Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Adventure, Fantasy, Action
63Kernel Score — Generally Favorable, 0 reviews
The Kernel take
A Metascore of 63 represents solid critical footing for a $140M gamble, yet the film's $655M worldwide haul suggests audiences were far more enthusiastic than critics—a 4.7x return that justified the budget several times over.
Director track record: Gore Verbinski
The Curse of the Black Pearl (63) sits well above Gore Verbinski's own 55-point average across 9 scored films—a career-best moment for the director, though it trails his later high-water mark Rango (75).
Lead track record: Johnny Depp
The Curse of the Black Pearl (63) sits well above Johnny Depp's own 60.6-point average across 27 scored films, though it falls short of his best-reviewed work, Before Night Falls (85).
Box office
Budget $140M · Box office $655M