Nate and HayesThere's a certain draw to the high seas adventures and tales of swashbuckling and pistols, jungles and cannibals, debauchery and daring-do which comes with pirate movies. There's something primal and innately satisfying about the cling of steel swords aboard the deck of a ship, the fire of cannons, the war cry of rogues and ne'er-do-wells swinging on ropes from ship to ship to board--because all of these things herald exciting action and thrills to come. They have for years and years, since the turn of the 20th century, a short time after the era in which Nate and Hayes is set--the sunset era of the pirate life.
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Nate and Hayes begins with a gun running deal gone sour, between the charismatic Captain Bully Hayes (Tommy Lee Jones) and the untrustworthy chieftess of a tribe of jungle warriors--anti-colonialists, if Hayes' account is true--an exchange which results in the death of his crew, with only him escaping by the skin of his teeth. Escaping, but falling into the grimy mitts of his nemesis, the unscrupulous Ben Pease (Max Phipps), who has traded piracy for gold from the Spanish crown, recompense to round up his fellow outlaws. Bully's fate is sealed--he is to be hanged; but before his sentence is carried out, his story--or at least a focal part for the film--is captured by a chronicler of the end of the era of piracy, and those events which changed Bully and brought him into an alliance with an unlikely individual, the reverend-in-training Nathaniel "Nate" Williamson (Michael O'Keefe). Going back a year and a half, Bully Hayes recalls when he brought Nate and his bride-to-be, Sophie (Jenny Seagrove) to a small island, where Nate's aunt and uncle were preaching the word of God to the natives, what is to the the mission of Nate and Sophie, as well. Nate and Hayes don't hit it off so well from the start; Nate hates his reputation as a pirate and a brigand, and it's clear that--while he is civil--Bully correctly observes that Nate is a bit of a stuffed shirt. What is also clear is that Sophie and Bully have history, and that Sophie might have at one time run with Bully, perhaps as a pirate in her own way, something which Nate remains blissfully ignorant of--and Sophie would prefer to keep it that way. It seems like after Bully--and his ship, The Rona--part company with the missionaries, that Nate and Sophie will go on to lead their pleasant, spiritually enriching lives, away from the excitement and danger of the Pacific Ocean and its islands filled with danger. On the contrary, when the island is beset by pirates, leaving the mark of The Rona--the blackbird--for others to find, the island paradise is turned into a green Hell. Sophie is kidnapped, and Nate--one of the only survivors--sails off on a flimsy raft on a desperate mission to track down the villain which has done this foul deed. The evidence Nate finds leads him on a quest to track down and get revenge on Bully Hayes.
Nate and Hayes was originally conceived in the wake of another film which popularized and revitalized action movies with an injection of the charm of the serials of yesteryear, Raiders of the Lost Ark. The movies share a lot in common, with grand set pieces and elaborate costumes, both are chock full of action and light drama, and both have their roots in the Golden Age of cinema; they even both feature Germans as bad guys. Ultimately, Nate and Hayes was not a commercial success, but it always had a certain place of nostalgia in our household, a fun and exciting pirate movie with creepy villains like cannibals in bizarre masks with wicked, spiked clubs, and a colorful crew of supporting characters, like the well-dressed first-mate, Mr. Blake (Bruce Allpress) and the silent, katana and kukri-wielding pirate, Fong (Pudji Waseso). The movie is fun to watch, with the unapologetic Bully cleverly outwitting his enemies--and outfighting them--and the uptight Nate loosening up and befriending the man who he was ready to kill in error. Looking back on the film, there is a sense that there may be some incongruities in the historical accuracy of the King of Prussia attempting to found ports in the Pacific, with his emissary, the Count Von Rittenberg (Grant Tilly) arranging deals with slavers, but the history books can wait for another time--this is a story about brigs and masts, ships made of steel, sacrifices and shrunken heads. Characters get good quips to bandy back and forth, but never go so far to make your eyes roll. There is a good balance between the action, the plot, the dialogue; maybe it is a bit prefabricated, but there is a satisfaction in a movie which is trying to please you by delivering what you expect, and that expectation should be a good, solid story about pirates and adventure.
Recommended for: Fans of pirate movies, with of the classic, Errol Flynn-style meets Indiana Jones tone and pacing. Filled with cool characters and exciting moments, you'll want to get the big tub of popcorn.
Nate and Hayes was originally conceived in the wake of another film which popularized and revitalized action movies with an injection of the charm of the serials of yesteryear, Raiders of the Lost Ark. The movies share a lot in common, with grand set pieces and elaborate costumes, both are chock full of action and light drama, and both have their roots in the Golden Age of cinema; they even both feature Germans as bad guys. Ultimately, Nate and Hayes was not a commercial success, but it always had a certain place of nostalgia in our household, a fun and exciting pirate movie with creepy villains like cannibals in bizarre masks with wicked, spiked clubs, and a colorful crew of supporting characters, like the well-dressed first-mate, Mr. Blake (Bruce Allpress) and the silent, katana and kukri-wielding pirate, Fong (Pudji Waseso). The movie is fun to watch, with the unapologetic Bully cleverly outwitting his enemies--and outfighting them--and the uptight Nate loosening up and befriending the man who he was ready to kill in error. Looking back on the film, there is a sense that there may be some incongruities in the historical accuracy of the King of Prussia attempting to found ports in the Pacific, with his emissary, the Count Von Rittenberg (Grant Tilly) arranging deals with slavers, but the history books can wait for another time--this is a story about brigs and masts, ships made of steel, sacrifices and shrunken heads. Characters get good quips to bandy back and forth, but never go so far to make your eyes roll. There is a good balance between the action, the plot, the dialogue; maybe it is a bit prefabricated, but there is a satisfaction in a movie which is trying to please you by delivering what you expect, and that expectation should be a good, solid story about pirates and adventure.
Recommended for: Fans of pirate movies, with of the classic, Errol Flynn-style meets Indiana Jones tone and pacing. Filled with cool characters and exciting moments, you'll want to get the big tub of popcorn.