Does anybody recognize this adventure movie, probably from the 80s?

Many, many years ago, I saw this movie. Something about a guy on some island with people who want him dead for some reason.

The only scene I remember (vaguely) is where he gets caught by the bad guys, possibly some native tribe, and they decide to execute him by bending two palm trees down, so that their tops are close to each other and close to the ground. Then they tied each of his feet to a tree. So the idea was to release the trees, and rip him in two. But when they do that, he just got flung into the air, leaving his boots behind.

There might have pirates too

That's all I remember.