5 greatest seafaring movies

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THE SEA — A new “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie is headed to theaters and I think that makes No. 26. Wait, what? It’s only No. 5? Well, it feels like 26.

Anyway, with “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” we got thinking about seafaring movies. Something about the open seas fascinates us and just opens itself up to the art of cinema. Granted, these movies are a nightmare to make because water isn’t the perfect filming location, but nonetheless, we’ve received some really great movies from the sea.

Here are five of the greatest seafaring movies (broken up into categories to make things easier):

True story: “Kon-Tiki

My guess is not too many of you have heard of this movie, and out of those who have, few have seen it. “Kon-Tiki” is a 2012 film directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg telling the true story of explorer Thor Heyerdal and his 4,300-mile journey across the Pacific on a balsawood raft in 1947.

The directors are currently helming the new addition to the Pirates franchise and they got that job thanks to this movie. “Kon-Tiki” can drag at times, but the story is encapsulating and told beautifully. The scenery is gorgeous, the tension high and the emotion palpable.

If you have not seen “Kon-Tiki,” I highly suggest giving it a watch.

Modern day: “Captain Phillips

This one easily could have fallen into the “true story” category, but I decided to place “Captain Phillips” in the “modern day” category instead. This movie chronicling the harrowing rescue of a Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates is an intense and emotional ride that is hard to shake after watching it.

The film is a white-knuckle affair from start to finish and the last few moments as Captain Phillips is attended to by medical personnel automatically makes this one of Tom Hanks all-time best performances.

Comedy: “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

I might get some flack for this one because Wes Anderson is not everyone’s cup of tea, but he is mine.

“The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” is a bizarre and interesting comedy, but I can’t get enough of it. The unmistakable style of Anderson coupled with the talent of Bill Murray and the absolutely hilarious performance from Willem Dafoe makes this movie my favorite sea-based comedy.

The movie follows a famous sea explorer, Steve Zissou, and his madcap crew as they face old demons and hostile pirates.

“The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” is rated R for language, some drug use, violence and partial nudity.

Action/adventure: “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

“The Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise has a bit of a black eye considering most of the sequels have been pretty terrible, but the original film still stands as a fun adventure film.

“The Curse of the Black Pearl” was our first introduction to Captain Jack Sparrow and the world has never been the same. This movie is exactly what a sea-based adventure film should be with pirates, swashbuckling action and a fair dose of humor. This movie is rewatchable, and when anyone mentions a movie at sea, this is likely the film that comes to mind.

“The Curse of the Black Pearl” hasn’t aged as well as I’d hoped considering I watched it again recently and felt it had lost some of its magic, but it still a blast and easily earns its place on this list.

Epic: “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

The 2003 sea epic “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” was a commercial disaster, but that doesn’t mean it was a bad movie. In fact, the exact opposite is true. The Russell Crowe film about a British captain who pushes his ship and his crew to the brink in pursuit of a French vessel is a captivating tale that is the epitome of seafaring movies.

A definite knock to the film is its nearly two-and-a-half hour runtime, but the overall film is strong enough that it can be overlooked. The sets and sea action is worth the watch and Crowe is fantastic as always. There were planned sequels that never panned out because of the poor box office performance, but that’s OK because we at least got one great film out of it.

What other seafaring movies are your favorites? Let us know in the comments.


![John Clyde](http://img.ksl.com/slc/2608/260868/26086842\.jpg?filter=ksl/65x65)
About the Author: John Clyde \----------------------------

John has grown up around movies and annoys friends and family with his movie facts and knowledge. He also has a passion for sports and pretty much anything awesome, and it just so happens, that these are the three things he writes about. Contact him on Twitter at @johnnypclyde.

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