Rating: 
Summary: Draped over the saddle...
Review: "Joe Kidd" is not your standard Clint Eastwood western. The follow up to the very successful "Dirty Harry", is listless and disappointing. Slowly paced, the muddled plot takes a while to finally get going, then turns around to crash land where it began. The film has a familiar cast, which includes Robert Duvall, John Saxon, James Wainwright, Don Stroud, Paul Koslo and Gregory Walcott.Joe Kidd is a farmer, drawn into a land squabble involving wealthy businessman Frank Harlan (Duvall) and Louis Chama (Saxon), the leader of a disgruntled group of settlers. Chama's efforts at land reform could upset Harlan's plans, and so he wants him dead. Harlan's hired guns include Simms (Stroud), Mingo (Wainwright), and Gannon (Koslo). Kidd is hired as a guide, to help track down Chama, but the job doesn't last long, and he finds himself imprisoned in a church in Chama's home village. Escaping into the hills, with Chama's woman (Stella Garcia), he meets up with the outlaw, and convinces him to return to face justice in the same court system he detests. Elmore Leonard's story is just weak, and neither Eastwood nor Oscar winner Duvall can save it. Eastwood seems to be uninspired, and Duvall really isn't given much to work with. Saxon is an odd choice, as a Latino who abandons his principles without much of a fight. Only Don Stroud puts some punch into the movie, playing an antagonistic killer, provoking Kidd to fight. His attitude and language do not match the time period, but who cares since not much else is happening? His untimely end is so quick that we feel denied of satisfaction, which could be said for the whole movie. Lalo Schifrin's score featuring modern electronic instruments, while cool, seems inappropriate in a western. John Sturges, who has directed some fine action films in the past, like "The Great Escape" and "The Magnificent Seven", has material of much different quality to work with here. Overall, not one of Clint's better efforts.
Rating: 
Summary: Sober & Conservative Eastwood Western, still worth the Money
Review: Another sober and conservative Eastwood Western, directed by John Sturges this time... Although not as captivating or as intriguing as the following High Plains Drifter, it nevertheless has all the classic ingredients, absolutely great sceneries, a relatively modest story, and a rather fine cast (including Robert Duvall). The existential themes are a bit in the wake and following of Hang 'Em High, i.e. the question of Justice, Right and Wrong, etc. (themes that were to be omnipresent in all of Eastwood's subsequent Westerns). Of course it isn't a truly Fantastic Western, at least by the standard of his following ones (High Plain Drifters, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Pale Rider), but it's nevertheless still worth a cool watch, if only for the extremely beautiful outdoors...
Rating: 
Summary: A Lackluster Western
Review: Apart from some impressive scenery and a nifty train-wreck climax, Clint Eastwood's "Joe Kidd" (1972) is an uninspired, dreary affair that resembles a made-for-TV movie. Director John Sturges simply goes through the motions and a fine supporting cast (including Robert Duvall and John Saxon) is wasted. Judging by the film's lackluster quality, it's easy to see why Eastwood directed his remaining Westerns -- with considerably more success.
Rating:
Summary: A Little Stale
Review: Clint Eastwood rarely stars in a bad movie, but that's not to say this is bad, it just falls a bit flat. A good cast, including a deliciously villainous Robert Duvall unfortunately fail to lift this picture above mediocrity. Add to this, it's relatively short running time (just under 90 minutes), fans of the genre, and Clint (who have been spoiled by great movies before) will feel a little let down. It's probably fair to say that a lesser known cast, and director wouldn't even have got this movie off the cutting room floor. All this said, any Clint collector will probably want it in his/her collection, and the usual amount of dry humor, and Eastwoodesque rationality does make this watchable, if not that memorable.
Rating:
Summary: Clint t'ain't 'kidd'ing around!
Review: clint.May hero does a great jo as them man called joe kidd.He erm coeboy of the old west .T'werth the olden days.I lurve how clint shoots up all them bad men but the lack of babies in them movies was disapointin.
I think it woulda been better if Clint had saved a baby instead of them damsels in distress from them bars.YThe babys are cuter and t'werent need much money to be payes.Just a buck a day and if one leaves or gets sicks.You can get a new one, cause all them babies look the same.
Clints looks aot like me in them movies and i think i lurk might fine fer a man.
Rating: 
Summary: A major disappointment
Review: Despite a cast headed by Clint Eastwood and Robert Duvall, and the presence of John Sturges ("Bad Day at Black Rock," "The Great Escape") behind the camera, "Joe Kidd" is almost instantly forgettable. The first fifteen minutes show promise, suggesting that this might be another offbeat Eastwood western, but it soon dissipates into boredom and predictability with the accent on the former. A major disappointment (especially coming only months after the release of "Dirty Harry") and one of Eastwood's worst films.
Rating:
Summary: Robert Duvall sings!
Review: He cant act, so he figures hed try singing his lines- listen for when he breaks out with "I wanna see a man by the name of Joe Kidd" sung in a sing-song South Sea style.
Rating:
Summary: As good as any
Review: I don't understand why this got mediocre to bad reviews,I've seen this movie many times & think it's as good or better than any of his early work.As a bonus you get Robert Duval & Don Stroud(who you know is going to get killed before the end of the movie).
Highly recommended to any Clint fan !
Rating:
Summary: "Straight up or draped over the saddle, either way..."
Review: I found Eastwood at his western best in Joe Kidd. There was plenty of tough guy lines delivered as only Clint can and the outdoor scenery was great. Robert Duvall was in top form as usual. The train scene at the end was kinda anti-climactic but overall this was very watchable in widescreen format. I don't know why DVD picture rating on this was 1.5. I found it right on par to most of the other older movies that have been released on DVD. This will hold up to repeated viewings better than Pale Rider and possibly even Hang 'em High. Worth a buy for the Eastwood/Western fan.
Rating:
Summary: Just Okay
Review: I really wanted to like this film a lot: what with Clint and Robert Duvall starring together. But it's just not a very good film. It has the flavor of classic Clint and the western drama but lacks the substance. The story line is too improbable for even the most ardent fan. The dialogue and action are slow and drawn out. Like molasses.
And the climax is just plain limp. Fortunately, there are so many great Clint westerns to choose from - Hang'em High, Good, Bad, and the Ugly trio, The Outlaw Josey Wales (one of Clint's favorites) that the viewer can still enjoy wonderful westerns of the highest quality - but this isn't one of them. Three stars.
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