Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
An intrepid blacksmith teams up with an eccentric pirate captain to save his love from an undead pirate crew.
Directed by Gore Verbinski · Action · Adventure · Fantasy · 143 min · 2003
Trailer
Director
Gore Verbinski
Studio
N/A
Release
09 Jul 2003
Runtime
143 min
Genres
Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Full Plot
This swash-buckling tale follows the quest of Captain Jack Sparrow, a savvy pirate, and Will Turner, a resourceful blacksmith, as they search for Elizabeth Swann. Elizabeth, the daughter of the governor and the love of Will's life, has been kidnapped by the feared Captain Barbossa. Little do they know, but the fierce and clever Barbossa has been cursed. He, along with his large crew, are under an ancient curse, doomed for eternity to neither live, nor die. That is, unless a blood sacrifice is made.
Cast & Characters
Captain Jack Sparrow: A notorious pirate characterized by his slightly drunken swagger, slurred speech and flailing hand gestures. He is determined to reacquire the Black Pearl.
Johnny Depp
Captain Barbossa: The captain of the Black Pearl. He was Jack's first mate before he led a mutiny. Barbossa and his crew stole cursed Aztec gold and became immortal zombies.
Geoffrey Rush
Will Turner: A blacksmith's apprentice working in Port Royal who is in love with Elizabeth Swann. Will struggles with the fact that his father was a pirate.
Orlando Bloom
Elizabeth Swann: The daughter of Governor Weatherby Swann. She has been fascinated with pirates since childhood and is in love with Will.
Keira Knightley
young Elizabeth Swann
Lucinda Dryzek
Norrington: An officer in the Royal Navy who seeks to marry Elizabeth.
Jack Davenport
Joshamee Gibbs: Jack's loyal first mate who once served in the Royal Navy.
Kevin R. McNally
Anamaria: A pirate who wants to confront Jack for stealing her ship. One of the film's screenwriters, Terry Rossio, stated that the name "AnaMaria" was chosen because it is the middle name of his daughter.
Zoe Saldaña
Governor Weatherby Swann: The father of Elizabeth and the governor of Port Royal.
Jonathan Pryce
Koehler: A lieutenant in Barbossa's cursed crew who is killed by Norrington.
Treva Etienne
Cotton: A member of Jack's crew. His parrot talks for him because his tongue was cut out.
David Bailie
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $140.0M, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl has grossed $655.0M worldwide — about 4.7x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is part of TMDb's "Pirates of the Caribbean Collection."
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Before its release, many journalists expected Pirates of the Caribbean would be a box-office bomb.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Critical Assessment
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (1,323,403 votes), 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, 63/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of July 30, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.1/10 on IMDb (1,323,403 votes), 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, 63/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl holds a 79% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl's IMDb rating?+
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl has a 8.1/10 rating on IMDb from 1,323,403 votes.
What is Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl's Metacritic score?+
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl has a Metascore of 63/100 on Metacritic.
Is Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl good? What are critics saying?+
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (1,323,403 votes), 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, 63/100 on Metacritic.
How long is Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl?+
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl has a runtime of 143 min.
Who directed Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl?+
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was directed by Gore Verbinski.
Where can I watch Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl?+
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is available to stream, rent, or buy on Disney Plus, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Rakuten TV, Sky Store, JioHotstar.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The general reaction to the movie's summary is positive, with several reviewers expressing admiration for Johnny Depp's portrayal as Captain Jack Sparrow and Keira Knightley's performance as Elizabeth Swann. A few reviewers highlighted the first film's success, praising it as a standout in the series. One reviewer stated that none of the other movies have matched the quality of the original. Additionally, several reviewers praised the movie for its engaging plot and well-developed characters, with one reviewer calling the second installment "a classic" while another described it as a perfect storm of good weather and great pirates of the Caribbean content.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
Ah, but you have heard of me. The crew of the Black Pearl are cursed by something most unimaginable, the only way to lift the curse is to return a lost Aztec coin to its treasure chest home. In the way of them achieving their goal is the British Governor's daughter, the son of Bo…
John Chard · 9/10My favorite out of the series. In my opinion none of them has been as good as the first. Him just trying to get his ship back the Black Pearl.
Andre Gonzales · 10/10Having been deposed by his crew, "Capt. Jack Sparrow" (Johnny Depp) arrives in Port Royal with little but the clothes he stands up in. He turns up just as the governor's daughter "Elizabeth" (Keira Knightley) is having to fend off the rather unwanted matrimonial intentions of "No…
CinemaSerf · 7/10A classic. Currently rewatching the series during a hurricane, perfect Pirates of the Caribbean weather. > (5/5, originally reviewed 8/7/24)
honeybee <3 · 10/10
