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| - Governor Weatherby Swann is sailing to Port Royal in Jamaica with his daughter Elizabeth when they spot a burning ship in the distance. As they survey the carnage, a ghostly ship is briefly seen vanishing into the fog, which one of the crewmen recognizes as the Black Pearl. A young man, Will Turner, is found clinging on to a plank of wood and adrift. He is pulled on board and Elizabeth notices a gold medallion he is wearing around his neck and swipes it to prevent the boy from being identified as a pirate and persecuted. Eight years later, Elizabeth meets with Commodore James Norrington at the fort overlooking the bay. The two talk briefly, before Norrington proposes to Elizabeth. Shocked, Elizabeth faints and falls right into the bay. The medallion, which she nows wears around her neck, emits a mysterious pulse when she lands in the water. Meanwhile, a mysterious man arrives in Port Royal and spots Elizabeth falling. Although he saves her, Norrington approaches and spots a mark on the man's arm used by the East India Trading Company to identify pirates. The man turns Elizabeth into his hostage and is able to escape. The shady pirate hides in a blacksmith's workshop, only to run into the blacksmith's apprentice; Will Turner. The man introduces himself as Captain Jack Sparrow, but when Will realises that he is a pirate, he attacks him and a swordfight. Eventually, Norrington and his comrades bust in and distract Jack, allowing Will to knock him out. That night, the Black Pearl emerges from the fog and lays siege to Port Royal, and it's vicious crew invades. Sensing the medallion, they make their way to Elizabeth herself and kidnap her, bringing her back to the ship where she meet she captain of the Black Pearl; Hector Barbossa. When Barbossa asks her what her name is, Elizabeth fears that the knowledge she is the governor's daughter could put her at even more risk, and gives her name as "Turner." Elizabeth is then made a prisoner of the Black Pearl. Elsewhere, Will himself witnesses Elizabeth's abduction. He fails in his efforts to convince Commodore Norrington and the Royal Navy to pursue the Black Pearl immediately, in spite of Norrington's own feelings for Elizabeth, and he decides to concentrate more on strategy than immediate action. Without much choice, Will turns to the only person with any knowledge of piracy; Jack Sparrow. After breaking Jack out of prison, the two steal the Navy's fastest ship; the Interceptor. They head for the lawless island of Tortuga and assemble a crew of outlaws to man the ship, led by Joshamee Gibbs. They then set out to catcht the Black Pearl and rescue Elizabeth, while Barbossa sets sail for the legendary Isla de Muerta. On the Black Pearl, Elizabeth is forced to dine with Barbossa, who explains the story of the Black Pearl. The ship was once captained by Jack Sparrow, until Barbossa led a mutiny against Jack and left him stranded on a desert island with only a loaded pistol (as per the pirate's code, this was for Jack to kill himself with). Jack escaped the island and kept the one shot, planning to use on Barbossa. Meanwhile, the mutinous crew had landed on Isla de Muerta and stolen the ancient Aztec treasure hidden within. However, the treasure turned out to be cursed, and the crew became immortal. They also lost any physical feeling, leaving them unable to enjoy things such as food, drunk and women. Bootstrap Bill Turner, the only crew member who was against the mutiny, decided that the crew deserved such a punishment for what they did to Jack and gave a coin of the treasure to his son, Will, before sending him away. Enraged, Barbossa tied Bootstrap to a cannon and threw him overboard, leaving him trapped on the bottom of the sea without the release of death. Only after doing so, however, did Barbossa learn that Boostrap's blood was required to lift the curse. Barbossa reveals that Elizabeth's medallion is the final piece of the treasure, and believing her to be a "Turner" thinks he can use her blood to lift the curse. On Isla de Muerta, Barbossa draws blood for Elizabeth's palm and annoints the medallion before dropping it into the chest. In order to see if the curse is lifted, Barbossa shoots one of his men, but it had no effect. Elizabeth is forced to finally reveal that she isn't the child of Bootstrap Bill. Meanwhile, Jack and Will also arrive on the island and Will manages to rescue Elizabeth and get her back to the Interceptor, but Jack becomes seperated and is captured by Barbossa. On the Interceptor, Elizabeth explains her experiences to Will, and they deduce that Will's blood is needed to lift the curse. On the Black Pearl, Jack saves himself from execution by revealing that he knows the location of the real Turner. Before he can give Barbossa such precious information however, a battle begins between the Black Pearl and the Interceptor, which ends with the Black Pearl sinking the Interceptor. The crew, as well as Will and Elizabeth, are captured and brought to Barbossa. To save them, Will reveals his true identity but orders the the crew, along with Elizabeth, be let go unharmed, by threatening to shoot himself and fall overboard, robbing the pirates of what they need to break the curse. Barbossa agrees, but applies a loophole and maroons Jack and Elizabeth on Black Sam's Spit, the same place Jack was abandoned a decade ago. Will is taken to Isla de Muerta. On the island, Elizabeth starts a signal fire to notify passers-by of her location. They are eventually rescued by Norrington on the Dauntless. Elizabeth struggles to convince Norrington to go after the Black Pearl and rescue Will, but he eventually sees how worried she is and agrees to save Will. Soon, both the crew of the Black Pearl and the Dauntless are back at Isla de Muerta. Jack convinces Norrington to have his men lie in wait in order to ambush the cursed crew while Jack enters the caves and lures them out. Jack then goes in and meets Barbossa, informing him that the Navy is waiting to ambush them, so he is better off killing the crew before lifting the curse so that they can remain immortal. Jack secretly plans to spill Will's blood while they battle the crew of the Dauntless, so that the evil pirates will perish in the showdown. However, Barbossa sends his men to sneak up on the Dauntless crew by walking on the seabed. This leads to a massive battle breaking out on board the ship. Elizabeth sneaks into the cave and witnesses the duel between Will and some of Barbossa's men as well as between Jack and Barbossa himself. Barbossa finally pulls his pistol out and prepares to shoot her in anger, when suddenly he is shot in the chest by Jack. Barbossa mocks him, telling him that he has wasted his one shot. Will then shouts that he didn't waste it, dropping the medallion annointed with his blood into the chest, breaking the curse. Barbossa, now mortal, succumbs to his wound and falls to the ground dead. Outside, Norrington's forces finally prevail and the crew of the Black Pearl is defeated. Any remaining pirates, realising that they are now mortal, surrender and are arrested. Back at Port Royal, the law forces Norrington to hang Jack as a pirate. Will, however, rescues Jack and sets him free, believing that he does not deserve to die because of his lifestyle. Witnessing this fearless act, Elizabeth is unable to ignore her feelings anymore and professes her love to Will. Norrington acknowledges their love and agrees that he won't stand in the way, and pardons Will for freeing Jack. They all watch as Jack, on the run from the guards, jumps over the fort and falls into the water. Norrington calls off the chase, telling his men that Jack is more than likely dead before shooting Will and Elizabeth a sly smile. Elsewhere, Jack is pulled out of the water by his new crew on board the reclaimed Black Pearl and sets sail in search of more adventures.
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