Major Pirates Of The Caribbean Plot Holes Created By Dead Men Tell No Tales

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is dominating the worldwide box office this weekend, easily sinking the competition, and knocking some lifeguards down a peg or two.

While the movie is a massive success, and fans are enjoying the fun-loving adventure on the high seas, there’s some issues with the film that don’t seem to be addressed. When you watch closely, there are some massive plot holes hidden throughout.

On one hand, this is frustrating for fans of the franchise. However, on the other, it was to be expected. The original trilogy, which heavily influenced this new film, hit theaters an entire decade ago. There was bound to be some parts of the plot that fell through the cracks.

Dead Men Tell No Tales mostly kept it together, but there were a few instances where things just didn’t really tie together. There were simple fixed for these issues, but they were passed on for whatever reason.

Here are the most glaring of these Pirate plot holes created by Dead Men Tell No Tales.

Heads up, there are MAJOR SPOILERS up ahead for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales!

What Happened To Will?

If you recall, the post-credits scene at the end of the third Pirates movie teased Will Turner’s return to dry land. As the captain of the Flying Dutchman, he was allowed on land for one night, every ten years. 

When he was spotted by Elizabeth, and his son Henry, coming over the horizon, he was completely void of the barnacle and garbage that plagued the former crew members of the Dutchman. He remained completely human.

If you paid attention to the details of the curse throughout the film, this was to be expected. Will helped usher souls lost at sea into the afterlife. That’s the job of the Dutchman’s captain. Since he did this without breaking the rules, he wasn’t cursed like his predecessors were. 

Now, when Dead Men Tell No Tales begins, we see Henry as a young boy, around the same age as he was in the third film, looking for his dad’s ship. When he finds Will, the guy is covered in that barnacle and crust that people remembered from Davy Jones’ crew. 

His appearance seemed normal for those who remembered the old ways of the Dutchman, but it doesn’t line-up with Will’s appearance at the conclusion of the trilogy. In a short matter of time, presumably two years or less, Will went from the upstanding captain of the Dutchman to a cursed villain scouring the seas?

Not very likely.

Bootstrap Bill

Speaking of Davy Jones’ crew, there was one member that was blatantly missing from that beautiful family reunion at the end of Dead Men Tell No Tales. Where was Bootstrap Bill?

If you recall, Bootstrap Bill Turner, Will’s father, was prisoner/crew member of the Flying Dutchman in the original trilogy. He has signed his life over to Davy Jones in exchange for Will’s freedom. However, at the end of the third film, there was a change in leadership.

Will took over the Dutchman, told Bill he was free to go and be at peace. But Bill wanted to stay on the ship, since it was no longer cursed, and sail under his son.

One would assume that Bill was still on the Dutchman when Poseiden’s Trident was broken in this movie. He and his son were close, and this provided them an eternity of adventure and bonding for them.

When Will walked up the hill, toward his wife and song, Bootstrap Bill was nowhere to be found. 

It’s hard to believe the two would have just separated after everything they’d been through. Will would have wanted Bill to meet his grandson, and be a part of their family going forward. 

Broken Curses

There was one other aspect to the breaking of these curses that didn’t make much sense, and that was the sudden appearance of Davy Jones.

The villain was killed in the original trilogy, his heart pierced with his own blade and his ship turned over to Will Turner. His curse was effectively broken and he was washed into the afterlife. 

During the post-credit scene of Dead Men Tell No Tales, Davy effectively appears to Will while he’s in bed with Elizabeth. His shadow is seen, and audiences could recognize the familiar tentacles and build of Davy Jones. Well, of the cursed Davy Jones.

If all curses of the sea were broken, why was Davy’s appearance still have of his cursed state? Why was he still covered in barnacles, claws, and tentacles? Was his curse some kind of exception?

Furthermore, how on Earth did he come back from the dead? You could argue that death was his curse, and the trident brought him out of said curse, but that doesn’t explain his appearance.

It makes sense that you want to bring back the villain that people love and remember, but it just didn’t make sense.