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Walter Matthau as a swashbuckling pirate? Roman Polanski's chaotic nautical fever dream demands your attention.
TMDB
63
IMDb
60
Rotten Tomatoes
25
Audience Score
51
Google
69
Watch(US)

Pirates (1986)

swashbuckling chaosabsurdist adventureMatthau's magnificent beard

Overview

ComedyAdventure

The adventures of pirate Captain Red and his first mate Frog.

Flag of FRFR
Content warning
piratepirate shipsea17th centuryaction comedyfarcicalcabin boyfloat1650s
greed and corruptionsurvival at seaclass hierarchyloyalty tested by gold

Standout Aspects

Production

Massive practical ship built in Tunisia—no CGI nonsense.

Costume

Matthau's eyepatch and boots deserve their own billing.

Practical Effects

Real storm sequences that nearly killed the crew.

Best for:Friends: Group viewing for maximum 'what are we watching' energy.·Rewatch: Grows on you like barnacles on a hull.·Streaming: Perfect midnight discovery with snacks.
Heads up:Violence: Cartoonish sword fights, occasional bloody moments.
Roman Polanski

Director

Roman Polanski

ReleasedMay 8, 1986
Runtime2h 4m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacesteady
Intensitymedium
Tonemixed
Feellight
Budget$40M·Revenue$1.6M
The Cannon Group
Carthago Films

Top Cast

Walter Matthau

Walter Matthau

Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red

Cris Campion

Cris Campion

Jean-Baptiste 'The Frog'

Damien Thomas

Damien Thomas

Don Alfonso de la Torré

Olu Jacobs

Olu Jacobs

Boomako

Charlotte Lewis

Charlotte Lewis

María-Dolores de la Jenya de la Calde

Roy Kinnear

Roy Kinnear

Dutch

Roger Ashton-Griffiths

Roger Ashton-Griffiths

Moonhead

David Kelly

David Kelly

Surgeon

Michael Elphick

Michael Elphick

Sentry

Ferdy Mayne

Ferdy Mayne

Captain Linares

Władysław Komar

Władysław Komar

Jesus

Daniel Emilfork

Daniel Emilfork

Secretaire

Bill Stewart

Bill Stewart

Ginge

Ask about Pirates

Opens AI chat

Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

The full-scale galleon cost $6 million and was later used as a tourist attraction in Tunisia before burning down in 1991.

Cultural

This was Polanski's desperate attempt at mainstream redemption after fleeing the US—critics savaged it, but Matthau reportedly loved every minute.

YouTube

Pirates (1986) Trailer

Pirates (1986) Trailer

Gallery(20 images)

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