Clint Eastwood (Non-Spaghetti) Western #2
Synopsis: Clint Eastwood is caught between
a rock and a hard place – so he shoots them both.
Blurb From the VHS
Jacket: “Joe Kidd, which concerns a land war in New Mexico at the turn of
the century, marks Clint Eastwood at the top of his form as a Western hero.”
What Did I Learn?: It’s not a great idea to locate
your saloon directly at the end of a railroad line.
You Might Like This Movie If: You figure Joe Kidd must be related to one of these guys.
Really?: 1) So, why doesn’t Lamarr (Don
Stroud) simply kill Joe Kidd once Harlan fires him? Why do they still have to
pussyfoot around each other – Kidd is a prisoner at this point in the film.
That doesn’t make a lot of sense. 2) I had a bit of trouble believing Kidd
could single-handedly strong-arm Chama – a man who hates the American legal
system - and his band of revolutionaries into giving him up to the law. That
scene’s a tad unconvincing. 3) So, Kidd has personal feuds against both Lamarr
on Harlan’s team, and Ramon on Chama’s… funny how Lamarr is the first of
Harlan’s men he kills, and Ramon is used as cannon fodder – I was expecting a
bit more to develop from both. 4) So, is the asshole sheriff a crony of
Harlan’s (Robert Duvall), or an independent actor? This is a bit unclear.
Rating: Joe Kidd is a mediocre
Clint Eastwood Western set in the hills and pueblos of New Mexico. It’s
surprising that a film that was written by Elmore Leonard – the guy who gave us
Get Shorty – is in obvious need of a better script, or at least a major
re-write. Still, kudos to Duvall for a very good performance as a truly evil son of a bitch. 6/10 stars.
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