Rating: 
Summary: A Fun Western
Review: I loved this movie. I always had a thirst for lost gold and buried treasure and this flick quenches my thirst, what's more it is just great fun. Gregory Peck and Omar Sharif are good guy-bad guy. A few cameos by Eli Wallach, Burgess Meredith and Edward G. Robinson. The only hokie parts are when they stop at a watering hole and take a swim in obviously Hollywood doctored water,and some minaturized earthquake scenes. Overall though this movie is great escapism.
Rating: 
Summary: Mackenna's Garbage
Review: I'd heard so much about this movie over the years, that when I finally got the chance to watch it recently I was really looking forward to it. Moreover, THE GUNS OF NAVARONE was one of my favorites and MACKENNA'S GOLD reunited the star (Peck), the director (Thompson), the screenwriter (Foreman), and the composer (Tomkin) of that film. Perhaps these factors created too high of expectations, but my God... what a weird, crappy movie!!!
Jose Feliciano's psychedelic-folk tune about a vulture [what???], which plays during the opening credits [and alas intermittently throught the rest of the film] was an omen for things to come. By the way, no wonder this guy is best known for his version of Feliz Navidad. Anyhow, Gregory Peck's Marshall Mackenna is tracking his nemesis Colorado (Sharif) when a dying Indian tells him about the location of a famed horde of gold. This revelation sets the stage of an unintentionally campy adventure about greed, revenge, race, and vultures [well not really, but Jose Feliciano seemed to think so].
There are so many great actors in this film, but many [cough.. Omar Sharif.. cough] turn in performances that make Adam West & William Shatner seem like nuanced thespians. On top of that you have some horrible performances by a couple of actors in key Indian parts. Few things in westerns irritate me more than non-Indian actors playing Indian roles as if they are Lurch from the Adams Family in Indian garb! Oh wait, one of these guys actually was Lurch on the Adams Family!!! Only Eli Wallach [this guy rocks in westerns!] and Telly Savalas breath any life, albeit briefly, into the big-budget buffoonery. The finale is so awful. THE GUNS of NAVARONE had great special effects, but the much touted-effects of this film that was made 8 years later are comical. Wow, MGM purchased a Canyon and destroyed it for the film. If the cinematography doesn't capture this well on film its all for naught!!!
Gregory Peck in the lead role makes this incredibly long nonsense somewhat watchable, but 1969 was not a good year for Gregory Peck westerns - a year in which he also made Stalking Moon [another potboiler with Anglos giving crappy performances as Indians, but no vulture songs]. 1958, however, was a much better year for Gregory Peck westerns as both the BIG COUNTRY [what a great theme] and the underated BRAVADOS were released during that time. I guess in this instance the idealization of the 1950s does hold up.
Rating: 
Summary: MacKenna's Gold
Review: In the mid sixties, I imagine that some big shot executive probably called a meeting, and said...'I have such a killer cast lined up for this new movie I am imagining! All I need is a couple of million dollars, and a half way decent script!' That is basically all this movie is. A movie with a GREAT cast(i.e. Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif, Telly Savalas, Julie Newmar, Burgess Meredith, and Edward G Robinson), a huge budget for the time, and a poor script at best.
The story is about the gangster Colorado, who kidnaps Marshal McKenna. He believes that McKenna has seen a map which leads to a rich vein of gold in the mountains and forces him to show him the way. But they're not the only ones who're after the gold; soon they meet a group of "honorable" citizens and the cavalry crosses their way too - and that is even before they enter Indian territory.
There is lots of action: shootouts, underwater fight scenes, and an exciting ending that almost makes you forget about what a waste of talent the rest of the movie was!
I can't say that I didn't like this movie, because I did, but I can't say I really liked this movie either. It is just that type of movie that you either love...or hate! You make the descision!
Rating:
Summary: Mackenna's Cheese
Review: Lord help us if, in the vastness of space, aliens pick up a digital broadcast of this film and respond in either of two ways: A) They hate it for its wretched excess and Hollywoodization of a potentially good Western and seek to destroy Earth for its abominations, or
B) They love it for its wretched excess and Hollywoodization of a potentially great Western and seek to enslave Earth to produce more cheesy Oaters of its ilk.
Mackenna's Gold is an extremely good novel by Will Henry, but as a movie, it's as if some foreigners with only a vague idea about Westerns filmed it. It begins promising, despite the Disneyesque Quincy Jones turkey-vulture song, but swiftly descends to cheese as Gregory Peck (who oughta know better!) quick-draws on an Indian a hundred yards away and FANS his six-gun. He promptly hits the chief (oh,please!),mortally wounding him, for which the chief gratefully gives him a map to unimaginable wealth, and hijinks ensue. Another gawdawful scene has poor Keenan Wynn (who must be wishing by this time he was far away in Spain, making an Italian piece of crap instead) spontaneously erupting into some kind of fandango-speaking in tongues-South Pacific "dance" while the distinguished guest star cast watches in stupefication. This, I am guessing, HAD to be a dare proposed to Mr. Wynn to liven up the screen for the dozing audience, and by gosh, he did it! And yet more to consider to the theory that the heat of those Arizona deserts had driven the director off his rocker is the "gettin' nekkid" waterhole scene displaying more of Omar Sharif than Julie Newmar! Our misguided editor continually shows us (kids, avert your pea-pickin' eyes!) a fully-focused and buck naked (but legs demurely crossed-LIKE ANY ROUGHASRAWHIDE KILLER WESTERN OUTLAW I'M SURE DOES!!)Omar, while the nubile Miss Newmar is only questionably visible. Can there be any real justice in the world when the Powers-That-Be make decisions like that?
Now, before I am lynched by lovers of this flick, let me say a few good words over it. Peck, Miss Sparv, and Ted Cassidy are well cast. They fit the characters in the novel quite well. And the movie is, overall, a hoot. Well, that didn't take long. Now back to the bad and ugly parts. Eli Wallach or Telly Savalas should have had Sharif's role. Either of them can be far more menacing. And what is the point of all those "gentlemen of Hadleyburg"? They had a purpose in the book even though they were fewer in number and less distracting to the plot. Only one of them mattered-a Tom Horn character. If the movie had retained him it could have made a real interesting star-in-cameo role-perhaps for James Garner (who come to think of it-if the movie were truer to the book-would have made a perfect Mackenna). Yes, as is, Mackenna's Gold is sort of fun to watch and I own a tape of it, but if you ever read Will Henry's book, you'll see the Hollywood hacks really made a mess of it.
Meanwhile, look to the skies!
Rating:
Summary: An action-packed western, but not for kids. . .
Review: Mackenna's Gold seemingly has it all; an outstanding cast, magnificent scenery, breath-taking action and a haunting soundtrack. Unfortunately, the plot is so convoluted it makes a pretzel look like a straight line.Gregory Peck and Omar Shariff are the headliners, as their personal battle provides the major subplot to the search for a valley of gold called "The Lost Adams." They are almost too ably assisted by a stellar supporting cast including Telly Savalas, Richard Kiel and Julie Newmar. The basic plot is typical of many westerns; disparate characters setting aside their differences to search for riches. However, there are so many characters, so many sub-plots and so many twists, turns, and double-crosses that a moment's inattention can cause the viewer to lose track of what is happening. This can be a very enjoyable film to watch, but it does require some effort on the part of the audience. The movie is very violent and contains a good deal of adult content. Parents are cautioned to take a good look before letting younger children watch. Mackenna's Gold may be a bit too long, too complicated and too violent, but it successfully provides a mature variation on the classic horse opera and will be a welcome change of pace for fans of the genre.
Rating:
Summary: A GOLDEN DVD FOR A NOT SO BAD FLICK
Review: Much more exciting than what the bad reviews predicted. The plot is far from being confusing although some of the main stars (Eli Wallach, Edward G.Robinson...) perish too hastily but there is action, beautiful landscapes and an enjoyable performance by Omar Sharif as the bad guy. Filmed in SuperPanavision, the widescreen transfer is simply stunning. Sharp and colourful with a new and effective 5.1 dolby digital remix. Good score by Quincy Jones although Jose Feliciano's theme song is tiresome. As a bonus, you will find a trailor of Lawrence of Arabia which promises to be another great DVD from Columbia.
Rating: 
Summary: A Golden Classic
Review: One of my all time favorites I was really glad when it was released on dvd. This western has it all. Lots of action, big name stars, and gorgeous scenery. This movie is why I bought a big screen (55inch) tv. You just can't appreciate this kind of cinematic splendor on a 27 inch screen. The opening sequence is terrific. The gunfight between Gregory Peck and the old indian chief is awsome in surround sound making the richoteing bullets bouncing off the canyon walls puts you right in the middle of the action. Omar Sharif pulls it off rather well as a mexican bandit. Gregory Peck...well shucks he's good here to as the marshal shanghaid to lead a band of misfits and cutthroats to an unbelievable valley of gold.
If there's anything for me to critize I guess it would be some of the hokey special effects. I still laugh every time I see the obvious models used in the near death scene on the creaky bridge. Still I can overlook some minor faults in such a great western. Not perfect yet few movies are. I give it 5 stars for sheer entertainment.
One other bit of critique is to the 5.0 soundtrack. Why leave out the subwoofer? It would have been great in the final earthquake sequence.
Rating:
Summary: A great bad-movie western!
Review: Phew! What a stinker! A wonderful entry in the "get a fabulous cast and make a lousy movie" contest. This western is so bad it is funny -- from the opening song ("Old Turkey Buzzard") to the infamous "race with shadows" that get longer instead of shorter! From Omar Shariff's subtle nude scene to "Lurch" of Addam's Family fame playing a big mean indian. My favorite part -- crossing the rope bridge! Gotta love it.
Rating:
Summary: ONLY FULLSCREEN VERSION AVAILABLE?
Review: This is a brilliant movie. However, be aware, that the version that I was shipped (February 2005) from Amazon.ca, is NOT the version described here. THERE IS NO WIDESCREED VERSION on side 2. There is no side 2. I would check before ordering.
Rating:
Summary: A fantasy western about gold fever and greed.
Review: This is one of those odd Hollywood westerns that almost fits into the "science fiction" category. I like everything Gregory Peck has ever done... so I enjoyed the movie. I also liked the music if not the lyrics (Old Turkey Buzzard). The plot doesn't make much sense and could've been better. But this odd movie still qualifies as a classic in my mind.
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