, the geniuses behind the Wallace and Gromit films, and tells the story of Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) and his crew of amateur pirates in their attempt to win the Pirate of the Year competition. Here they are attempting to board a rival ship in true Pirate style:
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
OK, OK. So it’s not technically a Pirate film per se, but it is a crackin’ comedy and Alan Tudyk does a brilliant job of going (Dodge)balls deep when portraying one of the funniest onscreen pirates, the expertly and obviously named, Steve the Pirate.
Well, he’d no choice in his career if that’s what his parents decided to call him:
The CAPTAIN MORGAN words and associated logos are trade marks. © Diageo Ireland 2013.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
