The Good Guys and the Bad Guys

"The Good Guys and the Bad Guys" doesn't work that well. It has a split-personality the good cast can't overcome. The serious scenes work well. The scenes between Robert Mitchum and George Kennedy are very good. The comedic scenes, however, don't work at all. The chase scene is silly and way too long. Inside "The Good Guys and the Bad Guys" there is a great serious western but it is smothered by all of the lame jokes. Honorable mention: Tina Louise's all too brief flash of her rump.

For those who like western's, this one has it all. For those who don't, the same applies.

The ageing Marshal teams up with the ageing bandit to oust the bad young guys, hopelessly out-numbered of course. Naturally with age comes experience and the bad guys are defeated as the (ex) Marshal (played brilliantly by Mitchum) walks into a hail of pistol fire flanked by his new(ish) best friend (Big John Makay- aka George Kennedy)and dispenses justice with both barrels.

The likable old drunk is shot in the back by one of the bad guys, the whores aren't shown as harlots, the mayor gets it anywhere he can and the new Marshal is stupid. Hardly surprising.

Oh, and of course, there's a love interest for the Marshal- and a cute little blonde boy who looks to Mitchum as a substitute father. There's an almost hilarious train sequence and a train chase with a difference. For those women who find westerns aren't really their thing but are made to watch them by boyfriends, this one has a big plus: Robert Mitchum, for all that he is playing a character who is supposed to be past it looks pretty fine. Likable enough, but don't take it too seriously- its not meant to be.

The late sixties had many comic westerns after Cat Ballou's success, so this carry on thus walking in this path, the picture has two generation of old west, in fact the picture was took place in turn of the century and two leading roles Robert Mitchum and George Kennedy both already an older men belonged to the past, they are unfashionable couple guys, the progress's winds aren't appreciated to them, easy to watch, plenty of humour, it's worth to see mainly by a funny and drunk old man called Grundy who live in the hills nearby of the town, the unforgetable James W. Fowley who used to play those friendly characters that hates take a shower who prefer living alone in a little cabin, just amazing!!!

Resume:

First watch: 1981 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-DVD-R / Rating: 7.25

All right,I admit it,I'm a sucker for Westerns. I grew up on them and I still watch every new one I can find. That said, this is a somewhat above average western with some pretty funny moments. Robert Mitchum spoof his tough guy image as the marshall who insists that bad guy George Kennedy,an over the hill outlaw, is still a dangerous villain. For his troubles he gets a surprise retirement party. Mitchum and Kennedy then team together to upstage the young whippersnapper bad guys. All in all, a fun "buddy" western, I think most western movie lovers will get a chuckle from this film

I am often critical about the movies spun out of Hollywood, overblown, ridiculous, far fetched, untrue etc, but one type of film they usually get right are Westerns, after all the Wild West was on the backdoor of Hollywood and deeply woven into American history, so they know exactly how to present one. This is a comedy, not much comedy in the west but the realistic scenes and sets are there, all down to a fine detail.

This is one they got right, a Comedy Western with great actor Robert Mitchum and great supporting actor George Kennedy, the acting is good, a bit tongue in cheek, but its a comedy, it has to be that, the scenery is great filmed in New Mexico and Colorado, the theme song (by Glen Yarborough) sung throughout is spot on and fits the film well. Directed well and good pacing, it could have been longer which I believe would have made it better, but no real complaints

David Carradine is good as the bad man, as is Martin Balsam as the Mayor, the town set is excellent and the train is spot on a real steam locomotive, not one of those fake Disney ones 3/4 the size, the costumes and sets are very realistic, the story is ok, not likely, but this is comedy, not a documentary on the west.

The modern westerns are usually poor compared to the better older ones, like this one, pity, but we can still watch films like this to reminisce.