Powderkeg

RELEASED IN 1971 and written & directed by Douglas Heyes, "Powderkeg" chronicles events in 1914 when Mexican renegades led by Chucho Morales (Fernando Lamas) hijack a train for leverage to get his brother out of jail in New Mexico (Michael Ansara). Two adventurer-mercenaries (Rod Taylor and Dennis Cole) are enlisted to rescue the 73 passengers and take care of the banditos.

While this was a TV movie, it's pretty much as good as many theatrical Westerns of the late 60s/early 70s. The two stars, Taylor and Cole, have great chemistry and the tone is snappy with a distinctive story and a couple of unexpected twists. Luscious Luciana Paluzzi is on hand (playing a role in one of the surprises) along with Tisha Sterling and Melodie Johnson in the female department. Reviewers have overstated the action/thrills, but no worries because the drama is interesting.

"Powderkeg" was the pilot for the short-lived Bearcats TV series in '71, which consisted of this film and 13 episodes.

THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour 33 minutes and was shot at Old Tucson, Arizona, and surrounding areas.

GRADE: B+/A-

I just saw this movie again, 28 years after I first saw it on television in 1972. I remembered it as being a good movie, but I thought it might be "old" by today's standards. Not so. It has a good script, excellent direction, and fine acting all around. The "good guys" go after a Mexican bandit who has taken a passenger train hostage to insure that his brother isn't hanged in the United States. Good action fare.

Rod Taylor and Dennis Cole attempt to save a train full of passengers held hostage. This is a very intense action film, full of action and even some comedy. This film acted as the pilot for the short lived 1970 series The Bearcats. This film seems to be a kind of 2 man A- Team. Great performances by Taylor, and Fernando Lamas is excellent as the bandit.

Whacked-out bandito Fernando Llamas holds a train load of passengers hostage and moving in circles, while he ransoms them for the release of his brother, who's in jail awaiting hanging. The railroad calls on smooth soldiers-of-fortune Rod Taylor and Dennis Cole to rescue the hostages and neutralize their captors.

This exciting made-for-television movie/series pilot is way ahead of it's time, anticipating shows and movies like "The A Team", The Delta Force, and even Speed. Why the resulting series "The Bearcats" failed and was forgotten, remains a mystery.

Here, Llamas appears to be having a hell of a time, playing his role with relish. His amusing, over-the-top performance is probably the best thing about this this, although Taylor seems to be enjoying himself greatly as well.

Things seem a little stretched out, but the climax is definitely worth sticking around for.

POWDERKEG is a made-for-television movie that acted as the pilot episode of the short-lived western TV series BEARCATS! This show paired a grizzled and middle-aged Rod Taylor with a young and muscular Dennis Cole as a couple of adventurers in the American west in the early days of the 20th century. This episode sees them being sent to take care of a Mexican gunslinger who's taken a train full of hostages and is threatening to execute them if his demands aren't met. It sounds fun, but it really isn't; the planning of the mission takes forever and there are endlessly long-winded dialogue scenes between the villains which drag the pace down interminably; I found it almost unwatchable at times.