MovieChat Forums > The Train Robbers (1973) Discussion > Just so-so

Just so-so

posted 14 years ago by bothpartiessuck
10 replies | jump to latest

I don't see what's so great about this flick. Frankly it dragged on at times, and they probably could have edited out some of the scenes.

It made NO SENSE for that group to constantly travel at only a jog trot (two exception scenes, and both of those were LONG CAMERA SHOTS, which makes me think that Miss Margret can't ride) KNOWING that they were being pursued by 20+, who were always shown riding at a full gallop.

The music SUCKED and was tiresome.

I also thought that Miss Margaret's drunk scene was unconvincing.

Finally, that was the WORST fake blood in Liberty, Texas toward the end; it was candy-apple red paint!!

I give this a C.

[–] Picasner 14 years ago

Yeah, you're right. It was pretty much a one-joke movie. All that just to learn that Ann-Margret was a fake at the end of the movie. If you watched this movie, the only reason to was expressed as the last line of the movie: "It's something to do!"

[–] marmac2768 11 years ago

You liked it better than I did. I have watched all of the Dukes westerns and enjoyed all of them except this one. Whenever I find a John Wayne movie coming on, I will watch it even if I have seen it a hundred times. I have seen this one only 3 or 4 times and will usually skip it UNLESS there is nothing else on. That is why I watched it tonight on Encore Westerns. I hadn't watched it in 5 or 6 years and I said, "Why not?" and then watched it and said, "WHY, OH WHY? That's 2 hours of my life I will never get back!" I give it a D-, simply because it has the Duke in it. However he deserved better!

[–] lithotomy 11 years ago

I felt like the music was either making fun of that very problem you point out: full galloping bad guys, trotting good guys; or more likely, that the scorer had no friggin clue what to do with the intercutting. The music would go from a cadence of drums, to slow trotting Western music, then back to fast percussioned music, then back to slow music...

It was extremely poorly executed on everyone's parts.

[–] spookyrat1 11 years ago

Very confusing storyline involving the missing gold melded with a typical John Wayne plot device of gathering a mixed crew of older cowboys combined with some one supposedly to appeal to a younger generation; in this case Bobby Vinton.

The best parts IMO were the location photography and the campfire conversations of which there were many, with Ben Johnson's Jesse featuring in quite a few one way or the other.

I agree with you and the other posters about the so called "chase". It wasn't edge of the seat stuff by any imagination and generally poorly executed.

[–] hackraytex 10 years ago

It was great to see John Wayne working with Rod Taylor, Bobby Vinton, Ben Johnson, Christopher George, and Ann Margaret. I think Bobby Vinton and Ann Margaret are the only ones left now and Christpher George certainly left us too soon. Rest in peace Amigos.

[–] spookyrat1 10 years ago

The Duke liked to often work with mixed generation ensembles of actors. The Train Robbers was no exception. It obviously contributed to his wide-spread popularity across the generations.

[–] eddie-fendel 7 years ago

He sure did but he liked his friend Ben Johnson to be in his films. They rode many a trail together.

[–] Wuchakk 8 years ago

the scorer had no friggin clue what to do with the intercutting.

I wholly disagree; I thought the music was one of this film's highlights, along with the authentic Western vistas and spirit of (Western) adventure.

My 150 (or so) favorite movies:
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070122364/

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] HarlemEagle42 (16180) 2 years ago

One of the Duke's more middling efforts. But it has its moments.