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The question is, if you’ve gone through all of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and are in the mood for more, what should you go for? While the jump to Cutthroat Island or Pirates with Walter Matthau might scratch that itch, the following movies capture that specific Pirates vibe even better than those fellow, well, Pirates movies.
5) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
When it comes to adventurous heroes who narrowly avoid death countless times, there’s no one better than Indiana Jones. And, of all the Indy movies, the one that most closely aligns with Pirates is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
As Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales proved, Jack Sparrow is at his best when he’s not the core of a narrative, but rather part of a trio. Indy does work as the core, but Last Crusade showed he could be just as great when paired with another individual outside of someone who is his love interest. Like his father (plus, we also get to meet Jack’s father in At World’s End).
Stream Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade on Prime Video.
4) The Mask of Zorro
If you’re looking for an outlaw clashing swords with men in uniforms, which is a presence in all of the Pirates movies (especially Dead Man’s Chest), you’ll want to watch The Mask of Zorro next. It’s a movie that made money in the ’90s but since seems to have been forgotten for such a big movie.
And it’s a shame because it’s a lot of fun, with enthused performances by Antonio Banderas and Anthony Hopkins and a pair of well-drawn main villains who warrant the audience’s hate. And, as far as sword fights go, there are several here that make one think of Jack Sparrow clashing with Will Turner in Curse of the Black Pearl.
3) The Mummy
It’s really not all that often that an actor is nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for their role in an action-focused, fast-paced blockbuster, but that was exactly the case for Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. And there are plenty of ’90s kids who would argue that Brendan Fraser deserved the same thing for his work in The Mummy.
Like with Jack Sparrow, Rick O’Connell capitalized on Fraser’s comedic timing just as much as it did his ability to convincingly sell an action sequence. The Mummy also builds a world where the threats seem fantastic yet real to its cinematic world. Toss in the fact that a curse is present in both the first Pirates movie and The Mummy and the throughline is clear. Will the upcoming legacy sequel keep the magic alive? Here’s hoping.
