The Rio nudges it aside here only because a floor show is much more in keeping with Las Vegas' legacy than 18th-century piracy. For an attraction that is staged at no cost, it's pretty spectacular. The British captain is almost comically sporting, requesting politely that the rogues receive a boarding party, then seeming affronted by the rebuff. Soon, of course, all heck breaks loose. Fires break out.
Pirates tumble from the rigging, hanging upside down by a snagged heel.
Crewmen on both ships are blasted off the deck and plunge into the drink below. Incredibly, the ship sinks right there before your eyes, the noble captain going down with it until the water laps over the top of his hat. This expensive production isn't put on entirely for fun, though. He sweeps a hand toward the front door of the casino. Remarkably, a great number respond to his bidding.