Every Pirates of the Caribbean Ripoff Disney Has Made, Ranked

by

In 2003, few predicted that Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl would be a success. It was a lengthy, expensive movie based on a short theme park ride, starring Johnny Depp – then best known for his work with Tim Burton – in a role that seemed inspired by Keith Richards. Despite these factors, the film became a hit thanks to Depp’s outstanding performance, its embrace of classic ghost story tropes, imaginative world-building, and exciting sense of adventure. While the sequels, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, earned even more money at the box office, critics weren’t as impressed at the time (though they’ve gained appreciation as fun, grand adventures).

The Pirates of the Caribbean films received increasingly negative reviews, and while On Stranger Tides was a box office success, Dead Men Tell No Tales signaled the series had lost its appeal. The question is, why did Disney keep making these movies after the original trilogy? Primarily, Pirates of the Caribbean was a dependable brand. Also, Disney’s efforts to create another equally profitable franchise didn’t go well. However, are all five of the later films equally bad?

5) Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

The main character in the 2003 game Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (whose remake was unfortunately cancelled) was intended to be Persian, but many criticized the game for portraying him with Western features. Despite this, the character was still meant to represent Persian heritage. The 2010 movie version, featuring a character named Dastan, depicts him as a street kid in Persia, making his specific ethnicity unclear. Ultimately, the movie feels like a case of whitewashing, which leaves a negative impression.

This movie doesn’t quite suit Jake Gyllenhaal’s talents. While he can certainly play an action hero, this role feels too lighthearted and goofy. He was much stronger in more thoughtful action films like Source Code, which came out around the same time. Overall, Prince of Persia was a strange attempt to recapture the success of Pirates of the Caribbean. The time-reversing ability and the use of dwindling sand are interesting concepts, but they’re the only truly captivating parts of the film.

Stream Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time on Disney+.

4) Tomorrowland

Unlike Tomorrowland, Prince of Persia is genuinely entertaining. While Tomorrowland can be a bit of a slow watch, it’s clear the filmmakers had big ideas.

While Tomorrowland is the most visually impressive film on this list, its story is unfortunately quite forgettable. This means the movie’s important messages – which it delivers often – don’t really stick with you. George Clooney is well-cast as a frustrated inventor hoping to improve the world, but even he appears to recognize the story isn’t as captivating as it needs to be. It’s easy to see why the film didn’t perform well with audiences when it was released in Summer 2015.

Stream Tomorrowland on Disney+.

3) The Lone Ranger

The movie The Lone Ranger struggles to maintain a consistent pace because of an awkward storytelling technique. While this technique is used effectively a couple of times – for example, to reveal surprising details like a bridge rigged with explosives – it mostly just makes the film feel unnecessarily long.

The movie The Lone Ranger feels unnecessarily long for the story it tells. The core of the plot – Tonto’s childhood trauma, the Lone Ranger avenging his brother, and the pair’s strained relationship – doesn’t justify its two-and-a-half-hour runtime. Critics pointed out similar issues with the length of the Pirates films, but those movies had a much more complex plot. Despite its flaws, The Lone Ranger might actually be a bit underrated.

2) John Carter

John Carter aimed to capture the magic of the Pirates films, but it actually feels more like Star Wars. Interestingly, the books by Edgar Rice Burroughs that inspired the movie also influenced George Lucas and the creation of Star Wars. Ironically, just seven months after John Carter’s disappointing performance in theaters, Disney acquired the rights to Star Wars.

It’s funny, really. I went to see John Carter knowing it was based on the books that sparked a much more famous series, but it came out after that series was already huge on the big screen. Because of that, it just felt…like a copy, even though it was still a pretty fun and lighthearted movie. I’d give it about two and a half stars – it’s not amazing, but definitely not the worst way to spend an evening.

Stream John Carter on Disney+.

1) Jungle Cruise

While The Lone Ranger featured stars like Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski, Jungle Cruise feels more like the classic Pirates of the Caribbean films. However, it’s not quite as strong, reaching about 60% of the quality seen in Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End.

I think it feels the most like Pirates of the Caribbean because, like that movie, it’s based on a Disney ride – and it really feels that way, which Tomorrowland didn’t quite manage. Plus, it’s got that fun, adventurous, action-comedy vibe, our heroes spend a lot of time on a boat, and there’s a great duo of villains – one totally human, and one a bit… otherworldly. But honestly, what really makes the movie work isn’t any of that stuff, it’s the amazing chemistry between Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. They just bounce off each other so well!

Stream Jungle Cruise on Disney+.

Out of these movies trying to capture the magic of Pirates of the Caribbean, which one do you like best? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/original-pirates-of-the-caribbean-director-breaks-silence-on-disneys-reboot/embed/#

Read More

2026-03-11 21:13