20 Greatest Movie Blockbusters Of The 21st Century (So Far)

Now, we almost wanted to spotlight this flick’s second sequel, At World’s End, solely because the 2007 effort is so sorely underrated and offers a surprisingly poignant ending to an otherwise light-hearted series. But then we remembered the sequels which came after it and decided the self-contained success of the first flick was our best bet.

The film which introduced us to Johnny Depp’s most iconic onscreen creation, this swashbuckling adventure is one of the most purely fun, inescapably rousing flicks to hit cinemas in decades—no angst, no theatrical self-seriousness, just some superb thrills, constant laughs, and even a few chills here and there.

The franchise may have fallen victim to serious inconsistency since, but the Black Pearls’ first outing remains a masterclass in blockbuster perfection.