Tommy Lee Jones stars as Bully Hayes, a 19th century pirate who’s not making a very good living at selling guns to anti-colonial native islanders--because the islanders keep trying to rip him off. After just barely escaping with his life from his latest would-be customers, Hayes winds up getting captured by the Spanish for selling weapons to the enemies of the crown. It’s while Hayes is in prison, awaiting the gallows, that he reminisces to a reporter about his life on the high seas. The adventure that he recounts involves meeting Nathaniel and Sophie, a young couple whom he ferries to a tropical island paradise in the pacific, where they plan to brainwash--uh, convert the natives to Christianity.
But when they’re attacked by slavers, who also abduct Sophie, along with the islanders, Hayes swears to help Nathaniel--better known as Nate--to get her back no matter what. Nate and Hayes is a bit uneven in its pacing, and it takes a good long time to get started. But once it finally takes off, it winds up being a fun pirate ride. Tommy Lee Jones looks like he’s enjoying himself as Hayes, and Michael O’Keefe is very good as the uptight Victorian gentleman Nate who rises to the occasion when he finds himself caught up in an epic adventure. Jenny Seagrove doesn’t have much to do but look worried as Sophie, who’s a more traditional damsel in distress figure here.
Viewers expecting the more flamboyant adventures of The
Pirates Of The Caribbean films may be disappointed, as Nate And Hayes is strictly an old school pirate film, without any of
the supernatural trappings of POTC (and it’s more refreshing because of it).
Fans of the Indiana Jones films may enjoy this more, thanks to its rousing
action scenes, and fast pace in the second half. Jones’ Hayes is a far more
subdued pirate than Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow; but Hayes is also more of a
roughish fighter who gives as good as he gets. Good production values, and a
smart screenplay help make Nate And Hayes a fun flick to watch on a rainy
(or snowy) day.
--SF
