1. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Film number: 1
Director: Gore Verbinski
It was love at first sight when Captain Jack Sparrow stepped off the mast of a sinking boat at Port Royal to commandeer a ship. A dastardly pirate who has his heart in the right place, sometimes, Johnny Depp was iconic in the role. But the “savvy” Jack Sparrow was just one of the reasons why the first film remains the best till date. Geoffrey Rush’s Captain Barbossa gave Jack a run for his money. The mutinuos first mate to Sparrow and the present owner of the cursed titular ship is the best villain the series has thrown up. A fiesty Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swan, who does more than play the damsel in distress, was an added bonus. 

The film hit the perfect note between humour, ridiculousness, adventure, thrills and chills. We will always be glad that the film gave us Jack Sparrow.

Best moments: There are just too many but we can narrow it down to four — Jack Sparrow commandeering the Interceptor with Will Turner (Orlando Bloom); Barbossa’s “better believe in ghost stories Miss Turner, you are in one” scene; Sparrow’s “why is all the rum gone” moment when Elizabeth burns it all to create a signal; and definitely his last goodbye — “This is the day you will always remember as the day that you almost caught....”

2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s revenge

Film number: 5
Director: Joachim Ronning, Espen Sandberg
After one very unsatisfying film and another disaster, Salazar’s Revenge (also known as Dead Men Tell No Tales) was a welcome return to the franchise we fell in love with. Newcomers Brenton Thwaites as Henry Turner (Will and Elizabeth’s son) and Kaya Scodelario as Carina Smyth bring a breath of fresh air to the franchise and provide a nice balance to the outrageous, and now predictable Sparrowisms, which seem far more bearable because there is more to the film than that. Javier Bardem makes for an okay villain. The film, which sees Henry join hands with Carina and Jack to find the Trident of Poseidon to free his father from the Flying Dutchman, is fun, has some great shots and reclaims some of the thrills and chills of the first. But it loses out in the novelty factor. You almost always know what’s going to happen and that’s a bummer. Oh, and it is even more difficult to understand what Johnny Depp says.

Best moments: Definitely not the bank robbery. People scoffed at the bank vault scene in Fast Five, well they should watch an entire bank being dragged by horses if they are looking for ridiculous! Best scenes involve Salazar’s ship which does incredible things in order to crush other ships. Also, Jack and Carina’s escape from the guillotine and noose is fun in the old-school Pirates way. 

3. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

Film number: 2
Director: Gore Verbinski
Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) is my second favourite villain of the series and it is his heart that Jack, Will and Lord Cutler Beckett are after in this film. Why? Jack to end the 100-year service he had promised to Jones, Will to free his father, and Beckett to take command over Jones and the sea. There is a lot more of Jack Sparrow’s shenanigans in this film but they are still fresh and funny. You feel invested in the story of Will and, in one instance, emotional about Jack.

Best moment: The Kraken and the Black Pearl sequence but more importantly Jack facing the monster with a “Hello beastie” before being dragged under the sea along with the ship, that caps the scene.

4. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

Film number: 3
Director: Gore Verbinski
There is a little too much of Jack Sparrow in the film and it starts to wear thin. In fact there are some scenes in which there are multiple Jack Sparrows and they are almost insufferable. Also by now there is almost no method to the madness with secret Pirate Lords’ societies, power-hungry Cutler, Calypso’s madness, Flying Dutchman’s curse... all mix together into a mess.
Best moment: The fight between the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman.

5. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Film number: 4
Director: Rob Marshall
This is the film that most fans have either chosen to forget or had given up on the franchise after. The worst film of the lot focuses entirely on Jack Sparrow and his quest for the Fountain of Youth. Apart from Sparrow overdose, there are mermaids, zombies and Penelope Cruz who tries hard to be a pirate but doesn’t come even close to Keira Knightley. There is Ian McShane! But so much theatrics.
Best moment: None. Zilch. Nada. Okay, may be Sam Claflin, and he was hardly there.

Chandreyee Chatterjee
Which is your favourite Pirates of the Caribbean film? Tell t2@abp.in