The Comancheros

Rating:
Summary: Worth Crowing about
Review: Wayne as in any of his other great movies is larger than life. As a Texas Ranger his methods are not to be denied. Lee Marvin although only having a brief part plays it to the hilt as Crow, a hard as nails gun trader. Stuart Whittman is excellent as Monseur Paul Regret. We can understand why he was chosen to play in the TV series Cimarron Strip. He plays a credible Louisianan of class. Ina Balin does a fine job as the daughter of a wealthy outlaw. Several cameos including Patrick Wayne, the dukes son. The story, cast, and music add up to a sprawling western well worth owning. The DVD picture quality and sound are superb. I especially noticed how sharp the red credits are on the DVD since on most VHS or TV viewings they bleed like the bad guys.

Rating:
Summary: Classic, Crowd-Pleasing Duke!
Review: You can see by the title that I am a John Wayne fan, and this rip-roaring Western is one of the reasons why. With equal portions of rousing action, humor, and drama, this film keeps your interest and, like the Duke's performance, never loses its authenticity. It's said that John Wayne took over direction of some of the action sequences, and they're great. There are well-drawn, clear differences between the good buys and bad guys, but the characters are human and developed enough for the actors to sink their teeth into, which all do with gusto. By this time in his career, the Duke only had to show up on screen to be the authentic Western hero, but as usual he goes 'way beyond that, giving a colorful, humorous, absolutely real and terrific performance as the Texas Ranger who helps a man on the wrong side of the law redeem himself and find the woman he loves--as well as stopping a motley, dangerous bunch of white renegades (Comancheros) who are selling weapons to warring Comanche Indians. It's great movie-making and a great couple of hours with the Duke, so check it out!