.........it takes the old 'Send in a group of tough guys into the Bad Lands to rescue the Damsel in Distress' plot and does what it has to very well. Here you have fine turns by Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster and Woody Strode. Now I saw in a few of these reviews such rather strange comments as Lee Marvin 'not registering' or playing a block of wood. Really? Seemed like the standard trademark mid-60's Dirty Dozen Lee Marvin performance to me. Fit him like a glove.
Then there was a idiotic Robert Ryan as Costner/black hole comment. Gimme a break. Ryan was a solid professional in about everything he did be it 'Flying Leathernecks' or 'Dirty Dozen' or this. Certainly he didn't have as much to do as the others, but when he's on screen here, yah I bought it. He likes horses and gets overwhelmed by the heat. Sounds likely to me too.
Cardinale and Marie Gomez are both very beautiful, Cardinale essentially repeating this role in '69's 'Once Upon a Time in the West' save for she was allowed to be in a house during that one. Exotic ladies both of them.
I also enjoyed seeing Ralph Bellamy playing a baddie-something he could have done earlier in the '40's if they'd ever given him the chance I think. Usually he was the nice guy who lost the gal to the hero instead.
Of course the baddies/mexicans shoot about as well's the Empire's forces in Star Wars, not able to even so much as hit the broadside of a craphouse despite 40-1 odds. Palance as a Mexican is a stretch too, but hey he's at least worth watching every time out. If I remember right he is Polish...
Look quick for long-time TV character actor Vaughn Taylor here too-as the banker at the start. Always turned up in those old 50's-60's dramas.
Terrific scenery and locales and use of the desert. Conrad Hall was a pro's pro w/ this kinda thing.
*** outta ****. Enjoy it.
Then there was a idiotic Robert Ryan as Costner/black hole comment. Gimme a break. Ryan was a solid professional in about everything he did be it 'Flying Leathernecks' or 'Dirty Dozen' or this. Certainly he didn't have as much to do as the others, but when he's on screen here, yah I bought it. He likes horses and gets overwhelmed by the heat. Sounds likely to me too.
Cardinale and Marie Gomez are both very beautiful, Cardinale essentially repeating this role in '69's 'Once Upon a Time in the West' save for she was allowed to be in a house during that one. Exotic ladies both of them.
I also enjoyed seeing Ralph Bellamy playing a baddie-something he could have done earlier in the '40's if they'd ever given him the chance I think. Usually he was the nice guy who lost the gal to the hero instead.
Of course the baddies/mexicans shoot about as well's the Empire's forces in Star Wars, not able to even so much as hit the broadside of a craphouse despite 40-1 odds. Palance as a Mexican is a stretch too, but hey he's at least worth watching every time out. If I remember right he is Polish...
Look quick for long-time TV character actor Vaughn Taylor here too-as the banker at the start. Always turned up in those old 50's-60's dramas.
Terrific scenery and locales and use of the desert. Conrad Hall was a pro's pro w/ this kinda thing.
*** outta ****. Enjoy it.