Pirates II: Stagnetti's Revenge

In 2008, Digital Playground released the most expensive adult film ever made. Pirates II: Stagnetti's Revenge cost $8 million to produce, a sum that bought elaborate sets, extensive CGI, and a cast that crossed over from mainstream porn into something resembling a blockbuster sequel. The film brought back Jesse Jane as Jules and Evan Stone as Captain Edward Reynolds, while introducing Belladonna as the undead pirate queen Stagnetti and Sasha Grey as a vengeful pirate hunter.

The movie was written and directed by Joone, who had helmed the original 2005 Pirates. That first film had already pushed boundaries with its budget and production values. The sequel went further, aiming for a theatrical experience that could be marketed both as an adult film and, in an R-rated cut, to a wider audience. It went straight to DVD and Blu-ray on September 27, 2008.

Critics were divided. Mainstream reviewers panned the dialogue and acting, while adult industry awards showered it with honors. The film won Best Film, Best Director, and multiple acting awards at the 2009 AVN Awards. It remains a landmark in adult cinema, a lavish, strange hybrid of Pirates of the Caribbean and hardcore pornography that tried to prove the genre could go mainstream.[edit]

Captain Edward Reynolds and his first mate Jules are living large. They have fame, fortune, and a ship full of loyal crew. But their idyll is shattered when word reaches them that Captain Stagnetti has returned from the dead. A sorceress with command over sea monsters and an army of undead pirates, Stagnetti is hunting for the Heart of the Sea, an ancient artifact that grants its wielder absolute power over the oceans.

The British Crown, desperate to stop her, recruits Reynolds and Jules. They are joined by Olivia, a deadly pirate hunter who has a personal score to settle with Stagnetti. The crew of the Black Pearl sets sail across the Caribbean, racing Stagnetti to a hidden temple where the Heart of the Sea is buried. Along the way, they face treacherous storms, a giant sea creature, and a mutiny led by the cowardly Marco.

The plot unfolds in a series of set pieces: a sword fight in a tavern, a chase through a jungle, a battle on a beach. Each scene is designed to showcase the film's production values and, of course, its explicit content. The narrative is thin, a loose framework for the action and sex. But it moves with purpose, building toward a final confrontation in Stagnetti's underwater lair.[edit]