The Man Who Would Be King

Rating:
Summary: An Action-Adventure Romp With A Superior Ending
Review: John Houston didn't go wrong when he adapted Rudyard Kipling's short story for the screen. Beautifully photographed and slyly acted, this film is an excellent, if hollow, adventure film. Michael Cain and Sean Connery both shine in their respective roles, though Cain's portrayal is more convincing and real. The dialogue is superb and the plot wholly original. The film is a tad simplisitc, I'm afraid, and moves too quickly for an action-adventure, but it is on par with the great King Solomon's Mines or the Indiana Jones Trilogy. For those seeking an evening of treasure-seeking and light adventure, The Man Who Would Be King is a great choice. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: "The most audacious thing in fiction..."
Review: This movie is head and shoulders above most movies in this genre. "The man who would be king" is dead on target with its ability to thrill while telling Kipling's story of two British soldiers seeking more than their fair share of fame and fortune in the remote country of Kafiristan in the late 1880's. Our two heroes Danny Dravot (Connery) and Peachy Carnehan (Caine), outline a bold and seemingly unthinkable plan. They are to travel, unguided, through more than a hundred miles of hostile, remote territories, and, after training the local inhabitants in modern warfare and making their leader king of all he surveys, will "...subvert that king, and loot the kingdom four ways from sunday". There are many plot twists along the way, yet one is struck at how both plausible and bold the twists are. There's a keen sense of satire, particularly in Kipling's story, which is preserved in the film as a whole. The dvd version (panavision) is definitely the way to go. John Houston does a remarkable job of telling so much of the story visually and with a fine sense of style. When seen in the videotape (pan and scan) version, it loses much of the film's scope and grandeur, and the otherwise fluid story-telling is a bit hampered. The dvd also includes an eye-opening "Making of..." documentary. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: My all time favourite
Review: Having served overseas in a British Rifle Regiment including Special Forces, I found this great film portrayed British Army life very accurately. The characters behave in the same manner as do modern riflemen who travel hundreds of miles behind enemy lines on reconnaissance and sabotage missions. This film is an education for the uninitiated, it shocks my American friends.

Rating:
Summary: This is Great Movie!
Review: But! Something happened to the production of the tape. In other words, when we put the tape in it got stuck in our VCR. What should we do? And Will you pay for the repair of our VCR if we can't get it out ourselves? sincerely, R. Merlotti

Rating:
Summary: another masterpiece by caine/connery
Review: I actually stumbled upon this movie in the TV guide and decided to watch it, only because it had Sean Connery. It was however given four stars by the critics. SO I thought how good could it possibly be? It was tremendous. Sean Connery has always been one of my favorite actors sonce I saw him in James Bond, The HUnt For REd October, and and The Rock, but The Man WHo would be king is very close in my opinion to being his best movie. Not to take anything away from Michael Caine, because he too was fantastic. The plot was amazing, but in the same time, I could actually see this happening at the time this movie took place (early 20th century). John Huston is such a great director, and this is one of his finest works, and that's saying a lot, since he directed THe Maltese Falcon and The African Queen. The scene where Daniel Dravot falls and his crown also falls from his head and they both disappear into the valley. Amazing. The many scenes with the monks are also fantastic. Overall, this is without one of the best movies I have ever seen. It's got great cinematography,, acting, and direction. Everything you should want in a movie. Buy it!

Rating:
Summary: Plain and Simple... a Classic!
Review: I have seen this on the big screen, I have seen it on video. It is everything you could want in a film. Action, adventure, romance, handsome leading men, beautiful women, unforgetable cinamatography and an I dont want this to end story!.. The comraderie between the two leading men is without a doubt amongst hollywoods best. Hepburn/Tracy, Gable/Lombard, Lemmon/Matthau/, Gibson/Glover. Connery/Caine. I can not imagine anything finer than the combination of Kipling/Huston/Connery & Caine. I worked my way thru college as an assistant manager in a theatre and have seen many many films. This is my all time favorite! And now, I have brought this film to the attention of my teenage son and his friends thru the video version, and they in turn have shown it to their friends...... plain and simple...... this film is an american classic. 5 stars seems too insignificant for such a film I give it 10!

Rating:
Summary: Great great film, so so DVD - with one startling omission
Review: This is, of course, a great film, with every aspect of what makes a great film fully exploited. But I did discover something strange on the DVD - there is an entire scene missing. After Sean Connery falls from the bridge, instead of the process shot that shows him falling in slow-motion and the crown falling from his head (which is in every version of the film I've ever seen) the scene dissolves to Christopher Plummer listening to the final words of Michael Caine's narration. What happened to the scene?? Why would it have been removed?? My only other quibble about the DVD is that the sound is not very full. It is an early release DVD so in subsequent releases they might address that issue, but PUT BACK THE MISSING SCENE!

Rating:
Summary: MORE THAN AN ALL-TIME FAVORITE
Review: This is a film that carries all of the crucial elements for one of the greatest movie watching experiences--but don't just take that from me. I am happy to see that all of the prior reviews showcase nothing but praise for this one. The cast is flawless, the script is flawless, and the direction is flawless. I'll defend this film as one of the best adventures of all time--and after another viewer has sat through their first screening of it, I would not be surprised if they got right on their computer and typed their reverent review of this classic.

Rating:
Summary: God's Gift to Movie Viewers
Review: "The Man Who Would Be King" is one of the top movies of all time and anyone who says otherwise is either too nitpicky or has very poor taste in movies indeed! A masterpiece that should be seen by anyone who enjoys movies!

Rating:
Summary: A rousing swashbuckler.
Review: I have not seen the video, but I have seen the film. It is an enjoyable historical action film, which draws attention to a little known aspect of history. Namely, that Alexander the Great extended his empire to include Afghanistan and other Central Asian countries. The costuming of the "natives" is well done, but incorrect. By that, I mean the costumes are superb, they are just not Afghani, nor even Asian. The movie was clearly shot in Morocco, as that is where these costumes belong. The men in their caftans, the women with their huge necklaces of copal amber are absolutely authentic, for North Africa. In the background of one scene, one can even see Guedra Dancers. Guedra is a trance dance of North African origin. The harm done by these inaccuracies is that, the unenlightened viewer is left with an impression of what is proported to be Afghanistan, but he has actually seen the people of North Africa, in their native costumes. Where the film could have provided accurate ethnographic details, is gives totally erroneous visual information. I also find it insulting, that we, the viewers were not supposed to know the difference.