Swashbuckler/Pirate

dir. Michael Curtiz

S-Tier Criterion 4K. Errol Flynn swashbuckling in HDR.

Criterion Collection · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Rob Cohen

S-Tier Shout Factory 4K. Dennis Quaid and Sean Connery with a dragon. The practical effects plus early CGI are an interesting HDR test.

Shout! Factory · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Jackie Chan

S-Tier 88 Films 4K. Jackie Chan directed this 1983 period action film. Both 88 Films and Arrow have 4K releases.

88 Films · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Wes Anderson

Renowned oceanographer Steve Zissou has sworn vengeance upon the rare shark that devoured a member of his crew. In addition to his regular team, he is joined on his boat by Ned, a man who believes Zissou to be his father, and Jane, a journalist pregnant by a married man. They travel the sea, all too often running into pirates and, perhaps more traumatically, various figures from Zissou's past, including his estranged wife, Eleanor.

Criterion Collection · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Randall Wallace

Years have passed since the Three Musketeers, Aramis, Athos and Porthos, have fought together with their friend, D'Artagnan. But with the tyrannical King Louis using his power to wreak havoc in the kingdom while his twin brother, Philippe, remains imprisoned, the Musketeers reunite to abduct Louis and replace him with Philippe.

Shout! Factory · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Robert Eggers

Universal S-Tier 4K. Eggers went full Viking saga and the transfer is reference quality. The night raid sequence in Dolby Vision is one of the most visually intense things in the format. People keep putting this in their top reference disc lists.

Universal Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Rob Reiner

In this enchantingly cracked fairy tale, the beautiful Princess Buttercup and the dashing Westley must overcome staggering odds to find happiness amid six-fingered swordsmen, murderous princes, Sicilians and rodents of unusual size. But even death can't stop these true lovebirds from triumphing.

Criterion Collection · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Paul W. S. Anderson

The hot-headed young D'Artagnan along with three former legendary but now down on their luck Musketeers must unite and defeat a beautiful double agent and her villainous employer from seizing the French throne and engulfing Europe in war.

StudioCanal · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Peter Yates

A prince and a fellowship of companions set out to rescue his bride from a fortress of alien invaders who have arrived on their home planet.

dir. Gore Verbinski

A-Tier Disney 4K. Third Pirates film. Disney's 4K treatment of the Pirates franchise has been a sore spot, with the first film's transfer widely considered one of the worst 4Ks ever made.

Walt Disney Studios · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Gore Verbinski

A-Tier Disney 4K. Pirates 2. Disney's franchise 4K releases.

Walt Disney Studios · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg

A-Tier Disney 4K. Fifth Pirates film with a 3.0 overall score, which is rough. No relevant collector discussion beyond a steelbook listing.

Walt Disney Studios · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Rob Marshall

A-Tier Disney 4K. Fourth Pirates film. Minimal collector interest around the 4K.

Walt Disney Studios · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Martin Campbell

Sony A-Tier 4K. The steelbook is the version most people grabbed. Late-90s action cinematography that cleaned up nicely in the transfer, with Banderas in his prime and one of Catherine Zeta-Jones' first major roles.

Sony Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Kevin Reynolds

Arrow's 2019 Limited Edition is the English-language pick with the Ulysses Cut in 1080p and a 4.0 blu-ray.com tier. The Best Buy exclusive steelbook is a very limited run of 3 copies per store, so most people are finding it sold out on day one. Plaion's German Ulysses Cut on 4K is still the holy grail import for the full extended version in UHD.

Arrow Video · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Renny Harlin

C-Tier StudioCanal 4K. Geena Davis as a pirate. The C-Tier reflects the film's reputation more than the transfer.

StudioCanal

dir. Gore Verbinski

When wily pirate Captain Barbossa seizes Jack Sparrow’s beloved ship, the Black Pearl, and kidnaps the governor’s daughter, Elizabeth Swann, blacksmith Will Turner reluctantly teams up with the unpredictable pirate Jack to rescue her—only to uncover a terrifying curse that turns Barbossa’s crew into the undead.

dir. Simon Wincer

The 21st successor to the role of Bengalla's resident superhero must travel to New York to prevent a villainous syndicate from obtaining three magic skulls.

Kino Lorber · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. John Cromwell

A kingdom's ascending heir, marked for assassination, switches identities with a lookalike, who takes his place at the coronation. When the real king is kidnapped, his followers try to find him, while the stand-in falls in love with the king's intended bride, the beautiful Princess Flavia.