Waste of Money.

I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

I remember watching this as a kid and enjoyed it, so I was curious to see if still held up and for the most part it did. Set in a South Pacific that never really existed and cutting fairly loose with history, it was still a fun adventure with plenty of action and some memorable characters. A little cheesy in places but you expect that in a movie like this. If I was to have any criticism the movie's beginning kind of robs any suspense of what happens to the crew in the rest of the movie and given Hayes relationship with his crew during the main adventure, he seems pretty blasé about what happens to them at the start, it was at odds with how he was portrayed for the most part. That said a good fun adventure.

I find it odd how people think this movie is a "thrilling action-adventure". I'd have to say, it's quite bad, and it was very clearly MEANT to be quite bad.There's a ninja, a bunch of Nazis (not specifically noted as Nazis, but you can't help but know in your heart that that's what they are), a pirate ship AND a steamship, musketmen fighting dudes with revolvers, the bad guys seem completely clichéd in their ignorance ("They're plugging the eye holes! We're blind!" "It's too bad we can't just pull those hats out, eh guys?"), the scene near the end where the Germans are fighting the Pirates (who all line up nicely, by the way), and are promptly shot to bits without ever landing a single blow is incredibly sad ("Wow, lucky day for us. This team of professionally trained soldiers don't know how to shoot worth a damn. Woohoo!"), and the way that German leader dies is purely comical.And yet, I'm not trying to INSULT this film. It is a parody, and a hilarious one at that. Although, it may not have been successful in that venture (most people seem to believe it's a serious adventure film!), it still wins a place in my heart. I'd give it 8 out 10, for a good afternoon's laugh.

I was lucky enough to go to the European premiere of this film in London ( although strangely enough i seem to remember that it ended up on a double bill with TOP SECRET in some cinemas). Made before Tommy Lee Jones became a big star it was quite obviously the inspiration for Pirates of the Caribbean. It was released in the UK under the title SAVAGE ISLANDS but in some places it was called NATE & HAYES. However, shame on Paramount for not exploiting it better. I know they had a lot riding on the not dissimilar Indiana Jones films but this is a cracking adventure and deserves better treatment (and why oh why has it not been seen on UK television for about 15 years?).Good news though. The film is finally getting a DVD release (on region 1 only) on June 20th 2006 so keep an eye out for it.

For anyone who enjoys old fashioned swashbuckling fun, here's a great movie! Tommy Lee Jones, Jenny Seagrove and Michael O'Keefe make a tremendous trio against such dastardly villains as Ben Pease and the German empire, not to mention a cannibal, human-sacrificing South Pacific Islander prince. What I really loved about this movie, though, was the humor and how it not only comes from the situations but especially from the characters, who they are and how they react in those situations. There is some silliness but all in good fun, and action, action, action. I'd recommend this movie for a rainy Saturday afternoon.