Summary
Black Sails
offers a more realistic and historically accurate depiction of the Golden Age of Piracy, unlike
Pirates of the Caribbean
.
Black Sails
has stronger source material from a novel, while
Pirates of the Caribbean
is based on a theme park ride.
Black Sails
has more nuanced characters compared to the cast of
Pirates of the Caribbean
.
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While the Pirates of the Caribbean series has meandered through several unnecessary sequels, the pirate TV show Black Sails is better than Disney’s franchise in many ways. Black Sails, a prequel series to Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic adventure novel Treasure Island, offers a gritty depiction of the Golden Age of Piracy that is far more realistic than Disney’s fantastical version. Black Sails is led by a combination of original characters and characters from Treasure Island, who are all characterized by complicated ethics and motivations.
Black Sails focuses on Captain James Flint (Toby Stephens) and his crew as they contend with the war for control over the island of Nassau, historically a port for pirates. Many real pirates appear in Black Sails who all have a hand in shifting rivalries and alliances and combating the remaining threat of the British government. With many historical and literary influences contributing to an overall more complex story, the comparison between Black Sails and Pirates of the Caribbean does not fall in Disney’s favor, with the latter having spent decades trying to recapture the success of its first movie.
Movie/season
Rotten Tomatoes score
Audience score
Black Sails season 1
65%
79%
Black Sails season 2
100%
90%
Black Sails season 3
N/A
86%
Black Sails season 4
80%
77%
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
80%
86%
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)
53%
72%
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)
44%
72%
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
33%
54%
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
30%
60%
10 Black Sails Has Stronger Source Material Than Pirates Of The Caribbean
Black Sails is based on a novel, while Pirates of the Caribbean is inspired by a ride.
Black Sails’ plot is derived from the limited information provided about characters like Flint in Treasure Island, as well as the history of the Golden Age of Piracy. Treasure Island does not provide a ton of material to work with, but the show’s writers were able to explore the story of how Flint acquired and hid a substantial treasure that Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver would search for years later. Black Sails also elaborates upon Flint’s partnerships and fallouts with John Silver (Luke Arnold) and Billy Bones (Tom Hopper), who are both essential to the plot of Treasure Island.
Pirates of the Caribbean is inspired by the classic Disneyland ride, which has no plot; only a general cacophony of phrases and settings that characterized the Disney Imagineers’ idea of 18th-century piracy. It gives screenwriters almost nothing to work with. This did not stop Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl from being a surprise hit, largely because of its straightforward story that supported the bizarre personality of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). However, the foundation of a theme park ride didn’t work for the franchise when they ran out of substantial story ideas after two movies.
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9 Black Sails Is More Consistent Than The Pirates Of The Caribbean Movies
Pirates of the Caribbean’s inconsistent quality pales in comparison to the four strong seasons of Black Sails.
The Curse of the Black Pearl was undeniably a success and is generally regarded as a quality action-adventure movie. This laid the groundwork for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, which, despite some story weaknesses, crossed the $1 billion mark at the box office and upheld the thrills and character dynamics of its predecessor. However, after that, the franchise began to lose steam. The subsequent three movies achieved lower and lower ratings. This is in addition to story inconsistencies that began to appear, adding to the number of plot holes throughout all five Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
In contrast, Black Sails mostly maintained its ratings throughout four seasons. The story keeps its focus on the politics of the Caribbean pirates’ tensions with each other and the British military. The long-running plot of the abandoned Urca gold also provides some stability to the story; throughout the entire series, everyone has their eye on the gold and concerns remain about who will ultimately claim it. This brings the story full circle from its initial premise, as Flint buries part of that treasure to be found in Treasure Island.
8 Black Sails Has Better Characters Than Pirates Of The Caribbean
Black Sails’ characters are more nuanced than the ones in Pirates of the Caribbean.
The Black Sails cast includes many individuals characterized by complicated loyalties and goals. They all have different opinions on what is best for Nassau and what the pirates’ next move should be.
The Black Sails cast includes many individuals characterized by complicated loyalties and goals. They all have different opinions on what is best for Nassau and what the pirates’ next move should be. This sometimes leads to conflict with people they genuinely care about as rivalries overlap with sexual and romantic relationships. Black Sails’ characters are fascinating because they do form real connections and show the capacity for compassion, but often resort to violence and brutality to survive. They are ultimately flawed but real people.
On the other hand, Pirates of the Caribbean’s cast comprises many admittedly popular characters whose strengths are more in flair than overly complicated psychology. Jack’s number one goal is to survive at all costs, but is sometimes guilted into heroism. Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann’s (Kiera Knightley) characters are primarily driven by their romance, and occasionally the desire to protect a family member or friend. Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End try to delve into a subplot about the characters acting selfishly, but they ultimately revert to their original motivations.
7 Black Sails Depicts More Sophisticated Politics Than Pirates Of The Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean hand waves the political-economic conflict; Black Sails does not.
Blacks Sails delves into a very complicated story centering around how a group of the characters, primarily Flint, want to legitimize Nassau in the eyes of the British government to protect operations of piracy happening there and in the rest of the Caribbean. Other characters have different opinions about whether this is possible and what kind of conflict they should be preparing for. Subplots revolve around maintaining power within a specific crew, leading to mutinies and personal betrayals. It is all ultimately about economic interests, and what will allow the pirates to continue to raid ships and stay alive.
Pirates of the Caribbean again tries to convey some sense of a complicated political situation through the characters’ interactions with the East India Trading Company. Supposedly, the company simply wants to end piracy to prevent attacks on their ships and economic losses. The movies want to make the impression of a complicated political situation with some main characters’ temporary alliances with Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander), but it is all rendered redundant by the final battle, which ignores every conversation that happened before it when all the pirates rally against the company.
6 Black Sails Does Not Have Pirates Of The Caribbean’s Supernatural Elements
The supernatural aspects of Pirates of the Caribbean were amazing at first, but convoluted later.
When Curse of the Black Pearl premiered, audiences were thrilled by the storyline of the cursed, effectively immortal pirates. The supernatural narrative is even arguably a strength of Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End, creating more haunting and unique adventures with award-winning special effects. However, with the increasingly convoluted plots of On Stranger Tides and Dead Men Tell No Tales, the inherent supernatural aspects of Pirates of the Caribbean became a weakness. Meanwhile, plot holes concerning the Aztec curse storyline of the first movie became more apparent.
Some people might find Black Sails’ strictly realistic plot lacking after Pirates of the Caribbean. The presence of curses and ghosts brings an element of mystery to the vast ocean setting that can be beneficial to the story. However, in the long run, Black Sails’ lack of supernatural elements worked out better than Pirates of the Caribbean’s magic-based storylines.
5 Black Sails Has Greater Historical Accuracy Than Pirates Of The Caribbean
Black Sails’ general setting and conflicts are more historically accurate than Pirates of the Caribbean.
Black Sails’ historical accuracy outmatches most other fiction or semi-fictional depictions of piracy in pop culture. The overall more dangerous and gritty tone when compared to Pirates of the Caribbean plays into this, as well as the presence of LGBTQ+ characters and historical pirates. Many of the characters based on real-life pirates interact with people they historically worked with, even if the timelines of some of these partnerships are altered.
However, even more impressive is how Black Sails’ accuracy extends to some of the most minute details, including the pirates’ strategies during battles. A historian said a Black Sails battle scene has “a lot of historical accuracy.” It is clear that the team did an extensive amount of research on the 18th-century Caribbean to capture a detailed picture of this setting from which the audience can actually learn something. Overall, Black Sails is much closer to being historical fiction, while Pirates of the Caribbean is a loose interpretation of the time and setting.
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“Shows A Lot Of The Chaos”: Critically Acclaimed Historical Show’s Opening Battle Gets Praise From Pirate Expert
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4 Black Sails Has LGBTQ+ Characters Missing From Pirates Of The Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean ignores the queer history of piracy incorporated into Black Sails.
Aside from any moments or characters that can be interpreted as being queer-coded, Pirates of the Caribbean features no characters who are explicitly queer.Disney is notorious for its many “first gay characters” now; in the early and mid-2000s, LGBTQ+ representation in the studio’s properties was non-existent. No characters who would change this were added to Pirates of the Caribbean in one of the later movies. It is obvious that this is a lacking depiction of piracy as pirate crews were historically accepting of LGBTQ+ individuals and relationships. In contrast, Black Sails depicts multiple same-sex relationships.
The most significant one is between Flint and Thomas Hamilton (Rupert Penry-Jones), who are reunited at the end of the series. Max (Jessica Parker Kennedy) is in a relationship with Eleanor Guthrie (Hannah New) at the beginning of the series, which ends relatively quickly. Max later has a polyamorous relationship with Jack Rackham (Toby Schmitz) and Anne Bonny (Clara Paget). The inclusion of queer characters is a given in any pirate story, making the lack of that a major flaw in Pirates of the Caribbean.
3 Black Sails Features More Historical Pirates Than Pirates Of The Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean has only one main historical character, while Black Sails has many.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides includes Edward “Blackbeard” Teach (Ian McShane) as the main villain. Some other historical pirates, or characters inspired by them, appear as members of the Brethren Court in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. Other than Blackbeard, these characters aren’t given much screen time. Blackbeard himself is more of a token nod to pirate lore, because just by saying his name, the story can invoke the exploits of a legendary pirate.
There are many more historical pirates in Black Sails whose arcs are fully fleshed out, incorporating allusions to their real histories. This includes Rackham and Bonny, as well as Charles Vane (Zach McGowan), Blackbeard (Ray Stevenson), and Israel Hands (David Wilmot). In addition to these characters being additional examples of Black Sails having better characters, the history behind them only further elevates the series’ status by demonstrating its intelligent storytelling.
2 Black Sails Captures The Dark Side Of Piracy That Pirates Of The Caribbean Cannot
Pirates of the Caribbean is Disney while Black Sails is Starz.
Pirates of the Caribbean has always been limited by the fact that it is a Disney movie and must be relatively family-friendly. The movies censor out the violence pirates both caused and faced in reality. The damage caused by the Black Pearl’s raids is glossed over, disease and exposure are never an issue, and moments that imply the danger of being a woman in a world dominated by men are not taken seriously. Pirates of the Caribbean showcases a fantasy version of piracy, one that is not limited to its franchise alone.
It is a popular conception of rebellion and rule-breaking being romantic. This is something Black Sails cast member Jessica Parker Kennedy commented upon (via IMDB):
“I used to think being a pirate was a really, cool, sexy thing. It’s not. It’s terrifying. It’s a really horrifying, filthy, scary world where people died from simple things. When a cannon goes off, the splinter from the wood gets in their eyes and they get an infection. Or they don’t have enough to eat. Or they get scurvy. It’s a terrifying way to survive.”
Because it is a Starz TV show, Black Sails can show all the dangers and realities of being a pirate. Some people may prefer Pirates of the Caribbean simply because they are looking for more moderate entertainment, but the story’s stakes are considerably lower when the main characters are all safe from death or will eventually be resurrected.
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1 Black Sails Had The Definitive Ending Pirates Of The Caribbean Never Did
Pirates of the Caribbean’s open-ended structure makes it a weaker story than Black Sails.
Even if Black Sails didn’t know exactly how many seasons it would have, a framework was always in place. This gave the show a direction that Pirates of the Caribbean never had.
Curse of the Black Pearl was made with no set plans for a sequel; the subsequent two movies were greenlit after the first movie’s success, with the main cast being secured with renewed contracts. Even then, it was never certain what the end of Pirates of the Caribbean would be, leading to a drawn-out overall story and multiple movies being advertised as the last one. In contrast, there was always an end in mind for Black Sails.
The writers knew that the characters would eventually have to end up at the beginning of Treasure Island’s story. Even if Black Sails didn’t know exactly how many seasons it would have, a framework was always in place. This gave the show a direction that Pirates of the Caribbean never had. Due to its more focused story and several other narrative elements, Black Sails is ultimately the stronger franchise.
Black Sails
Acting as a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Black Sails chronicles the story of Captain James Flint, detailing how Flint turned from a British Naval officer to a notorious pirate and his adventures with his crew in the Caribbean. Toby Stephens stars as Flint, and the series features many fictionalized versions of real-life pirates such as Anne Bonny and Blackbeard.
Cast Toby Stephens , Hannah New
Release Date January 25, 2014
Seasons 4
Streaming Service(s) Hulu , Disney+
Writers Brad Kane
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black PearlPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s ChestPirates of the Caribbean: At World’s EndPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger TidesPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No TalesDirectorGore VerbinskiGore VerbinskiGore VerbinskiRob MarshallJoachim RønningRelease Date2003-07-092006-07-062007-05-192011-05-072017-05-26WritersJay Wolpert, Stuart Beattie, Terry Rossio, Ted ElliottJay Wolpert, Stuart Beattie, Terry Rossio, Ted ElliottJay Wolpert, Stuart Beattie, Terry Rossio, Ted ElliottRob MarshallJohnny Depp, Joachim RønningCastGeoffrey Rush, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Jonathan PryceBill Nighy, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Jonathan PryceGeoffrey Rush, Bill Nighy, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport, Johnny Depp, Orlando BloomKevin R. McNally, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, Johnny Depp, Sam Claflin, Penelope CruzGeoffrey Rush, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom
Source: IMDB