I have to get this out of the way first: Everyone who reviews this movie falls all over themselves to praise Morricone's score, but to tell the truth, I thought the main theme was overused, overwrought, and mixed way too loud. (Most of the incidental music is fine). It's not bad, of course - Ennio is incapable of creating a bad soundtrack - but it's decidedly less quirky and compelling than some of his classics like "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly".
Second: Everything about the movie looks great. I can't fault the director and cinematographer on this - visually the landscape and the sets and the costumes and the setups pull the viewer completely and hypnotically into the bloody, nihilistic vision of the classic Spaghetti Western.
Where the movie falls short is with the plot and with Burt Reynolds. Now, this isn't to say that I don't like Burt - I'm a fan of even his lesser work, and he and his stuntman certainly combine to make a character who is a force of nature. But he's just not a natural choice for an Indian, and he doesn't disappear into the role. You see that face, and you can't see past the fact that it's Burt Reynolds. (Not a problem with a movie like "Stick" or "Smokey and The Bandit, definitely a problem here.) That pops me right out of the movie that the rest of the visuals work so hard to pull me into.
As for the plot - the screenplay lacks the gallows humor and wry machismo of the best SWs - Navajo Joe is just a vengeance machine with a code of honor, and the bad guy is just an utterly despicable psychopath. And every character is an idiot - no one acts logically or with a moment's thought as to the implications of the plot points. (For instance, when the Dr. opens the safe expecting a $500,000 payoff inside, and it's empty, the lead bad guy never seems to consider that only a masochist desiring death would deliberately try to cheat him this way, and shoots the man in spite of his protestations.)
Still, "Navajoe Joe" is a good example of 2nd string SW filler - not a classic to go out of your way to see, but worth catching if it pops up on cable.
Second: Everything about the movie looks great. I can't fault the director and cinematographer on this - visually the landscape and the sets and the costumes and the setups pull the viewer completely and hypnotically into the bloody, nihilistic vision of the classic Spaghetti Western.
Where the movie falls short is with the plot and with Burt Reynolds. Now, this isn't to say that I don't like Burt - I'm a fan of even his lesser work, and he and his stuntman certainly combine to make a character who is a force of nature. But he's just not a natural choice for an Indian, and he doesn't disappear into the role. You see that face, and you can't see past the fact that it's Burt Reynolds. (Not a problem with a movie like "Stick" or "Smokey and The Bandit, definitely a problem here.) That pops me right out of the movie that the rest of the visuals work so hard to pull me into.
As for the plot - the screenplay lacks the gallows humor and wry machismo of the best SWs - Navajo Joe is just a vengeance machine with a code of honor, and the bad guy is just an utterly despicable psychopath. And every character is an idiot - no one acts logically or with a moment's thought as to the implications of the plot points. (For instance, when the Dr. opens the safe expecting a $500,000 payoff inside, and it's empty, the lead bad guy never seems to consider that only a masochist desiring death would deliberately try to cheat him this way, and shoots the man in spite of his protestations.)
Still, "Navajoe Joe" is a good example of 2nd string SW filler - not a classic to go out of your way to see, but worth catching if it pops up on cable.