5 Best Pirate Movies Nobody Talks About Anymore

When you think about pirate movies today, your mind almost immediately wanders to the best and worst "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, which have admittedly dominated the scene in recent years. Outside Captain Jack Sparrow's (Johnny Depp) antics, the next port of call might be something like "Cutthroat Island," Renny Harlin's infamous pirate adventure movie that almost ruined Geena Davis' career. 

But of course, there are far more pirate movies out there than those worth checking out. In fact, the genre's history is absolutely rife with impressive films that, for one reason or another, don't get the attention they deserve these days. Today, we will correct this — for a few movies, at least. The following pirate movies are all great representatives of the genre, despite lingering in relative obscurity nowadays. Let's take a look at five movies about pirates that you may have not seen, but absolutely should set sail to watch. 

Did you think that "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl" was the first Disney movie that tinkered with the idea of pirate ghosts? Yeah, no. The appearance of ghostly naval scoundrels might be one of the staples of every "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie, but such things have precedent. As early as 1968, this particular genre was having a moment. 

Enter "Blackbeard's Ghost," which combines small-town comedy stylings with ghostly pirate action. The movie's title is incredibly literal. When Steve Walker (Dean Jones) begins to coach sports in a coastal town, he gets tangled in all sorts of shady activities going on. Soon, he's on a quest to thwart the real estate development plans of the villainous Silky Seymour (Joby Baker) while trying to help his athletes. This, however, is just the start of his troubles, since he's soon accidentally bonded with the otherwise invisible ghost of Edward "Blackbeard" Teach (Peter Ustinov), whom poor Steve accidentally summons and starts to wreak all sorts of havoc. 

Though this may make "Blackbeard's Ghost" seem like a run-of-the-mill B-movie, the film is actually well worth your time, and Ustinov is a bombastic delight as Blackbeard. "Blackbeard's Ghost" has a 82% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a signifier of a great film — especially for a pirate ghost comedy.

Pirate movies and swashbuckling films have an inherent historical connection, and Tyrone Power and Maureen O'Hara star in a particularly great early example of both genres. The 1942 pirate adventure "The Black Swan" features Power as pirate Henry Morgan's (Laird Gregar) friend Jamie Waring, who gives up piracy at Morgan's behest. However, he ends up falling for governor Denby's (George Zucco) daughter, Lady Margaret Denby (O'Hara), whose shady fiancé is in cahoots with the pirates who are still in the game, led by the devious Captain Leech (George Sanders). In the events that follow, we see a power struggle between Morgan's reformed pirates and the dissidents involving a complex abduction plot that, inevitably, has a happy end for Jamie and Lady Margaret.

With a Tomatometer rating of 83%, "The Black Swan" is as classic as a classic pirate movie gets. Expect no massive surprises here — but if you're an appreciator of nostalgic old-school adventures on the seven seas, the film should absolutely go on your viewing list.

"The Pirates! Band of Misfits" is a comedic stop-motion animated movie from 2012 co-produced by Aardman Animations. As such, it has definite hints of Aardman's legendary "Wallace and Gromit" series, but its setting is obviously very different, and its tone is somewhat darker. Based on Gideon Defoe's book "The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!," it sees the Pirate Captain's (Hugh Grant) join forces with none other than Charles Darwin (David Tennant), with the last living dodo bird as a key MacGuffin and Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton) as the main antagonist. Yes, it's that kind of movie, and yes, it's awesome.

The movie knows what it is, and doesn't pretend to dabble with realism as it depicts the Pirate Captain's quest to win the Pirate of the Year competition. Its delightful setup is backed up by a voice cast for the ages. Apart from the aforementioned, expect to hear the vocal talents of Salma Hayek, Lenny Henry, Brendan Gleeson, and even the inimitable Brian Blessed. 

If a claymation pirate film allures your imagination — and it should, considering that the film got an Academy Award nomination for best animated feature — "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" is well worth checking out. The critics agree, and the movie enjoys a healthy 87% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Remember when we mentioned that swashbuckling movies and pirate adventure movies are inherently connected? Given that connection, it was only a matter of time before Errol Flynn turned up. 

Flynn is arguably the most famous swashbuckler of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and "The Sea Hawk" might just be his best role in this particular character archetype. Here, Flynn plays Geoffrey Thorpe, the captain of the Albatross and an infamous privateer. He becomes involved in a daring raid against a distant Spanish colony, performs an even more daring escape, and uncovers a traitor in Queen Elizabeth I's (Flora Robson) inner circle. In the swashbuckling tradition, he also charms the beautiful Doña María (Brenda Marshall), the niece of Ambassador Don Álvarez (Claude Rains).

Here, we have one of the movies that made the genre. The 1940 film is a blueprint of a pirate adventure, and continues to stand the test of time. Directed by Michael Curtiz, "The Sea Hawk" was nominated for four Academy Awards and boasts a magnificent 94% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes. As such, if you're in the market for an absolute pirate classic, you'll find what you seek in "The Sea Hawk."

If you thought that "The Sea Hawk" is as good as the swashbuckler pirate movies gets, that's because you haven't heard of 1952's "The Crimson Pirate" yet. One of the best pirate movies ever made, "The Crimson Pirate" stars Burt Lancaster as Captain Vallo, a very literal pirate from the Caribbean. After he raids a ship that carries Baron Gruda (Leslie Bradley), he strikes up a mercenary deal to locate and capture the rebel leader of a nearby island. However, a problem arises: Said leader, El Libre (Frederick Leister), has a beautiful daughter called Consuelo (Eva Bartok), who Vallo becomes infatuated with — well, after some initial clashing, anyway.

At the end of the day, things proceed as you might expect. Vallo and Consuela end up together, and the Baron is defeated, along with the oppressive local forces he's aligned with. However, what you may not see coming is how the deed is done. "The Crimson Pirate" is full of acrobatic chases, thrilling fights — and even some impressive gadgets, vehicles, and high tech weaponry, courtesy of a handy professor (James Hayter) who aids the rebels. This gives the movie's swashbuckling a delightfully absurd tone, and helps elevate "The Crimson Pirate" above others in the genre. How much higher, you ask? Think a full 100% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes.