marcusgreenwood's Reviews

The Undefeated (1969)

9/10

27 September 2023

The undefeated is one of those movies that can be enjoyed multiple times. Its story focuses on two civil war colonels who build a relationship of respect and admiration after an encounter with common foes that threaten their family and friends.

Its a serious story and an excellent depiction of post-war relations between groups of people with mutual goals to move forward with their lives.

The Duke is solid as ever and demonstrates a strong and confident character who aides a military peer in an emergency. Rock Hudson is just as strong in his role of a man who's lost everything, but still show admiration and friendship to the very person who defeated him in battle.

This really is a movie about moving past a tough time in our country's struggle against differing lifestyles and working towards a new beginning. Along with great dialog, sweeping landscapes and an intriguing plot. Very enjoyable western!

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Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

2/10

Great scenery, but story lacks substance

3 September 2023

As its predecessor originally demonstrated spectacular graphics and scenery, this picture also does not disappoint in that arena. This movie picks up many years after the first and now shows Jake's family living a good life on Pandora until the RDA once again arrives and decides they must eliminate Jake as he is leading an effective rebellion against them. Jake decides he needs to take his family to a safer, more hidden location where the water tribes live. Its a tough adjustment for the family and that's where the picture becomes overwhelmingly slow and focused on the kids and their relationship with the water clan. The move becomes about the native and magical bond between its inhabitants. Its way too long and the story drags. I give it 2 stars only because of the CGI. Not worth the viewing if you've seen the first.

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Branded (1950)

8/10

Gunfighter with Feelings

3 September 2023

One of my favorite movies from Alan Ladd that provides some gritty action while the primary plot focuses on an emotional deception and kidnapping. The movie begins with a gunfighter on the run who takes up with cowboy scheming to take advantage of the circumstances of a young boy's kidnapping. The boy had a unique birthmark in which Alan Ladd's character is given a tatoo that mimics the mark in order to swindle away the fortune of the family who had the boy taken.

The acting is strong, emotional and compelling for a 1950's western. The pure struggle that Ladd's character goes through and the events that take place are captivating. The cinematography is pretty good as I usually rate pictures higher with great scenery. Definitely an enjoyable western show.

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Gun Brothers (1956)

7/10

A fun and delightful little picture

21 June 2023

Was surprised when I viewed this picture. Thoroughly entertaining, good plot and moved at a swift pace. The character development was what you'd expect from a western movie of this caliber, but good performances from Buster and Neville. I've only seen this picture one time, but would view it again as the story has the kind of pace I enjoy with a standard western theme.

I rated it 7 stars because many movies in this same era didn't always have a believable plot. Gun Brothers has some really good scenes and is well filmed. If you are looking for a decent western to fill some time, you'll enjoy this show.

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Gunfight at Dry River (2021)

1/10

Slow and boring

3 November 2022

Not much of a movie. Way too slow to develop, plot line that really made no sense. Some decent landscape and cinematography, but even that became stale as the movie proceeded. I usually can provide a higher rating for Western movies when there are impressive landscapes, but there are just too many flaws with this picture. As a Western fan, I had a hard time being able to watch this to the end. I was really hoping for logical reactions from the characters, but every step of the way, it just didn't make sense. The lead character was likable, but didn't live up to what I would want to see in a protagonist. Save your time and skip this one.

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The Crew (II) (2021)

9/10

Enjoyable sitcom in a unique, refreshing setting!

28 February 2021

Decent characters and some witty jokes. Plot is comparable to most sitcoms, but its refreshing to see a show in a unique setting that isn't overdone LA or NY city environments.

Kevin James and Sarah Styles bring good chemistry to the show and plenty of good laughs.

Funny to see all the negative reviews - Most just complain about the laugh tracks. Interesting that most people get hung up on that. I find that the laugh tracks used in The Crew are well-timed and add to the experience.

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Cry Blood, Apache (1970)

1/10

Worst Western movie and one of the worst overall I've ever seen

26 November 2020

Ridiculous story, bad acting and terrible direction. Sound edit is horrible...hard to even get through this stinker.

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Big Kill (2019)

7/10

Surprisingly enjoyable

3 April 2020

I enjoyed this movie! Pace was brisk with a compelling ending. Some of the dialogue could have been better, but the characters were likable. Some great scenery shots that reminded me of good old-fashioned westerns from the likes of John Ford and Anthony Mann. The friendship and comedic aspects of the leading actors worked well. Christopher Sanders was also excellent in the lead role. Absolutely a surprisingly good modern Western movie!

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Captain Marvel (2019)

1/10

Hard to get through this story

29 March 2020

The story for this Marvel super hero is just plain preposterous and Brie Larson's acting was very bland and boring. This is one super hero movie that I wasn't able to complete. Invest your time in other Marvel movies, this one is a stinker.

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Never Grow Old (2019)

2/10

Very dark, slow pace, no character development

20 October 2019

Warning: Spoilers

All of the new westerns depict such a dark environment. This movie is no different. The acting is solid, but the screenplay is weak and slow paced. Why can't newer western movies take a different perspective that is from a positive viewpoint? Its just unbelievable how a three person gang could overtake an entire town. Not a film that is likely to be re-watched by many viewers.

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Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007 TV Movie)

1/10

A story not well represented

23 November 2018

This movie was not well acted or well written. Its pace was slow and didn't seem to draw emotion from the story. I just can't recommend it.

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Terror in a Texas Town (1958)

2/10

Completely unbelievable

12 November 2017

Warning: Spoilers

***possible spoilers*** The setup for this movie was intriguing to me and I was really looking forward to it, but I was highly disappointed.

A son returns to his family ranch and finds out his father has been murdered. But after that, its all pretty unbelievable that nobody in the town (supposedly many friends of the victim) would stand up to the murderer. Ridiculous plot that just isn't realistic. There are always bad guys in real life, but its been my experience (and I felt this as I watch this film) people tend to fight for what is right, especially when good friends or family are affected. The entire town accepted the murders without coming together to stop the threat?? Just not something I believe would happen in real life with the same type of setup.

Finally, the idea of a person being able to defeat a skilled gunman using a whale harpoon is just too far fetched for me. This is definitely a film I will only see once and even that was too much.

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The Missouri Breaks (1976)

3/10

Another Brando flop.

18 December 2016

Warning: Spoilers

If not for the performances of Nicholson, Quaid and Lloyd, this western would be completely forgettable. A very slow-paced (at least initially) picture that doesn't warrant more than one viewing. Its hard to believe in Brando's character based on his performance. You could remove his character from the movie and it wouldn't detract from the story.

The cinematography is realistic and appropriate for this time period. The chemistry between Lloyd and Nicholson is intriguing and it would be interesting to see them act together in a different movie.

Some decent laughs (the train robbery with Nicholson), but the plot is flawed and not that interesting.

This movie doesn't crack my top 100 of westerns.

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marcusgreenwood

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