WhileOn Stranger Tidesis hardly remembered as a high point for thePirates of the Caribbeanseries, the sequel did offer a perfect ending to one longstanding plot line. ThePirates of the Caribbeanmovies started strong, but soon cracks began to show in the franchise’s foundations. TheoriginalPirates of the Caribbeanmovie, 2003’sThe Curse of the Black Pearl, was a self-contained swashbuckler that followed Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swann on a straightforward adventure. There were double-crosses, deceits, and undead pirates, butThe Curse of the Black Pearlstill worked as a standalone story.
Pirates of the Caribbean: What Went Wrong With The Sequels
The first Pirates of the Caribbean movie was an instant action-adventure classic upon release, so where did the disappointing sequels go wrong?
Although 2003’s original movie balanced chills, thrills, and laughs perfectly, thePirates of the Caribbeansequels went wrongas soon as they expanded on this plot. 2006’sDead Man’s Chestwas overstuffed and unable to find a consistent tone, while 2007’sAt World’s Endwas far too downbeat and convoluted to match the playful atmosphere of the original movie. 2011’sOn Stranger Tideswas intended to be a fresh start without Will or Elizabeth, but its ballooning budget resulted in another needlessly complicated story. This makesPirates of the Caribbean 6’s delaysunsurprising.
Jack & Barbossa Fighting Over The Black Pearl Goes Back To The First Pirates Of The Caribbean Movie
Johnny Depp’s Pirates of the Caribbean Antihero Is Locked In Conflict With His Nemesis
On Stranger Tideswas mercifully better than 2017’s fifthPirates of the Caribbeanmovie,Dead Men Tell No Tales. However, the two outings did share the same central problem, namely their protagonist. Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow became thePirates of the Caribbeanfranchise’s official leading man when Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom left the franchise, and the same quirks that made him a likable supporting star soon began to grate.On Stranger TidesandDead Men Tell No Talesused the original movie’s villain, Barbossa, to fill in as Jack’s sidekick. Although imperfect, this choice did fix a longtime problem.
SinceThe Curse of the Black Pearl,Barbossa and Jack had been constantly fighting over who was the Black Pearl’s rightful captain. This feud led the pair to repeatedly make deals and double-cross each other, butthe plot ofOn Stranger Tidesfinally solved the problem when Barbossa got a boat of his own after defeating Blackbeard. Ian MacShane’s Blackbeard was one of the franchise’s more underrated antagonists and his ship, The Queen Anne’s Revenge, was easily as impressive a vessel as the Black Pearl. In the finale ofOn Stranger Tides, Barbossa becomes the ship’s new captain.
Barbossa Claiming The Queen Anne’s Revenge Makes It Seem Like His Fight For The Black Pearl Is Over
Barboss Won The Queen Anne’s Revenge In 2011’s On Stranger Tides
While Barbossa stating “Revenge is mine”’ might be a corny pun,the ending ofOn Stranger Tidesis a fitting fate for Geoffrey Rush’s character. Barbossa spent most of the first four movies in the franchise locked in a seemingly endless battle of wits with Jack, always willing to sell out his former friend when a more advantageous new collaborator came along. During this time, Barbossa claimed that all he really wanted was to captain a pirate ship of his own. The Queen Anne’s Revenge, thanks to Blackbeard and his legacy, is a famous and terrifying ship that he would logically choose.
The ending of the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie is a perfect place to wrap up Barbossa’s franchise story.
Barbossa would pick Blackbeard’s ship even if the Pearl was available to him, so the ending of the fourth movie is a perfect place to wrap up his franchise story. However, the series instead brought back Rush’s character forDead Men Tell No Tales. This reopened an old wound and resulted inPirates of the Caribbean’s weirdest plot holevia the introduction of Barbossa’s daughter Carina. Barbossa’s death at the end ofDead Men Tells No Taleswas intended to be tragic, but it instead feels like a superfluous extra adventure tacked on to his earlier, superior ending.
Barbossa’s On Stranger Tides Ending Is Undone In The Next Pirates of the Caribbean Movie
SinceDead Men Tells No Talesneeded an excuse to bring back the character,Barbossa seemingly forgets about the events ofOn Stranger Tidesin the next sequel. When viewers next see him, Barbossa acts as if he still has a claim to the Black Pearl. This reignites Barbossa’s feud with Jack for the umpteenth time, but it only makes sense if viewers missed the last movie.
Dead Men Tells No Tales seemingly hoped that viewers won’t notice this discrepancy.
Since the events ofthe entirePirates of the Caribbeanseriesare admittedly pretty byzantine,Dead Men Tells No Talesseemingly hope that viewers won’t notice this discrepancy. However, it is frustrating to see Barbossa miss out on his lifetime goal upon a re-watch. For all of its flaws,On Stranger Tidesgave this repetitivePirates of the Caribbeanstoryline a fitting ending until the next movie came along and undid it.
