Let’s be real for a second. If you look up the rating of Pirates of the Caribbean on any major review aggregator, you’re going to see a slow, painful slide into Davy Jones’ Locker. It starts at a glorious 79% on the Tomatometer for the first film and ends up in the murky 30% range by the time we hit the fifth installment. It’s a tragedy, right?
Well, maybe not.
There is a massive gap between what the "experts" say and what people actually enjoy when they sit down with a bucket of popcorn. Critics started hating Jack Sparrow right around the time the rest of the world decided he was the coolest thing to happen to cinema in decades. If you’re trying to figure out which movie to rewatch or whether the franchise actually "fell off," looking at a single number won't tell you the whole story.
The Curse of the First Movie
The 2003 original, The Curse of the Black Pearl, is basically a perfect blockbuster. It’s got an 8.1 on IMDb with over a million votes. That’s huge. It’s rare for a movie based on a theme park ride to not only work but to redefine an entire genre.
Why did it work? It wasn't just Johnny Depp’s kohl-lined eyes. It was the stakes. Jack Sparrow was a supporting character—a wild card—while the story centered on the very real, very grounded stakes of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. Plus, it was scary. The moonlight skeleton transformations were genuine Gothic horror.
Critics loved it because it was a surprise. But then, the sequels happened.
When the Rating of Pirates of the Caribbean Started to Sink
By the time Dead Man’s Chest arrived in 2006, the critical consensus dropped to 53%. You’d think the movie was a disaster. But look at the box office: $1.06 billion. Audiences didn't care that the plot was "bloated" or that Gore Verbinski was leaning into "weirdness." They loved the Kraken. They loved Bill Nighy’s Davy Jones—which, honestly, still features some of the best CGI ever put to film.
At World's End (2007) took the "bloat" and turned it up to eleven. It sits at a 43% critic rating.
Is it long? Yes. 168 minutes is a lot of pirate politics.
Is it confusing? Kinda.
But the maelstrom battle at the end is a feat of filmmaking that modern Marvel movies can only dream of.
The Post-Trilogy Slump
Things got weird with On Stranger Tides. This is where the rating of Pirates of the Caribbean truly hits the rocks.
- Critics: 32%
- Fans: Mixed, but it still made a billion dollars.
- The Problem: We lost the heart. No Will. No Elizabeth. Just Jack Sparrow wandering through a plot about mermaids and Spanish missionaries.
The fifth film, Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), tried to fix this by bringing back the "legacy" feel. It’s got a 30% critic rating, which feels a bit harsh given it’s arguably more fun than the fourth one. Javier Bardem’s Captain Salazar is a terrifying visual, even if the script makes Jack Sparrow feel more like a bumbling drunk than a clever fox.
Why the Disconnect Matters
If you’re checking the rating of Pirates of the Caribbean to decide if the movies are worth your time, you have to ignore the critics to some extent. The "Rotten" scores often reflect a fatigue with the "Jack Sparrow Show" rather than the quality of the adventure.
Most fans will tell you the first three films are a masterclass in world-building. Even the later ones, while flawed, offer a level of production value—real ships, real water, incredible costumes—that is becoming extinct in the era of "Volume" filming and flat lighting.
The Future: Pirates 6 and the 2026 Outlook
As of early 2026, the franchise is in a weird spot. Disney has been juggling two different scripts for Pirates 6. One is a "reboot" (potentially the one Margot Robbie was attached to), and the other is a more traditional sequel.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has hinted that he wants Johnny Depp back. Whether that happens or not is the billion-dollar question. Fans have made it clear: no Jack, no interest. If a sixth movie drops without the iconic Captain, expect the audience rating of Pirates of the Caribbean to finally match those low critical scores.
How to Rank Them for a Rewatch
Don't just go by the numbers. If you’re planning a marathon, here is the "honest" way to look at the quality:
- The Masterpiece: The Curse of the Black Pearl. No notes. Watch it once a year.
- The Epic Middle: Dead Man's Chest and At World's End. Treat them as one long, five-hour movie. They are visually stunning and deeply weird.
- The "If You're Bored": Dead Men Tell No Tales. It’s got some of the original magic, even if it's a bit of a "greatest hits" album.
- The Completionist Only: On Stranger Tides. It's not bad, it’s just... there.
Practical Next Steps
If you want to dive back into the Caribbean, start by checking Disney+. All five films are there in 4K. Pay attention to the practical effects in the first three—it's wild how much better the 2006 Davy Jones looks compared to villains in movies that came out last year.
Stop worrying about the Rotten Tomatoes score. The rating of Pirates of the Caribbean is a battle between people who want "tight scripts" and people who want to see a pirate ship fight a giant squid in a whirlpool. Pick a side and enjoy the ride.