Pirates of the Caribbean

J is for — Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean

Another favorite character in the good-hearted rogue category is Captain Jack Sparrow. Pirate, philanderer, and all-around scoundrel, Jack spends most of his time trying to talk his way out of whatever trouble he’s gotten himself into. His convoluted schemes leave you wondering whose side he’s on, but in truth, of course, he’s looking out for his own best interests.

Yet, every so often, that spark of goodness prevails, such as when he saves Elizabeth Swann from drowning in the first Pirates movie, Curse of the Black Pearl, and when he gives up his chance at immortality by helping the dying Will Turner stab the disembodied heart of Davy Jones, saving Will’s life, in World’s End. He again forfeits an opportunity for long life by giving the chalice with water from the Fountain of Youth and the mermaid’s tear to poisoned former flame, Angelica, instead of drinking it himself in the fourth Pirates movie, On Stranger Tides.

Of the four Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the first is by far the best, in my opinion. The others are okay, and each has its good moments, though in the fourth movie they are fewer and farther between. I read that a fifth movie, Dead Men Tell No Tales, is in the making, but that various delays, including script and budget problems, have pushed the release date to 2017. I hope they can get the series back on track and recapture the magic that made Curse of the Black Pearl so entertaining.