Joe Kidd
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Movie Reviews of Joe Kidd
Movie Review: Clint returns to the western
Summary: 4 Stars
Following the huge success of Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood returned to the genre that made him a star, the western, in Joe Kidd, a turn of the century story about a range war. Just sentenced to a 10-day sentence in jail, Joe Kidd is approached by a rich landowner, Frank Harlan, to serve as a guide for a hunting trip of sorts, a hunt for a Mexican causing problems with land rights by the name of Luis Chamas. Kidd at first turns down the offer, but when Chamas and his gang steal Joe's horses and beat one of his hired hands, he signs on to help Harlan. But on the trail with Harlan and his posse, Kidd finds out how brutal Harlan can be in his search for Chamas. This was a good movie from director John Sturges, but it's only 88 minutes long. Another half hour could have made this movie a near classic with some plot/character development. As is, there's some good gunplay with some modernized weapons, scoped rifles and Mauser pistols. Composer Lalo Schifrin's score is memorable, almost an Americanized spaghetti western score, and the locations in California and Old Tucson stand out too.
In one of his more relatively laid back roles, Eastwood plays Joe Kidd, a small rancher who sees a way to make some easy money after he's been wronged. Kidd fights for the little man here when he realizes how corrupt people can and will be. Robert Duvall is a good villain here, as always, as Frank Harlan, the landowner looking to kill Luis Chamas so almost 600,000 acres will be his. Duvall's good but like several characters here, his part could have been developed more. In a small part John Saxon plays Chamas, a bandit of sorts who is talked about more than he's actually seen. Don Stroud, Paul Koslo, and James Wainright lend support as Harlan's guns-for-hire posse. Stella Garcia has a strong part as Helen Sanchez, Chamas' woman who is trying to help him no matter what the cost.
This was the first time I saw Joe Kidd, but reading some reviews I found out scenes have been cut from the movie. Take warning then, and trust those reviewers. The DVD has a scratchy-looking widescreen presentation, production notes and cast and crew info, and a trailer that plays up the action in the movie. An enjoyable Eastwood western for sure, not a classic, but one worth checking out!
Movie Review: This film has at least three flaws
Summary: 4 Stars
Despite having Clint Eastwood in the lead role, acting superbly, and despite the film's writer being the novelist Elmore Leonard, this movie has three flaws, at least in my eyes. Eastwood is a bounty hunter. The Mexicans in the area are being swindled out of their land by gringos who burned their land grants and insist that the land belongs to them. The Mexicans begin to fight back. A land owner with three gunmen and the help of locals want to go after the Mexican leader. They want to kill him and solve their problem by doing so. The land owner wants to hire Eastwood to lead him to the Mexican leader. He refuses. But when he goes to his ranch, he finds that the leader stole his horses, and agrees to take the land owner. Then he learns that the land owner is vicious. He threatens to kill Mexicans that he has captured if their leader does not give himself up. The leader's girl friend begs the leader to do so. He refuses. He thinks that it is better for him to live than that many Mexicans die. He also tells the girl that she should not plead with him; he is only interested in her for sex. Eastwood suggests to him that he surrender to the Marshall. He refuses. Then he changes his mind and agrees to go with Eastwood.
The film is good, but it is not as consistently exciting and with clever dialogue as the Eastwood Italian westerns. There were at least a half dozen chances for clever statements, as when Eastwood told the Marshall to leave the room and later when he hit him and the Marshall asked why did he do it. Second, it fails to explain why the Mexican leader - who stole horses, did not care for the lives of his people, and insulted his girl friend in the worst way - changed his mind and decided to do the right thing. Third, once the Mexican leader began going to town with Eastwood, he did nothing further in the film, he acted as a golem, which did not fit his character.
Movie Review: NOT Eastwood's best, but he can do no wrong in my book...
Summary: 4 Stars
Ever since I interviewed Clint Eastwood in the late sixties, I've been a huge fan of his. It was fun watching him go from the very hunky Rowdy Yates on TV's "Rawhide" to a tough cowboy in "Spaghetti Westerns" to Dirty Harry and then into directing and producing his own blockbusters! What a ride he has given the world...and what a creative genius!
That said, when I interviewed him he was just starting negotiations with Joe Kidd...but it's one film I missed...until it came on TV the other night. I gave it a go and I liked it. Clint was not at his best in this film and the film was not the best cinematic effort either. That didn't stop me from enjoying his good looks or watching him practice that trademark snarl... lol
I thought the startling, unrealistic scene where he drove a locomotive into the hotel/bar where Robert Duvall was hiding was hilarious and as good an ending as any for this rather bad movie. It's reported that he said: "Jesus, anything at this point--let's end it."
Typical Eastwood; sounds just like him. Gotta love him...
Endnote: I never thought I'd give anything Eastwood does (or did) less than five stars, but I am giving this a generous four...just because it's him!
Reviewed by Betty Dravis, June 27, 2010
Author of "Dream Reachers" (with Chase Von) and other books
Movie Review: GOOD EASTWOOD WESTERN
Summary: 4 Stars
The movie starts a little slow, Clint's character seems tame at first (by his standards), but he picks it up quickly as he throws one of Robert Duvall's "hired hands" down a flight of stairs. After that, it's Clint all the way as you know him! He has some classic one-liners, which is entertainment in itself if you like the Eastwood style of westerns. Robert Duvall played a great "bad" guy role in this film, too.Movie Review: Standard Clint.
Summary: 4 Stars
Standard Clint. what else do i need to say. If you dont know classic clint ...please watch "The Good The Bad and the Ugly" first. Then worry about this one.That being said this is a pretty good one...with a decent job done by Robert Duval the bad guy.
6/10 Clint scale
8/10 regular western scale.