To start us off on our Pirates of the Caribbean 20th anniversary month, the pirate specialists in the History Department here at the University of Reading have nominated their favourite pirate films of all time)…

Luke Walters – Treasure Island (1950)

The 1950 production of Treasure Island has to be the best pirate film – it gave to the world the immortal character of Robert Newton’s west-country John Silver.

Dr Richard Blakemore – Muppet Treasure Island (1996)

It’s such a great film – combining one of the most influential pirate stories of all time with all the energy, humour, and chaos of the Muppets. My favourite song is A Professional Pirate; the lyrics are witty, but they also link surprisingly well to so many themes and discussions within the historiography of piracy. Plus who doesn’t love Tim Curry?

Graham Moore – Treasure Planet (2002)

Treasure Island is probably the definitive pirate story – the image of Long John Silver and his quest for buried treasure has irrevocably changed pirates in popular culture. Treasure Planet goes one step further, re-imagining the iconic story of Jim Hawkins in outer space.

The film is visually striking, with a lurid colour palette and solar-powered ship designs that retain the classic feel of the age of sail. The real strength of the film, however, is in its heart as it plays on the ambiguity of Long John Silver’s character and attitude to Jim to construct a moving ode to unlikely paternal relationships.

The film employed a groundbreaking combination of 2D and 3D animation, and at $140M it is still the most expensive traditionally-animated film ever made. It was a huge box-office bomb, and as a result Disney pivoted hard away from expensive hand-drawn animation. Despite this, the film has gained a cult following; Treasure Planet is a true buried treasure.

Christos Giannatos – Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

A film that I hold very dear to my heart, the first instalment of the franchise remains the best, in my humble opinion. It merges the historical with the mythical so well and engages the viewer from the first scene. Amid the mist of the North Atlantic, the Royal Navy vessel carrying the infant daughter of the Governor of Jamaica to Port Royal passes by a flaming ship, recently beset upon by pirates. It gives me chills every time..

The cast and the way they act are, also, top notch, and the plot thickens as time goes by and the viewer is joining a wonderfully crafted adventure, involving pirates, the Royal Navy, Aztec gold and a looming curse. What more can a pirate buff ask for?!