The Pirates Of The Caribbean film series has spent endless amounts of money on the execution of the five movies that have hit the theaters. This is especially true when it comes to hiring some of the most acclaimed actors in the world, like Johnny Depp, who portrayed the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow character. However, because talent doesn't equal perfection, and an actor's performance is just part of a much bigger process, fans have been able to spot some very obvious continuity errors throughout the saga.
There's no doubt that the franchise is one of the most successful ever created, having grossed over $4.5 billion worldwide. Still, editing and writing mistakes were made and many viewers have scratched their heads when they see some of these most glaring continuity errors.
Orlando Bloom's Forgotten Tattoo
In the first movie, "The Curse Of The Black Pearl," Hollywood star Orlando shows off an inappropriate tattoo on his wrist, during a scene where he (Will Turner) is engaging in an acrobatic duel with Johnny Depp (Captain Jack).
In one of the shots, as he leans over to taunt Jack, a rather unusual tattoo is exposed. You can see the word "Nine" that is a tattoo he and his castmates had done as an homage to the time they worked on another very successful franchise - "The Lord Of The Rings".
A Clear Change Of Hands
This error is a classic one: a character uses one hand in one shot and the opposite in the next. When watching The Curse Of The Black Pearl," one can catch this error in a specific scene.
When Captain Jack is trying to put together a crew, he encounters a female enemy from the past and receives one of his traditional face slaps. After this heated moment, the woman (played by actress Zoe Saldana) is angry with Jack, pointing at him with her right hand. Everything would be fine if she didn't end up pointing at Sparrow with her left hand in the very next shot.
Half-Cocking a Pistol Isn't Scary
Fans might be disappointed to realize that an intimidating moment in which a character points a pistol at a foe in their favorite movie actually poses no real danger. And that is exactly the case here.
During On Stranger Tides, there's a scene that involves Captain Jack and Blackbeard as they battle as true pirates. As Jack finds himself with his back to a cliff and a gun in his face, a closer look reveals that Sparrow is actually safe since his enemy's pistol is only half-cocked. Consequently, the threatening dialogue that follows doesn't sound believable, as the gun wouldn't have been able to fire anyway if anyone would have squeezed that trigger.
Jack Sparrow Became A Pirate Captain At Different Times
Some opinions suggest that there is some inconsistency as far as the timing of when Captain Jack Sparrow became official. Proof of this is during a flashback scene in Dead Men Tell No Tales that shows an 18-year-old Jack Sparrow taking command of a caravel that caused the downfall of a Spanish pirate hunter. The surviving pirates then name Jack as their leader.
But according to his chronological appearance in "The Price Of Freedom" novel, when Jack is 20, he is an ordinary deckhand aboard Captain Teague's ship. Thus, fans are left wondering how this scene fits in the narrative, continuity wise, when it comes to the chronology of the story.
The Location Of The Fountain Of Youth
In At World's End, Jack Sparrow steals a map from Hector Barbossa with the aim to use it to find the renowned Fountain Of Youth.
Viewers can see that this map shows the route towards Florida and the Fountain's specific location is marked with an X. However, if one watches the following movie (the fourth one entitled On Stranger Tides,) this exact Fountain is said to be placed on an unnamed island (not Florida or anything similar to it). This is clearly not a well-thought out part of the writing and a very obvious continuity error.
Unexplained Characters Turned Into Ghost Pirates
The internet went above and beyond when the fifth movie in the franchise, Dead Men Tell No Tales, was released. Some consider it the least interesting in the series and an attempt to continue a saga that has increasingly lost its charm throughout its production.
Moreover, there are unexplained facts in the fifth movie that have left fans wondering about some plot holes. One of them is the appearance of Captain Salazar and his crew, who are turned into ghost pirates after their ship is wrecked. Though it's clear that this was caused by some sort of curse, it is never explained why this happened.
Jack's Compass Powers Were (Very) Inconsistent
Captain Jack's compass is definitely an iconic part of the franchise. Most people who have watched the movies know that this little object doesn't point North, but rather to the thing its holder wants most. But this has been far from consistent.
During Dead Men Tell No Tales, viewers learn that if someone "betrays" the compass, it releases that person's greatest fear. Yet, facts show that over the course of the series, Jack has given away or lost his compass several times without activating any curses. Naturally, this has upset fans, who expected a sense of continuity with the powerful meaning behind this supposed magical treasure.
Same Camera Angle, Different Details In One Scenario
In the first movie of the Pirates Of The Caribbean saga, The Curse Of The Black Pearl, people have exposed a continuity error in one scene where they are able to see a fort, a parapet and a line Jack used to slide down.
But in the next scene, during daylight and at the exact same camera angle, these elements are gone. It's not a disastrous failure, yet it is worth noting since it's simply wrong.
A Man Who Doesn't Belong On Jack's Boat
Fans have spotted another error that surely was due to distraction by the crew when filming or editing a specific scene of The Curse Of The Black Pearl movie.
Here, one can see someone who looks like a crew member right next to the other pirates. Not only is he wearing an out-of-place cowboy hat, but he also wears a white T-shirt, which makes him look modern and completely out of context in the 1700's time period The Pirates Of The Caribbean film series is set. This detail has been widely discussed on the web and has left people wondering how could such a distracting mistake not be corrected.
Hector Barbossa's Teeth Change
Captain Hector Barbossa had his share of continuity errors, too, especially in The Curse Of The Black Pearl. A brilliant character, portrayed by Australian actor Geoffrey Rush, he is definitely one of the strongest in the entire saga.
He is master of his own fate and considered "the ultimate survivor" throughout the film series. However, he was not a master at keeping his teeth looking consistent. There were shots where his teeth go from presentable to filthy - seemingly out of nowhere. The make-up artist responsible for Geoffrey's character might have forgotten to check the actor's teeth at all times.