Rating: 
Summary: goold ole fashin westen
Review: this film was always a favoriite of mine due to the fact it's storey is around world war 1, and the introduction of the horsless carraige and the introduction of modern weapons such as the water cooled machine gun. lee marvin, and burt lancaster are great, always standing in as a support character is skinny robet ryan, whose schedule should have been busy, as most of these actors were doing other films as well. jack palance, get special mention as well. not a academy award winner, but a darn good action packed movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Brooks best effort
Review: This film was just a couple of miscasts short of being a real classic. Why Jack Palance and Claudia Cardinale as the Mexican couple at the center of the plot? There must have been thousands of English-speaking Mexican actors who could have made them more credible. That said, though, writer and director Richard Brooks misses mighty few other beats in this often riveting and fast-paced tale of four hired guns tricked into a morass of extortion and revolutionary politics along the Mexican border. Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster and Robert Ryan were never better.
Rating:
Summary: Great fun. Not profound, but worthy film about honor.
Review: This is a fun movie. Like most westerns, this is a film about honor. Ralph Bellamy assembles a group of "professionals" - actually a mix of rebels - to rescue his wife, Claudia Cardinale, from Jack Palance, a Mexican revolutionary. Lee Marvin gathers Burt Lancaster, Woody Strode, and Robert Ryan to do the job. The action of the movie consists of the professionals' suspicion about their task, their ambivalence toward the revolution and their former friends in the revolutionary movement, in dynamic tension with the fact they gave their word to complete the job. At one point Burt Lancaster says to Lee Marvin, "My word to Mr. Grant (Bellamy) isn't worth a thing." To which Marvin replies, "Yes, but you didn't give your word to him, you gave it to me." In the end it is honor and keeping your commitment to your friends that provides the central values to the characters. The DVD version has restored the color that had faded from earlier VHS versions, although I had to turn up the brightness control to get the best picture. The digital sound is excellent. Claudia Cardinale is the weakest member of the cast, but beautiful nevertheless. The best part of the movie is the dialogue between Lancaster and Marvin, which produces many memorable lines. Commenting on the Mexican revolution Lancaster says, "Maybe there is only one revolution - the good guys against the bad guys. The trouble is figuring out which are the good guys and which are the bad guys." In the final scene Bellamy calls Marvin a bastard. Marvin replies, "In my case an accident of birth. In your case you've worked at it." Great fun. Not as profound as The Searchers or The Wild Bunch but right up there for great entertainment and great acting chemistry.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies ever made!!!
Review: This movie has it ALL! Taut direction, beautiful cinematography, sweeping musical score, an incredably literate script with the catchiest lines ever spoken on the screen, and the best acting of the experianced casts' careers. From the opening scenes to the unexpected conclusion, this movie grips your attention all the way. Just when you think the action can't get any better, the plot turns on a dime and off you're off in a different direction at breakneck speed. I am a consumate movie buff and have seen thousands of films, but none with the powerful punch of this one. It is the only film I sat through twice in the theater. I couldn't believe the realism, rugged beauty, and magnetism of these veteran stars. This one can not be topped.
Rating: 
Summary: Great cast phoning it in
Review: This movie suffers, first of all, from poor second unit direction. The actions scenes are totally unconvincing. For example, machine guns are fired at horsemen from almost pointblank range, yet no one falls. Since this is primarily an action film the fact that much of the action is not up to snuff hurts the film alot.
You'd think, with such an outstanding cast, that the drama portion of the film would be better than it is. Unfortunately, these very fine actors seems to be going through the motions, phoning it in. Too bad. This was an intriguing idea for a movie, and the cinematography is great, but the movie as a whole is nothing special.
Rating:
Summary: A Treat for Western Lovers......
Review: This review refers to the Columbia Western Classics DVD edition of "The Professionals"..... A wealthy Texas oilman's beautiful young wife has been kidnapped and is being held across the border in Mexico. There has been a ransom demand for 100,00 dollars. Four men who have just the right skills needed are hired at great cost to save her from the
hands of "Raza", the merciless captain of the revolution! "The Professionals" are Lee Marvin, whose expertise would lead the crew through the harsh landscapes, Robert Ryan who is an expert with horses, Woody Strode an excellent scout and never misses his mark and last but certainly not least Burt Lancaster(who has a bit of a problem hanging on to his clothes), is our explosives expert. Scorching deserts, bulletts flying, sand storms, lame horses..none of this will keep our guys from their mission. It's more than just your run of the mill, save the fair maiden story though. There are several plot twists, lots of action, suspense and adventure to keep you totally involved. And the big question these guys want to know is "what kind of woman is worth that kind of money?"(well, you know this was a long time ago) So what kind of woman....The Claudia Cardinale kind! She is stunning, and fiesty. But what is her part in all this?
The cast seems to get better with every scene. In addition to the legendary actors mentioned above(who all turn in great performances),you'll also find Ralph Bellemy as the rich Texan, and the great Jack Palance is absolutely convincing as Raza. Expert cinematography by Conrad Hall takes in all the desert vistas perfectly, and a teriffic score by Maurice Jarre adds just the right flavor. Richard Brooks directs a real treat for the western lover. So when I first saw the price of this DVD, I balked. I thought it was a little high and was I was a little worried about how the transfer would be of this 1966 technicolor film. But I love this film, and consider it a Western Classic and being the western lover I am, I had to have it. Well I took a chance and was pleasently surprised at the view. Although the colors seem slightly dated, they were still good and the picture itself in widescreen(full screen on side b if you prefer) was sharp and clear at all times. The remastered audio is in Stereo and sounds great considering the age of this film. The explosions,the galloping of the horses, the dialouge, all distinct. I'm a happy cowgirl with this DVD! There are filmographies, subtitles in several languages, and a theatrical trailer. No other special features though.Just good old western fare. It is rated PG-13, but may not be suitable for younger views as there are some brief scenes of partial nudity. So saddle up and enjoy......Laurie
Rating:
Summary: ANOTHER GEM FROM 1966
Review: While preparing yourself to watch this delightful movie entertainment,just make sure there are no feminists in your house.It's actually the story of a gang of macho men who competes for the affection of CLAUDIA CARDINALE.Who could blame them?There are many explosions along the ride,so you should not fall asleep,except if your sister is a grey nun.The dialogue is often cynical in a true fun way.Like we often say,they don't make them like that anymore.That MEXICAN flavor that brings out the male in all of us.The first time i saw that movie in the seventies,i wished that CLAUDIA was my aunt,but it was only a dream.Entertainment is the key word here, and does it delivers?
|
