There are certain movies that you just know will become big hits and spawn multiple sequels to become a massive franchise. However, not many people expected that from Pirates of the Caribbean. Like 2021's Jungle Cruise, the inaugural film in this series is simply based on a Disney theme park ride, which didn't lend itself to being a blockbuster.
Pirates of the Caribbean proved to do the unexpected, with the first movie being so successful that two sequels were greenlit. Both went on to surpass $1 billion at the box office, as did the eventual fourth film. As is often the case though, the quality of these movies fluctuated, leading to mixed ratings on IMDb. All of these films can be streamed on Disney+.
Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) - 6.5
Although the fourth film made a lot of money, it was also the most expensive ever produced. That made it difficult to consider greenlighting a fifth entry, which might be why it took six years for a new one. Dead Men Tell No Tales had a lot going for it on the surface with the return of Captain Barbossa, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swann, as well as Javier Bardem as a new villain, Captain Salazar.
It also helped that the movie dove into Jack Sparrow's past in a way that hadn't been seen yet. New characters like Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites) and Carina Smyth Barbossa (Kaya Scodelario) were met with mixed responses and some found the formula of the franchise to be tired by this point. Still, it did well commercially and a sixth film is reportedly on the way.
Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) - 6.6
A lot of fans viewed the franchise as a trilogy that concluded in 2007. Of course, due to its popularity, a fourth entry was released in On Stranger Tides. The majority of the original cast didn't return, with the main selling point being that you get to simply see Johnny Depp have a blast as Captain Jack Sparrow once more.
The story saw Jack team with an old flame, Angelica (Penélope Cruz), to go after the fabled Fountain of Youth, only to be combated by her father, the notorious villain Blackbeard. Most audiences seemed to like Jack's storyline but the romantic subplot involving one of Blackbeard's prisoners and a mermaid was seen as less favorable.
Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End (2007) - 7.1
This was meant to be the original conclusion to the story, bringing together every element introduced in the first two films for one epic finale. In a lot of ways, At World's End delivered that in spades, with the final battle sequence taking up the third act and nearly an hour of the runtime. The film clearly used its massive budget well.
The main thing holding it back was that it might've tried to do too much, introducing major aspects like Calypso, pirate kings, and the "nine pieces of eight" too late to feel effective. Still, fans appreciated seeing Jack, Will, Barbossa, Elizabeth, and the other heroes topple Davy Jones, Beckett, and the rest of the villains.
Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) - 7.3
Initially, the first film was meant to work as a standalone project but its success allowed the story to expand and Dead Man's Chest was the first step in that. Some critics were harsh on this but it did a ton for the rest of the series by introducing some of the franchise's most important and interesting characters.
Characters like Cutler Beckett, Bootstrap Bill Turner, Tia Dalma, and Davy Jones all made their debuts in this movie, really helping to flesh out the world. The love story between Will and Elizabeth was as engaging as ever, while the tease of Elizabeth being with Jack only added to it all. Throw in the introduction of the Kraken and this was a sequel that lived up to the hype.
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003) - 8.0
Sometimes, it's hard to top the original and that seems to be the case here. The Curse of the Black Pearl got the franchise started and was just a fantastic standalone adventure. There were no attempts to set up a larger world going forward as it was simply a pirate teaming with a blacksmith to take down villains for their own individual reasons.
Will wanted to save Elizabeth, while Jack wanted to get his precious Black Pearl back from Barbossa and the cursed pirates who marooned him years prior. The success here helped make Johnny Depp into a box office star and he earned an Academy Award nomination for his now-iconic turn as Captain Jack Sparrow.