The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure is a South Korean swashbuckling period film written by Chun Sung-il and directed by Kim Jeong-hoon. While technically a follow-up to the 2014 film The Pirates, Royal Treasure features an entirely new cast and an unrelated story.
In the Joseon era, just after the fall of the Goryeo dynasty, a gang of bandits joins a crew of pirates and together they search for royal treasure rumoured to have been lost at sea. They battle old enemies, unnatural weather conditions, and even each other in their quest for gold.
Pursued as a traitor by the new regime, bandit leader Woo Moo-chi (Kang Ha-neul) escapes to sea with his gang of followers. Just as their deaths seem imminent, they are rescued by Captain Hae-rang (Han Hyo-joo) and her pirate crew. Hae-rang runs a tight ship with a loyal crew, and although grateful for rescue, Woo Moo-chi somewhat resents Hae-rang for the loss of his status and his gang’s unwavering devotion even as he pines for the pirate captain. As a result, he constantly searches for ways to both impress and undermine her—which often involves reminding everyone he’s the (self-proclaimed) Greatest Swordsman of Goryeo.
After months at sea without much action, the restless crew finally secure a win when they find a treasure map that will lead them to the lost Goryeo royal treasure—if they can decipher the map’s hidden clues. Their quest leads the crew through underwater caves, dangerous maelstroms, columns of fire, unusually active lightning, and finally to a secret island. Meanwhile, Woo Moo-chi’s old militant rival, the ruthless Bu Heung-soo (Kwon Sang-woo), is also on the hunt for the treasure. After a confrontation between our pirate crew and Bu Heung-soo, the search for gold becomes more pressing than ever in a race against time.
The film is melodramatic and extremely silly at times, but that’s exactly what the film is going for whether it’s to audience tastes or not. The tone takes some getting used to, particularly as the beginning of the film lacks plot, but as the narrative picks up and the adventure gets underway the film shifts focus and becomes much more enjoyable.
Hyo-joo is excellent as the badass Captain Hae-rang. The character is clever, a skilled fighter and sea captain, and takes her responsibilities to her crew seriously. It’s easy to see why her crew are so devoted to her, and there’s some fun had at the lengths they’ll go to in order to show their respect. While the film gives her a love interest in Woo Moo-chi, our other protagonist, the story doesn’t cater to it, instead playing their developing romance second to the plot and never sacrificing Hae-rang’s character or leadership for the sake of the romance.
At times, disjointed editing makes some narrative points confusing, particularly the flashbacks and the sequence in which the traitorous but naive Mak-yi (Lee Kwang-soo) absconds with the treasure map and attempts to sell it on land. And with a long running time of two hours and five minutes, the film could have benefited from some sharper editing and more than a few cuts.
That said, the main plot is easy enough to follow, and overall it plays out in an exciting, fast-paced manner. The adventure is filled with sword fights, sea battles, and over-the-top fun. The characters are also (mostly) entertaining to watch, especially as Hae-rang and Woo Moo-chi show off their legendary battle skills. A shoutout must also be given to Han-goong (Oh Se-hun), the Legolas of the movie and a fierce protector of his pirate captain. Some great visual effects heighten the fantastical elements of the adventure as the pirates fight their way through dangerous supernatural weather conditions.
The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure is currently streaming on Netflix.
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