James-Coburn Movie Reviews

You won't believe who's behind constantly watching the president's analyst. Someone or should I say something other than your typical agents. Fans of James Coburn will enjoy this movie, especially if they liked his Flint movies or Duck, You Sucker (Giù la testa, 1971). Parody after parody, it is hard to know the truth from the lies. One of my all time favorite comedies. The supporting cast is great and the director, sets, and music make it all first rate. I only hope this comes out on DVD since it belongs among the top 100 comedies even if it is a sleeper. I somehow missed this at the theater myself and caught it on TV when my closest friend was watching it. I laughed my a** off. Whether you grew up during the 60s or not, any fans of movies like Animal House, Blazing Saddles, Naked Gun, and Hot Shots! should not be disappointed. Anyone that grew up in the 60s, that like comedies, will love it.

James Coburn, known recently for his grizzly, violent, Oscar-winning turn in "Affliction," is a character actor of unparallelled versatility. He is able to parlay his unique physical gifts - the deep, powerful voice; the toothy, feline grin; the wiry lankiness - into any project with surefire credibility. He can play dumb or smart, aggressive or tentative, funny or straight, mean or pussycat, country or city. And judging from most of his work, you might think the only emotion he can't exhibit is "uncool." "The President's Analyst" is the exception. Across the psychodelic, satirical backdrop of the late '60s, Coburn's urbane sophistocate of an analyst unravels into every imaginable thread of postwar paranoia. And he's funny all the way through. I guess a true comic actor fools you into thinking that he's funny without trying to be funny. Coburn's "Analyst" does just that. As a fiercely logical man (he tells his girlfriend: "I love you, and it's my clinical opinion that you love me, too") set to probe the mind of a modern president, he (and mostly the writer/director Theodore Flicker) stumble upon a very funny premise: that even the smartest man among us has precious little hope of understanding life in the modern age.

I saw this movie on a Saturday night when I was a teen and I roared! Surprisingly, it was almost uncut except for the small amount of nudity in the 'killing fields.' Although dated this film is still hysterical. A 60s black comedy about the reality of the spy business - all to get inside the President's head! Can you imagine a Canadian secret service???? Coburn as the President's analyst is perfect. His wry smiles while he slowly decends into paranoia is unbelievble. The scenes of him being summoned by the Commander in Chief are priceless! Godfrey Cambridge as a black 'license to kill' agent who has 'baggage' from his childhood is a scream. Severn Darden Godfrey's Russian counterpart, despite the fact he is prepared to kill at the drop of his Russian Ushanka is Godfrey's best buddy. The scene with Pat Harrington, Jr. as the phone 'agent' is just over the top!

I agree with Vince Mack and the critics this must be put on DVD in widescreen format with Barry McGuire's music and the 'art cinema' scene where Coburn's character meets Joan Delaney's as well as the weird disembodied-eyeballs sequence. This is an absolute Gem of a movie that needs to be preserved in tact! Additionally since we're talking James Coburn I'd like to see "Waterhole No. 3" another Coburn classic also transferred to DVD!

Brilliant. Disturbing. Perplexing. Hilarious. Neglected.

Screenwriter Terry Southern (with the equally brilliant Christopher Isherwood) are the true stars here, having drafted and crafted a movie that's both truly disturbing and hilarious. One of Southern's finest film scripts (a worthy equal to his Dr Strangelove and Easy Rider scripts), The Loved One is an unjustly ignored and forgotten gem from a time when smart comedies were not only critically lauded but publically applauded. Demand the release on DVD!

This is another film that's been secreted away in the MGM vaults that just cries out to be adequately transferred to DVD.

Talent abounds here. Start with a great director in Tony Richardson (Tom Jones, A Delicate Balance, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, The Entertainer, etc) who is the perfect choice for such a project. Have Christopher Isherwood and Terry Southern adapt the screenplay from a wonderful Evelyn Waugh novel. Assemble a perfect cast, including James Coburn and Dana Andrews, Milton Berle, Tab Hunter, Roddy McDowall, Margaret Leighton and Liberace (unforgettably!) in cameo roles. Feature the likes of Rod Steiger (why didn't he try more comedy? He's brilliant here!), John Gielgud, Jonathan Winters in memorable supporting roles and top it off with excellent leads in Robert Morse and Anjanette Comer (both relative unknowns at the time, but perfect for the roles).
How could the movie not be memorable?

Suffice it to say it holds up amazingly well after almost 40 years. It has to rank as one of the great classic comedies of the sixties.

The plot revolves around a young English twit named Dennis Barlow (Morse) who shows up at his uncle's (Gielgud's) doorstep, having won his air passage to LAX through some absurd stroke of luck. He has no money and his gregarious uncle takes him in and introduces him to the expatriated Brits that inhabit LA. Chief among these is the snobbish Sir Ambrose Abercrombe (Morley) who takes an instant dislike to Barlow, whom he feels doesn't adequately represent the proper English gentleman (and he doesn't). In short order, Uncle Francis is canned by his crass Hollywood Studio boss (McDowall), in spite of the fact that he has been a faithful employee for 30 years. Unwilling to face the future at his advanced age, Uncle Francis hangs himself beside the decrepit pool that represents his sagging fortunes.

It's at this stage that the movie shifts satirical gears and the humor gets darker and darker. Waugh's study of American mores and materialistic mindset as represented by the funeral industry is brilliantly captured by the screnwriters, director and cast. It's a great ensemble effort from a once in a lifetime creative team. THE LOVED ONE deserves a broad DVD release, hopefully in the not too distant future.

BK

This is another of those old MGM treasures that Warner Bros has sat on since acquiring MGM's library and done NOTHING with it. I have the LaserDisc of this (which was difficult to find even in the days when they were still being pressed) but have long since lost the functionality of my LaserDisc player. I'm not sure if this is even remotely on Warner's horizon of releases, but there is always hope. Of course, for a studio whose 75th anniversary film and DVD logo featured the love theme from CASABLANCA - a film that had been MGMs until it's 72nd anniversary - who knows what to expect? As a sidebar, for those that live in LA, I think this film would be the perfect choice for screening at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery Series.

This DVD of three Hope-Crosby road movies is of exceptional quality. I've seen these movies dozens of times and have never seen them so crisp, clean and unblemished. The sound quality is also superb. I felt as if I was sitting in a movie theatre in the 40's because the presentation of the films seemed so new. Each DVD contains the original trailer for the three films as well as some trivia and bloopers.

As for the Hope-Crosby teaming, it is a mystery to me why they remain so under-appreciated by critics and fans alike. Bob Hope was a comic master who possessed impeccable timing and was simply hilarious. His character in the road films was always an immature Casanova wannabe who was slick with the one-liners. It's a loveable, irreplaceable part of Americana. Bing was an unconventional yet brilliant straight man. I say "unconventional" because he got almost as many laughs as Hope. Their screen chemistry remains dynamic and undated. Dorothy Lamour adds glamour and some humor as well, but the main reason to cherish these movies is because of Bing and Bob.

This set comprises the three best road films, with Road to Utopia being my favorite. The characters of Sperry and McGirk are absolute classics and their swaggering scenes in the Alaskan saloon are the apex of Bing and Bob comedy. Watch for the ending which somehow escaped the odious Hayes office. It's way before its time and a total delight. Enjoy these three great movies and appreciate anew the tremendous talent, timing and comedic excellence from Hope and Crosby.

"Bake A Cake as Fast As You Can...."...because you will not want to miss one second of the first four entries in The Road Series flicks with Bob,Bing and Dorothy!

This attractively boxed "Tribute Collection" is a must have for fans of these guys. The films, all from the early fourties,all Black and White, are beautifully restored and transfered on Dual layer discs. Although each has the special feature "Bob Hope and the Road to Success", the rest of the bonus material is different on each one. There are fun "Sing-Alongs","Entertaining the Troops", "Command Performances", photo galleries, DVD ROM and more.

The films themselves, are classic laugh out loud stuff, as in each story we follow our guys on their misadventures around the world. They never get old, each "road" brings new laughs and new plots.Always on the run from the bad guys, always some new money making scheme, and of course there's always the girl..the beautiful Dorothy Lamour. Will their "patty-cake" routine help them get away, will they become rich..will Bob EVER get the girl??? It's a pleasure watching on these DVDs.

Adding to all the laughs, are the wonderful song and dance routines, the exquiste costume design and the fabulous scenery. There are also always some terrific guest stars. Keep a look-out for these famous faces..Jerry Colonna, Una Merkel, Charles Coburn, Yvonne DeCarlo and the great Anthony Quinn.

So travel The Roads to Singapore,Zanzibar,Morocco and Utopia,with this famous trio. You'll be glad you did!

One note on "The Road to Utopia"..for some reason my DVD player was sensitive to this one, and would not load it, but I tried it on another player and it played perfectly...go figure!

Go for it while the price is right!(It has already gone up a little since my purchase) Enjoy!...And...Thanks Universal for bringing us this classic piece of Hollywood in this great set!.........Laurie

Bing Crosby and Bob Hope are hilarious together in these films. The quality of the dvds is excellent in both picture sharpness and sound. And the bonus features, of which there are several (photos from the sets put to music, sing-alongs, tribute to Bob Hope etc), are delightful. It is wonderful collection of the Road films and you would not go wrong purchasing this particular collection.

I became obsessed with finding this film, along with its sequel, after seeing the second Austin Powers. As a huge James Bond fan, I found Derek Flint and his ultra-cool approach to saving the world very entertaining. James Coburn is perfect in this role. He has more gadgets than Q could ever think up, he has four beautiful women living with him, and he can save the world without even trying. Overall, this film was a very amusing satire of the 007 series, and a must for any Austin Powers fan

James Coburn met the legendary Bruce Lee after he made Our Man Flint, and we can thank Flint for influencing the screen fighting style of the Dragon. We can also thank Derek Flint for being the only person in the world that would make James Bond sweat. Our Man Flint is classic fun, and deserves five stars, just as "It Happened One Night." Much more than a parody, Flint does 007 better in practically every area: dancing, women (he has his own harem), gadgets (his cigarette lighter has 63 different functions, and he makes his own stuff, being a scientific genuis). Even his boss, played by the wonderful Lee J. Cobb, is a grander fellow than M. He also speaks 60 languages,is a fencing and close combat master, and a master yogi who can stop his heart. Although tongue in cheek, Flint as a self-evolving man is almost believable, and that's part of his enduring entertainment value. (Mr. Spock was also heavily influenced by Flint, if you'll compare their mannerisms. The Vulcan death grip is first featured in In Like Flint. Spock wouldn't be half as fun if he didn't have an air of believability.)

The villans' (there are three, including a Caucausian named Dr. Lee and a Chinese named Dr. Schneider) nefarious plan also poses a challenge to the Bond films: controlling the world's weather. Plus, Flint fights much, much better than 007.

He's also a rebel, unlike the office bug 007, and balks at being hired by the major super powers. Whoever created the Flint character should take a big bow; James Coburn as Derek Flint is endearing, hysterical (while doing everything with a straight face)and a Super guy, not just a mere super spy. He's an inspiration for kids of all ages to hit the books, to explore and discover.

I've heard that James Coburn would have done more 'Flints' but they couldn't come up with good scripts. A real shame, for with five or six 'Flints,' Coburn would have become a megastar.

Thank you, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Flint.

In 1966, after reading the New Yorker review by the inimitable Brendan Gill, I saw this movie, which he recommended, calling James Coburn: "...a very funny fellow."

I wasn't prepared for how much I would be impressed by the clever, modest Derek Flint. One of the highlights of the movie is when, seeing a fly in the office of his friend, Chief Cramden, takes out a cigarette holder and goes into "hunt and seek" mode....eyeing the little beast as it flies around the room. He then uses the cig holder as a blow dart and NAILS the fly to the wall! That scene alone was impressive enough to make me a fan forever!

Coburn's sense of cool defines this movie...the way he handles Flint's knowledge of just about everything, his unflappability in the face of iminent death and his ability to estricate himself from the closest of calls will have him endearing himself to YOU as well! Edward Mulhare makes an excellent, comic-book style villain against Coburn, and Gila Golan plays the femme fatale that Flint eventually wins over to the side of the angels.

From the Bob Peak poster art to the Jerry Goldsmith score, not to mentiion Coburn's great take on what should have been a MUCH larger franchise, I guarantee you'll become a fan of the very personable Mr. Flint.

I became obsessed with finding this film, along with its sequel, after seeing the second Austin Powers. As a huge James Bond fan, I found Derek Flint and his ultra-cool approach to saving the world very entertaining. James Coburn is perfect in this role. He has more gadgets than Q could ever think up, he has four beautiful women living with him, and he can save the world without even trying. Overall, this film was a very amusing satire of the 007 series, and a must for any Austin Powers fan

James Coburn met the legendary Bruce Lee after he made Our Man Flint, and we can thank Flint for influencing the screen fighting style of the Dragon. We can also thank Derek Flint for being the only person in the world that would make James Bond sweat. Our Man Flint is classic fun, and deserves five stars, just as "It Happened One Night." Much more than a parody, Flint does 007 better in practically every area: dancing, women (he has his own harem), gadgets (his cigarette lighter has 63 different functions, and he makes his own stuff, being a scientific genuis). Even his boss, played by the wonderful Lee J. Cobb, is a grander fellow than M. He also speaks 60 languages,is a fencing and close combat master, and a master yogi who can stop his heart. Although tongue in cheek, Flint as a self-evolving man is almost believable, and that's part of his enduring entertainment value. (Mr. Spock was also heavily influenced by Flint, if you'll compare their mannerisms. The Vulcan death grip is first featured in In Like Flint. Spock wouldn't be half as fun if he didn't have an air of believability.)

The villans' (there are three, including a Caucausian named Dr. Lee and a Chinese named Dr. Schneider) nefarious plan also poses a challenge to the Bond films: controlling the world's weather. Plus, Flint fights much, much better than 007.

He's also a rebel, unlike the office bug 007, and balks at being hired by the major super powers. Whoever created the Flint character should take a big bow; James Coburn as Derek Flint is endearing, hysterical (while doing everything with a straight face)and a Super guy, not just a mere super spy. He's an inspiration for kids of all ages to hit the books, to explore and discover.

I've heard that James Coburn would have done more 'Flints' but they couldn't come up with good scripts. A real shame, for with five or six 'Flints,' Coburn would have become a megastar.

Thank you, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Flint.

In 1966, after reading the New Yorker review by the inimitable Brendan Gill, I saw this movie, which he recommended, calling James Coburn: "...a very funny fellow."

I wasn't prepared for how much I would be impressed by the clever, modest Derek Flint. One of the highlights of the movie is when, seeing a fly in the office of his friend, Chief Cramden, takes out a cigarette holder and goes into "hunt and seek" mode....eyeing the little beast as it flies around the room. He then uses the cig holder as a blow dart and NAILS the fly to the wall! That scene alone was impressive enough to make me a fan forever!

Coburn's sense of cool defines this movie...the way he handles Flint's knowledge of just about everything, his unflappability in the face of iminent death and his ability to estricate himself from the closest of calls will have him endearing himself to YOU as well! Edward Mulhare makes an excellent, comic-book style villain against Coburn, and Gila Golan plays the femme fatale that Flint eventually wins over to the side of the angels.

From the Bob Peak poster art to the Jerry Goldsmith score, not to mentiion Coburn's great take on what should have been a MUCH larger franchise, I guarantee you'll become a fan of the very personable Mr. Flint.

Is this movie available for sale? I want to buy a copy.

This movie was made in the 1960's, and I remembered seeing it then, and thought it was one of the funniest movies ever. I had always wanted to see it again, so I was elated to be able to get the video. When I watched it again it was as funny, if not more so then I remembered. Harry Morgan, is hysterical, and Dick Shawn and James Coburn are great. It is really, as they say, a laugh riot. It is well worth watching, and I reccomend it highly.

A by-the-book Captain is ordered to capture a strategic village in Italy. The Italian soldiers are willing to surrender if the can have a festival first. The lieutenant (Coburn) convinces the Captain (Shawn) "Wake Me When It's Over (1960)" this is the only way. Because of aerial reconnaissance they must look like they are fighting. To sort this out an intelligence officer, Potter (Morgan) is sent in and gets lost in the catacombs singing "Peas pottage hot". Mean while the festival gets complicated with the Mayors daughter. Who wins?

This is one of those stories that is fiction but with just enough historical fact thrown in to either make it interesting and entertaining or infuriating. Kind of like "Hogan's Heroes".

The story is set in Utah of the 1870's with the Mormon theology as it's backdrop. It's has as accurate fact that Brigham Young (played excellently by Charleton Heston) was president and prophet of the Church, Porter Rockwell (also played well by James Coburn) was a roguish gunfighter/protector of the faith, that the culture was relatively closed, paranoia existed (for good reason, the Mormon Church up to that time was severely persecuted, including it's first president murdered), and Utah is a pretty place. The fiction in the movie is the Tom Berrenger character, the conspiracy against Brigham Young by church leaders and a few other notable historic errors throughout.

That said, the movie is well done and interesting. The Tom Berrenger character is complex, trying to justify his gunfighting actions with his beliefs. He is a man driven by his faith and it's refreshing to see a strong Western character with that motivation (instead of the more typical genre motivation of revenge) and Berrenger plays it well.

The other parts of the movie plot are fairly standard: gunfights, horseplay, ropin', good guy overcoming the odds and numerous hired guns, etc. Yet I found the setting to be interesting and the movie to be enjoyable.

If not taken on it's historical merits, then it's a film to be recommended.

A movie trailer for "Avenging Angels" claims that what the viewer will see is the "true" story of the Avenging Angel, in this case played by Tom Beringer. Let's face it folks, if this is a "true" story from the American West based on historical facts then we need to all go searching for the grave sites of Rooster Cogburn and J.B. Books.

True? Not nearly! Or as Brigham Young, himself, would have said, "As false as the hinges of Hell!" No Elder Rigby. Even if this character is supposedly based on Sidney Rigdon the story falls considerably short. Rigdon was no where near Utah at any time in his life having left the Church even before the historic days of Nauvoo.

No Brother Parker. No Brother Pike. No Alpheus Young with murderous intentions against a loving father. No Amanda Young. And no Brother Utley either.

But wait, as a western I loved it. Yes, I give it five stars for entertainment value. But don't watch it hoping to look into the cold, dark, historical secrets of Mormon Danism.

Want a more accurate film about the Latter-day Saints and their early history? Pass on this one. Try "Brigham Young" with Dean Jagger.

I had seen this movie before and tried finding it for my collection. It's an excellent movie and one that I will watch many times more. I hope you give it a chance...it is a learning experience as well. Thank You Amazon.com for being here for a lot of movie buffs and the casual viewer.

I was a long-time resident of Sioux City when this happened, and the events are etched on my memory. This is largely a true recounting of the crash of United 232, with a few variations for dramatic effect. In my opinion, Al Haynes with Bill Records and Dennis Nielsen were far more heroic than the actors could convey. There was about an hour of lead time before the actual crash, which gave outlying rescue units from as far as 50 miles away time to arrive and be ready. Eastern newspeople asked, "Does Sioux City have an airport large enough to land this plane? Do they have any hospital facilities?" Big city prejudice! Of course, we did. The airport, in a rural area south of the city, was left over from an air base with long runways built during WWII. Our hospitals were the best between Omaha and Minneapolis. What better place to have a crash than where it happened! Doctors and nurses were ready; helicopters were positioned; traffic was halted. The movie could have highlighted the most dramatic moment in a more meaningful way--the boy held in the arms of his rescuer. A statue in a memorial park preserves this moment. Perhaps a lesser-known actor than Heston would have been better in the role of Captain Al Haynes, if only to emphasize the heroism of the man rather than draw attention to Heston the celebrity. One can only say that the movie was a good job, but could never approach the level of heroism of everyone who was there that day.

I would not have cast Charlton Heston as the humble Captain Haynes, and I'll NEVER be able to watch Richard Thomas portray a character without thinking "John-boy", but it is still a very good made-for-TV movie. I had hoped for more scenes on the jet while it was still in the air, because not all the heroes were in the cockpit or wearing badges that day. There aren't ANY scenes of the jet beyond the cockpit (or exterior views), and even those are few and far between.

As a bonus, I noticed several of the actual people involved pop up in cameo roles. Very nice.

The main reason that I really like "A Thousand Heros" that unlike out diaster movies, this movie focuses more on the aftermath than the event. Richard Thomas did a great job! Charlton Heaston was good, but he didn't seem to be doing "acting". As the viewer, I would have exected the cockpit scenes to have more drama to them. But overall "A Thousand Heros" is a movie.

From Don (Dirty Harry, The Shootist) Segal comes this engaging World War II combat drama with an all star cast including Steve McQueen, Harry Guardino, James Coburn, Bobby Darin (!), Bob Newhart, LQ Jones and Nick (`Godzilla vs. Monster Zero') Adams.

The story begins when a squad of combat-weary GI's is sent back to the front and then left behind by the rest of the Company to defend an insignifigant portion of the Siegfried Line. Then the Germans decide it is not so insignifigant after all. The hook is the diminutive squad must convince the company of Wermacht soldiers that they are facing a much larger force. They employ a variety of illusions to keep up the charade (James Coburn runs a backfiring jeep in low gear in a circle to make the Germans think they have a tank, Bob Newhart sits in a pillbox making up radio traffic, and they string up rocks in empty ammo cans to make it sound like troop movement), but eventually the Germans begin to figure it out. The only thing left for them to do is hit the enemy hard and without warning to discourage their advance until the company returns.

This is an engrossing small scale drama with some intense action (despite a liberal use of wartime stock footage, mostly of artillery crews, to give us a sense of place) - the scene where the German patrol charges McQueen's foxhole with fixed bayonets is pretty desperate, with McQueen resorting to throwing his helmet to beat down their advance!

Without a doubt this movie is carried by the skillful gritty direction of Segal and an awesome cast. McQueen comes on strong and early as the grizzled vet busted down from Master Sergeant for trying to run down a colonel with his jeep. Little details hint toward a bloody and intriguing past - he favors a captive Schweisser German machinegun and keeps a butcher knife strapped to his hip. This is just about the toughest I've ever seen him. Guardino as the Sarge is paternal, Newhart endearing as an inexperienced typist who stumbles onto the squad and gets his jeep requisitioned, and Nick Adams is pretty authentic as a Polish D.P. desperate to prove his worth and go back to America with the squad - I didn't even know it was him till the credits rolled. James Coburn is reserved as a tinkering engineer, and Bobby Darin is fine too as a profit-minded procurer. All the cast gives standout performances, never once blurring as individuals in my mind - which makes the impact of some of their deaths all the more real and shocking.

Little details about the movie help to sell it - the toilet seat hung on the base wall as a frame for a picture of Der Fuherer, Newhart talking into a radio-phone with the severed chord dangling there, and that nerve-wracking night crawl through the minefield! Plus, what a climax! Great movie.

One of the grittiest and effective war films ever produced, "Hell is for Heroes" centers around a small band of WWII infantrymen who are ordered to hold their ground against hundreds of German soldiers despite the odds. While the movie centers around Steve McQueen and his patented off his rocker characterization, the real gem here is the legendary Bobby Darin, who handles drama, comedy, and pathos with the best of them. Darin later went on to win French Film Festival and Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in the psychological drama "Pressure Point," and he garnered an Academy Award nomination for "Captain Newman, M.D." The whole cast is great, but Darin---as great an actor as he was a singer---really stands out. A great film---one of the best war movies ever made. God only knows how great Bobby Darin would have become had he lived beyond his thirty-seven years.

Hell is For Heroes is one of the best movies to ever be released about WW11. With Steve McQueen as John Reese, the quiet, die-hard soldier, how can you go wrong. This is one of the first roles where McQueen played the loner which he made famous in The Sand Pebbles and Bullitt. A great supporting cast with Harry Guardino, Fess Parker, Bobby Darin, Bob Newhart, and Nick Adams. The battle sequences are incredibly realistic especially the fight in the minefield. Filmed in black and white the film is very effective in showing that war is not won by huge armies but squads of men bent on survival. Excellent ending. One of my favorites! Buy the VHS instead of the DVD(only contains theatrical trailer and widescreen presentation). A must have for Steve McQueen fans or war movie fans!

The story of a Mexican gold-hungry troublemaker teaming up with an Irish expatriate holds great fun and plenty of action! The most interesting character here might be the man who is both full of gusto and at the same time,dramatically torn:Sean Mallory.
I have seen both versions,the European one and the American one,and I don`t think it was a loss for the film to be issued in a new,shorter version,actually,it was quite rewarding for the story.I think the European version had too many moments where you just waited for something to happen.
The music has to be commented upon.It`s beautiful! Present and past come together as Mallory`s longing for the girl he left behind blends with Mallory`s present situation in Mexico. The romantic and melodious mixed with the rough and rhythmic. Perfect!
This film is a grand buy!

I hadn't seen this film in years but it was showing the other night when I was at my mother's house. We were both riveted by it and I suddenly remembered seeing thie Sergio Leone movie as a kid and being haunted by the music as well as the plot. The plot involves an Irish revolutionary who is experienced in blowing things up who escapes the law in Ireland, goes on the lam and ends up in Mexico, only to be taken in by a bunch of criminals (the boss played to perfection by Rod Steiger) who nickname Coburn "Firecracker" for his amazing skill with dynamite. The whole bunch is, in turn, caught up in the Mexican Revolution.
I know this was supposed to be a part of a trilogy by Leone but this movie stands alone just fine. Both Coburn and Steiger play guys who are, at first, totally self-interested and then begin to need each other but so slowly that it is completely believable. Nothing seems inevitable in this movie and saccharine, sentimental and schlocky this movie is not.
After watching this, I just wondered: WHY don't they make movies like this anymore, not only full of action and pure macho (there are plenty of those movies still being made) but the kind of male characters that have some depth, heart and believable, unique personalities?

I saw this movie in '72 at its debut. I didn't know anything about the politics or who the actors were. I was 13 years old and out with my friends. "DUCK, YOU SUCKER!" was written across the marquee (the original title) and we just had to see this movie. It might have been the action or it might have been puberty, but I fell in love with this movie. Years later, after the re-release on video, I got to see the movie all over again. Unlike the unfortunate "HARD DAYS NIGHT," this movie WAS just as good as the first time I saw it. Leone got the mix right. This film flows with style. James Coburn (one of my favorite actors because of this role) has a natural understated manner played against the mad fire breathing Rod Steiger. This pairing resulted from the practice he had with the infamous Clint Eastwood / Eli Wallach characters in "THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY." Like all Leone films, the music will stay with you long after the film. Morricone's soundtracks were always ahead of their time. Always haunting and heavy handed.

The movie is full of contrast. The IRA soldier on the run meets with an unlikely rebel army...on the run. Steiger is the black kettle constantly boiling over while Coburn is the subdued warrior looking for his last battle. Steiger desperately needs this crazy bomber "with the balls like the bull" to help him focus his rage into a winning campaign. Coburn needs a constant distraction from painful memories of a home he cannot return to. The flashbacks are frequent and confusing, but it all comes together in the end. My political views swung from the left when I was a child to the right when I knew better and I still get caught up in the revolution in this movie. I was delighted to see this movie re-released on video and will be the first to buy it on DVD.