The Ridiculous 6

"You got your mom's muscles. You a prizefighter?"

"No, actually, I'm a... piano player."

Tommy "White Knife" Stockburn (Sandler) is a white man who was raised by the Apache.  His mother was killed many years ago and he doesn't know his father.  One day a white man shows up at the camp and claims to be Tommy's father.  His name is Frank Stockburn (Nolte) and he is dying.  Frank is also a notorious criminal and his old gang, led by Cicero (Danny Trejo), want their money.  They demand that Frank take them to the money or they will shoot him.

After they leave Tommy vows to help his father and sets out to steal the money.  In the first town he stumbles on a half-brother, Ramon (Schneider) and his burro, who joins his mission.  They find 4 more brothers: half-wit hillbilly Lil Pete (Lautner), mountain man Herm (Garcia), saloon pianist Chico (Crews), and drunk Danny (Wilson), who also want to save their father.  They quickly make a name for themselves as the Ridiculous 6.  Can they stay ahead of the Left Eye Gang and the lawmen and save their father?


In 2015, Adam Sandler and Happy Madison Productions signed a 4 picture deal with Netflix.  This is the first of those films to be distributed exclusively by Netflix.

It is a typical Sandler film.  He is the lead and the cast is filled with his friends/regular co-stars.  The laughs are spotty at best, with the majority of characters majorly unlike-able.  Between the gross-out humor (the burro's "special gifts", the eyeball scene, etc) and the cheap/crass jokes, the film is littered with disappointments.  The script, written by Tim Herlihy and Sandler, is weak and there are too many characters wandering around.  Herlihy has written several Sandler films that run of gamut of really good (Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison) to truly terrible (Little Nicky).  Director Frank Coraci has also worked with Sandler on numerous occasions.  Coraci, Herlihy, and Sandler collaborated on The Wedding Singer and The Waterboy.

The talent there, both behind the scenes and on the screen, but it still doesn't work.  It is ridiculous movie (so at least the title is correct).  It is trying to be a broad satire of western films, but doesn't quite accomplish that.  There is still an audience for this, but I wasn't impressed.

The Ridiculous 6 (2015) 120 minutes
Director: Frank Coraci
Starring: Adam Sandler as Tommy "White Knife" Stockburn
Terry Crews as Chico Stockburn
Jorge Garcia as Herm Stockburn
Taylor Lautner as Lil' Pete Stockburn
Rob Schneider as Ramon Stockburn
Luke Wilson as Danny Stockburn
Nick Nolte as Frank Stockburn
Will Forte as Will
Nick Swardson as Nelly
Steve Zahn as Clem
Julia Jones as Smoking Fox
Lavell Crawford as Gus
Jared Sandler as Babyface
Paul Sado as Stumbles

TV: Sons of Tucson

"Oh, boy.  You think I don't have anything better to do than sit around waiting for you to drag your sorry ass home?  Your turn"
"Nah, you took mine."

The Gunderson brothers need help.  After their father was arrested they relocated to Tucson to start a new life on their own.  But to stay together, they need to hire a dad.  Their only choice is Ron Snuffkins (Labine), a slacker who works at the local sporting goods store.  They pay him to live in a shed and pose as their father when the need arises.

Gary Gunderson (Dolce) is the brains of the family.  He is the middle child and an over-achiever.  Brandon Gunderson (Levy) is the oldest brother and a clueless ladies man.  Robby Gunderson (Stockham) is the trouble-making youngest brother.  Ron's best friend Glenn (Truglio) agrees to keep the secret, even when it means lying to suspicious wife Angela (Rao).  With Robby's nosy teacher (Natalie Martinez) and Angela stopping by unannounced, can Ron and the boys keep up the charade?


I have loved Tyler Labine ever since Reaper and always check out his projects.  This was his first TV show after Reaper.  If you enjoyed Labine in that show, you will probably enjoy him here (the characters are similar).

The show never really had a chance.  Fox cancelled the show after airing just 4 episodes, but did allow the remaining 9 episodes to air.  I enjoyed it.  Labine is charismatic from the beginning, and the kids grown on you.  Frank Dolce was a Broadway star in "Billy Elliot the Musical" and is currently a college student.  Benjamin Stockham went on to do the TV show "About a Boy".  Matthew Levy was in several short films before this show, and has since made a TV movie.  Joe Lo Truglio is great as Glenn and Sarayu Rao's Angela is the perfect foil to Labine's Ron.

It is a funny little show... not the best ever, but also not the worst.  Still it is worth checking out (it is streaming on Netflix).

Sons of Tucson (2010)
Creator: Greg Bratman & Tommy Dewey
Starring: Tyler Labine as Ron Snuffkins
Frank Dolce as Gary Gunderson
Matthew Levy as Brandon Gunderson
Benjamin Stockham as Robby Gunderson
Joe Lo Truglio as Glenn
Sarayu Rao as Angela

The Angry Birds Movie

"Someone has anger issues."

On Bird Island, everyone is happy and friendly, except for Red (Sudeikis).  Red moved his home away from everyone else and is in court mandated anger management.  The class is led by Matilda (Rudolph) and includes speedy Chuck (Gad), the explosive Bomb (McBride), and imposing but silent Terence (Penn).  Red does not get along with the rest of the group and is ostracized by the town.  One day a ship arrives with pigs.

The pigs, Leonard (Hader) and Ross (Hale), are welcomed with open arms by the birds.  Red is suspicious, and with the help of his classmates, finds that the ship is filled with more pigs.  The pigs claim to be explorers, on a peace and fact-finding mission and share technology with the birds.  But Red believes they are up to something and seeks the help of the mythical hero of the island, the Mighty Eagle.  Can Red and his friends figure out the pigs plan and save the day?


In 2009, Finnish company Rovio Mobile debuted the game Angry Birds.  The game focuses on flightless birds that are shot by slingshot at green pigs.  The game is very popular and has 16 different versions (https://www.angrybirds.com/games/).  The characters went on to star in 3 TV shows: Angry Bird Toons (premiered in 2013), Piggy Tales (premiered in 2014), and Angry Birds Stella (2014-2016).

It isn't bad, but it isn't great either.  The characters get personalities and celebrity voices.  The main characters from the game have names and have a part in the action.  And like the game, they all get shot at the pigs with a slingshot.  All of the characters but Stella use their special skill from the game.  The pigs also get names and personalities (and celebrity voices).  Bill Hader steals the show as Leonard.  And a close runner-up is Peter Dinklage as the Mighty Eagle. (both are usually scene stealers).  Kids will probably enjoy the animation and the jokes, but adults may not enjoy it.  Overall I enjoyed the film, but it wasn't overly memorable and I don't have the desire to watch it again.

Rovio is planning to make a sequel.

The Angry Birds Movie (2016) 97 minutes
Director: Clay Katis & Fergal Reilly
Starring: Jason Sudeikis as Red
Josh Gad as Chuck
Danny McBride as Bomb
Maya Rudolph as Matilda
Bill Hader as Leonard
Peter Dinklage as the Mighty Eagle
Sean Penn as Terence
Keegan-Michael Key as Judge Peckinpah
Kate McKinnon as Stella
Tony Hale as Ross / Cyrus
Titus Burgess as Photog
Ian Hecox as Bubbles
Anthony Padilla as Hal

McLintock!

"I haven't lost my temper in forty years, but pilgrim you caused a lot of trouble this morning, might have got somebody killed... and somebody oughta belt you in the mouth. But I won't, I won't. The *hell* I won't!"

George Washington "G.W." McLintock (J. Wayne) is the richest man in the territory: a cattle baron, mine owner, and owns most of the town that bears his name.  His wife Katherine (O'Hara) walked out 2 years before with no explanation.  She is living in the city and their daughter Becky (Powers) is away at college.  He lives as a bachelor, while tending to his many business ventures.  He is aided by his friend and foreman Drago (Wills) who lives at the house, along with their cook Ching (H.W. Gim).  And he regularly goes into town to play chess with his old friend Jake Birnbaum (Kruschen), who owns the general store.

As they prepare for Becky's return, a new group of farmers arrive in town to settle on the plots of land the government granted them.  He hires Devlin Warren (P. Wayne), a farmer, to work at assorted jobs at the house.  He also hires Devlin's widowed mother Louise (De Carlo) as the new chef, making Ching a member of the family.  He is shocked to learn that Katherine is also in town.  She wants a divorce and to take Becky back to the city with her.

Meanwhile, his old foe Matt Douglas (Jones) is stirring up trouble between the farmers and the Comanches.  The Comanches have come to town to meet their chiefs, who are arriving on the same train as Becky.  The Comanches are supposed to listen to Indian Agent Agard (Martin), but they never do.  Their chiefs, led by Chief Puma (Pate) have no interest in following Agard's rules and ask McLintock to speak for them at the upcoming hearing.  The arrival of headstrong Becky and the hostility from Katherine throw McLintock's life into turmoil.  Can he sort out his family problems while helping his friends?


I have loved this film for years.  It falls at #3 on my Top 10 John Wayne Films list.  It reunites Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.  They made 5 films together: Rio Grande in 1950, The Quiet Man in 1952, The Wings of Eagles in 1957, and Big Jake in 1971.

The film is inspired by William Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew."  Producer Michael Wayne (Wayne's oldest son) and director Andrew V. McLagen thought the story would be funnier as a western.  It is a comedy western with an iconic mud fight scene.  All of the main male cast and O'Hara end up covered in "mud" (pictured at the top of this post).

I grew up watching this film and still find it funny.  It is filled with memorable characters (Strother Martin's Agard, Edgar Buchanan's Bunny, Chill Wills' Drago, among others) and funny one-liners.  The film was a critical success in 1963, one of the highest grossing films of the year.  Parts don't hold up well, but it is still an entertaining film, especially if you enjoy Wayne's films.

McLintock! (1963) 127 minutes
Director: Andrew V. McLagen
Starring: John Wayne as George Washington "G.W." McLintock
Maureen O'Hara as Katherine McLintock
Patrick Wayne as Devlin Warren
Stefanie Powers as Becky McLintock
Jack Kruschen as Jake Birnbaum
Chill Wills as Drago
Yvonne De Carlo as Louise Warren
Edgar Buchanan as Bunny Dull
Perry Lopez as Davey Elk
Strother Martin as Agard
Gordon Jones as Matt Douglas
Robert Lowery as Governor Cuthbert Humphrey
Hank Worden as Curly Fletcher
Michael Pate as Puma
Edward Faulkner as Ben Sage Jr.
Chuck Roberson as Sheriff Jeff Lord

Click here to see more reviews of Wayne films.

Now You See Me 2

"We are going out with a show people will never forget."

One year after stunning the world and evading the FBI, the Horsemen are getting restless.  They are in hiding and preparing for a mysterious new job.  Henley (Isla Fisher) left the group, and Daniel Atlas (Eisenberg) resents that he is not the leader of the group.  The world still believes Jack Wilder (Franco) is dead, but he is studying with Merritt McKinney (Harrelson) to learn to hypnotize people.  Dylan Rhodes (Ruffalo) is still heading the FBI task force to track the Horsemen, while serving as the leader of the Horsemen.

The Eye, the secret society of magicians, has a new job for the Horsemen.  They add magician Lula May (Caplan) to the group and head to the launch of a new software program.  During the act, their stage is usurped and their biggest secrets are revealed: Jack is alive and Dylan is working with the Horseman.  As they escape, the Horsemen end up in Macau and are captured by Walter Mabry (Radcliffe).  Mabry wants them to steal a piece of technology, under pain of death.  He is aided by Merritt's twin brother Chase (Harrelson) who also has mentalist abilities.  Meanwhile, Dylan is in hiding from his FBI colleagues, led by Agent Natalie Austin (Lathan), and trying to find his friends.  He is contacted by Thaddeus Bradley (Freeman), who agrees to exchange information for his freedom.  Can the Horsemen complete the heist and escape with their lives?


The sequel to the 2013 film Now You See Me.  I loved that film and I was thrilled to hear that they were making a sequel, especially when it was announced that the sequel would be Now You Don't (it is the perfect title).  Then they changed it NYSM: The Second Act, which still fit with the magician theme.  I was especially disappointed with the title they actually chose, but I enjoyed the film.

Like the first film, this one is set like a magic trick.  They tell you what will happen at the beginning and then the smoke and mirrors until the final reveal.  The script, like the first film, was written by Ed Solomon.  The original director, Louis Leterrier, was replaced by Jon Chu.  Isla Fisher did not return for this film due to her pregnancy.  She was replaced by Lizzy Caplan.

The filmmakers are already planning to make a third film in the series.

Now You See Me 2 (2016) 129 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for violence and some language
Director: Jon M. Chu
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg as J. Daniel Atlas
Mark Ruffalo as Agent Dylan Rhodes
Woody Harrelson as Merritt McKinney / Chase McKinney
Dave Franco as Jack Wilder
Lizzy Caplan as Lula May
Daniel Radcliffe as Walter Mabry
Jay Chou as Li
Sanaa Lathan as Agent Natalie Austin
Morgan Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley
Michael Caine as Arthur Tressler

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

"Who says a woman has to be married?"

"You, all our lives."

Toula Portokalos-Miller's (Vardalos) life is not what she expected.  Her teenage daughter Paris (Kampouris) is a senior in high school and pushing her away.  The family travel agency and dry cleaners have both closed, only her father, Gus' (Constantine) restaurant is still open.  Her siblings, Athena (Stavroula Logothettis) and Nick (Mandylor), have young children so she is forced to help her parents.  Gus is convinced that he is related to Alexander the Great, and while he is doing research he comes across his marriage license, which the priest never signed.  Their priest will not sign the license unless he marries them.

Maria wants the wedding she never had, including a real proposal.  Gus refuses, so he is forced to sleep on the couch.  Toula tries to fix everything, including Paris' desire to go to college in another state.  Her desire to fix everything puts a strain on her marriage to Ian (Corbett), who is now the principal of the high school.  Can the family pull together and give Maria and Gus a memorable wedding?


In 2002 the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a surprise hit.  People fell in love with Toula and her eccentric family.  The film was popular enough for CBS to order a follow-up TV show, My Big Fat Greek Life, that continues the story.  Most of the main cast appeared in the TV show, with the exception of Jon Corbett who had already accepted a role on another show.  Toula was changed to Nia, and Ian (now played by Steven Eckholdt) became Thomas.  The show was cancelled and only got 7 episodes.  That did not stop fans and cast members from badgering Nia Vardalos about a sequel.

It took 13 years, but Vardalos and the majority of the cast returned for the sequel.  Vardalos again wrote the script, this time with Kirk Jones in the director's chair.  While it is still funny, the script is not as tight as the original.  The characters are still funny, but the real standout is Andrea Martin as Aunt Voula.  Martin is hilarious whenever she is on screen, whether she is saying something ridiculous or reacting to someone else.  Vardalos and Corbett still have great chemistry, but they aren't as interesting this time.  The rest of the family are as quirky as ever, and it is fun to see what everyone (including Ian's parents) are up to 13 years later.

It is still a funny, mostly clean, movie that makes you feel much better about your own family... but the original was better.  There is a rumor that a third film is planned, but nothing has been announced at this point.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016) 94 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for some suggestive material
Director: Kirk Jones
Starring: Nia Vardalos as Toula Portokalos-Miller
John Corbett as Ian Miller
Elena Kampouris as Paris Miller
Lainie Kazan as Maria Portokalos
Michael Constantine as Gus Portokalos
Andrea Martin as Aunt Voula
Louis Mandylor as Nick Portokalos
Gia Carides as Cousin Nikki
Gerry Mendicino as Uncle Taki
Joey Fatone as Cousin Angelo
Alex Wolff as Bennett
Ian Gomez as Mike
Bess Meisler as Mana-Yiayia

TiMER

"Do you think the TiMER actually works, or is it just a self-fulfilling prophecy?"

The TiMER corporation has perfected a device that allows it's users to identify their soulmate.  The device is implanted in your wrist and, provided that your soulmate also has a device, it counts down to the day you will meet your soulmate.  Oona O'Leary (Caufield) is looking for her soulmate.  She has a TiMER device, but it is blank.  She lives with her stepsister Steph DePaul (Borth), who isn't set to meet her soulmate until she is 43.  Both are frustrated as they watch others, including their teenage brother Jesse (McFarland), meet their soulmate.

Oona meets grocery clerk Mikey (Amedori) who is the drummer in a band and only has a few months until he meets his soulmate.  Despite the TiMER she decides to give the relationship a shot.  Steph works as a receptionist at an elderly care facility, where she meets Dan (Harrington) who is the grandson of one of the residents.  He doesn't have a TiMER device.  With their 30th birthday quickly approaching and pressure from their parents, Marion (Williams) and Paul (Irwin), can they find real love?


What if you knew your soulmate at first sight?  This is the question that writer/director Jac Shaeffer tries to answer with this film.

It is an interesting setup.  They play predestination (the device is always right) versus free will (screw the device).  Oona drags all of her boyfriends to get devices, clinging to the hope that one of them still be her soulmate.  Her sister, Steph, has a countdown but chooses to have meaningless relationships instead of wait patiently for her ridiculously long countdown.  The ending has audiences and critics divided, some feel that it completely ruins everything that happened before and others feel that it was the perfect ending for the story.

It is interesting, but not great.

TiMER (2009) 99 minutes
Director: Jac Shaeffer
Starring: Emma Caufield as Oona O'Leary
Michelle Borth as Steph DePaul
John Patrick Amedori as Mikey Evers
Desmond Harrington as Dan
JoBeth Williams as Marion DePaul
Tom Irwin as Paul DePaul
Hayden McFarland as Jesse DePaul

The Land Before Time

"Petrie, do not feel sad. It is alright. Many things cannot fly. Rocks, trees, sticks, Spike..."

A drought has devastated the greenery and the dinosaur herds seek the "Great Valley."  The Great Valley is supposed to be lush, but the trip is filled with dangers.  The herds stop to allow their eggs to hatch before continuing the journey.  Longneck Littlefoot (Damon) is the only baby in his herd, which consists of his mother (Shaver) and grandparents.  One night he plays too far from his herd and he and Threehorn Cera (Hutson) are attacked by Sharptooth, a Tyrannosaurus Rex,  Littlefoot's Mother rescues them and fights the Sharptooth.  As they recover from the fight, an earthquake separates the kids from the rest of their herds and Littlefoot's Mother dies.

Littlefoot is devastated, but decides to keep seeking the Great Valley to reunite with his grandparents.  Cera wants to find her own way back to her family.  Littlefoot stumbles across chatty Big Mouth Ducky (Barsi), terrified and flightless Flyer Petrie (Ryan), and late hatcher Spiketail Spike.  Together with Cera, they start the journey to the Great Valley.  Can they survive the trip and follow the signs to their families?


I remember watching this film decades ago when it was first released.  We even had cups that featured the characters.  I didn't remember anything about the film, except that the main characters were children.

When I discovered the film was available on Netflix instant streaming, I decided to watch it.  My nephews love dinosaurs and I wondered if they would enjoy this film.  But I'm not sure it is the right time to show it to them.  It is sadder and darker than I remember.  Apparently the film was even scarier, but the producers convinced director Don Bluth to remove 19 minutes, mostly involving Sharptooth and the main characters in peril.

All of the types of dinosaurs are identified by their physical characteristics: Longneck, Threehorn, Flyer, Spiketail, etc, instead of their official names: Apatosaurus, Triceratops, etc.  These descriptions extend to nature and natural disasters.  It is cute, but doesn't teach the kids the real names of the dinosaurs they love.

The film was popular enough to spawn a franchise.  To date, there are 13 direct-to-video sequels which all feature the main cast.  A few new characters have been added since this film.  There was also a TV series that ran for 26 episodes in 2007.

It is a heartfelt film that has cute moments.  The characters are entertaining, especially Ducky.  It isn't the best animation, the best script, or the best characters, but it is cute for what it is.

The Land Before Time (1988) 69 minutes
Director: Don Bluth
Starring: Gabriel Damon as Littlefoot
Candy Hutson as Cera
Judith Barsi as Ducky
Will Ryan as Petrie
Helen Shaver as Littlefoot's Mother
Pat Hingle as Narrator / Rooter

Phantom of the Opera (1943)

"Our brilliant stage manager insists there's a malicious ghost prowling about the Opera. If anything goes wrong, he thinks this ghost did it!"

Erique Claudin (Rains) is a violinist with the Paris Opera House.  However, despite his 20 years with the company, he is let go after he looses feeling in his fingers.  All of his money has been going towards singing lessons for Christine DuBois (Foster), a young soprano with the opera company.  With the loss of his job he can no longer afford her lessons, so he tries to sell a concerto to music publisher Maurice Pleyel (Miles Mander).  Pleyel refuse to acknowledge the composition and Claudin kills him.  Pleyel's assistant throws acid at Claudin's face, burning him.

Claudin evades the police by hiding in the opera house, much to the chagrin of the new owners, Amiot (Bromberg) and Lecours (Feld).  Stage manager Villeneuve (Puglia) blames the strange happenings on the "opera ghost."  Christine is the understudy to the main opera singer, Biancarolli (Farrar), a diva who does not like Christine.  And Christine is pursued by two suitors: Raoul Dubert (Barrier), the chief of police, and Anatole Garron (Eddy), the lead baritone in the opera.  Claudin, now known as the Phantom of the Opera, has big plans for Christine and isn't afraid to hurt others to reach his goals.  Can Raoul and Anatole stop Claudin and save Christine?


The film is loosely based on the 1910 novel "Le Fantôme de l'Opéra (The Phantom of the Opera)" by Gaston Leroux.  The story was first adapted to film in 1916, Das Phantom der Oper, but it is now considered a lost film.  It was adapted in 1925 by Universal Studios with Lon Chaney in the title role.  It is the iconic performance of the story.

However, Universal decided to remake that film in the 1940s with a different story.  They originally planned to have the Phantom be Christine's father, but later abandoned the idea.  This film gives the Phantom a backstory and shows before he is the Phantom.  It changes the names of the main cast and adds a second love interest for Christine.  While the film is about the Phantom, it spends more time on Christine and her suitors.

Claude Rains is an incredible actor, but this film does not utilize his gifts.  The script doesn't give him much to work with, but he is ok in the role.  This was Rains second time starring in a Universal Studios monster movie: in 1933 he starred in The Invisible Man (a far superior film).  In 1941 he appeared in another Universal Studios monster film, The Wolf Man (starring Lon Chaney Jr).  I am not familiar with the rest of the cast.  The leads are fine, easily selling the opera parts of the film.  Nelson Eddy and Edgar Barrier play off each other well, as the suitors and get some of the lighter moments of the film.  But overall, it is just a so-so film.

Legendary monster makeup artist Jack Pierce created the makeup for the Phantom.  The film was nominated for 4 Academy Awards (Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Music, and Best Scoring) and won for Art Direction and Color Cinematography, making it the only Universal monster movie to win an Oscar.

Universal planned a sequel, reuniting the main cast, called The Climax.  But this film did not do as well as they expected, so the sequel was scrapped and The Climax was given an original plot (and Boris Karloff in a starring role).

Phantom of the Opera (1943) 92 minutes
Director: Arthur Lubin
Starring: Claude Rains as Erique Claudin/The Phantom of the Opera
Nelson Eddy as Anatole Garron
Susanna Foster as Christine DuBois
Edgar Barrier as Raoul Dubert
Jane Farrar as Biancarolli
J. Edward Bromberg as Amiot
Fritz Feld as Lecours
Frank Puglia as Villeneuve
Fritz Leiber Sr. as Franz Liszt

Big Jake

"I thought you were dead."

"Not hardly."

A gang of outlaws, led by John Fain (Boone), raid the McCandles ranch.  They kill most of the workers and wound Jeff McCandles (Vinton), and kidnap Jeff's son Little Jake (E. Wayne).  They demand a $1 million ransom to get the boy back.  McCandles matriarch, Martha (O'Hara) gathers the money into a strong box and sends word to her estranged husband, the legendary Jacob McCandles (J. Wayne).  Jacob, his trusty dog, and friend Sam Sharpnose (Cabot) set out on horseback to follow the trail left by the kidnappers.

Jacob has not seen his family in almost 10 years and didn't know he was a grandfather.  His other sons, James (P. Wayne) and Michael (Mitchum), have other plans.  They team up with Texas Ranger Captain Buck Duggan (Doucette) and his team, to rescue the boy sooner.  Their actions are anticipated by Fain's gang, and most of the team is killed or injured.  Jacob gives his sons a second chance to join his trip.  James is bitter and regularly picks fights with his father, but agrees to his terms.  Michael enjoys modern gadgets, but doesn't know how to use them.  He also agrees to join the group.  Word spreads quickly and their progress is marked by other outlaws.  Can they get the money to Fain and rescue Little Jake?


This is my favorite John Wayne film.  It isn't what you expect, and despite the high body count, it is still funny.  It opens like a documentary and Wayne isn't on screen right away, although he is mentioned.  There is more blood than most Wayne films, but not an excessive amount.  And it is funnier than you expect it to be.

The film was written by Harry and Rita Fink, who also wrote Dirty Harry, which also premiered in 1971.  It was directed by George Sherman, who was a long-time friend of Wayne.  They made 10 films together, over a 30 year period.  This was their last collaboration and Sherman's last time in the director's chair due to his declining health.

Most of the cast appeared in other films with Wayne.  His usual stock actors have little parts here: stuntman Chuck Roberson, Hank Worden, etc.  This was his 5th and final time starring opposite Maureen O'Hara, in her smallest role with Wayne.  His family was also heavily involved in the film.  His oldest son, Michael Wayne, produced it (and most of his later films).  And his other 2 sons, Patrick Wayne and Ethan Wayne, appeared on screen with him.  This was his 10th collaboration with Patrick, who plays his son James, and it was his second with Ethan, who plays his grandson Little Jake.

Richard Boone is the mesmerizing villain, John Fain.  He is captivating and you can't wait until his character meets Wayne's character.  When they do finally meet, it is as interesting as you expect.  They trade barbs and feel evenly matched.  This was his 2nd of 3 collaborations with Wayne (the last was Wayne's final film The Shootist).  The other villains are menacing, but Boone is the most interesting.

Big Jake (1971) 110 minutes
Director: George Sherman
Starring: John Wayne as Jacob McCandles
Richard Boone as John Fain
Patrick Wayne as James McCandles
Christopher Mitchum as Michael McCandles
Bruce Cabot as Sam Sharpnose
Maureen O'Hara as Martha McCandles
Bobby Vinton as Jeff McCandles
Glenn Corbett as O'Brien
John Doucette as Texas Ranger Captain Buck Duggan
Harry Cary Jr. as Pop Dawson
Gregg Palmer as John Goodfellow
Ethan Wayne as Little Jake McCandles

Click here to see more reviews of Wayne films.

To Catch a Thief

"From where I sat it looked as though you were conjugating some irregular verbs."

John Robie (Grant) is a retired cat burglar, known as "The Cat," living in the French Riviera.  A series of jewel heists bearing his modus operandi lead Commissaire Lepic (Rene Blancard) and the French police to suspect Robie.  He is innocent and wants to clear his name.  He evades the police and travels to Bertani's (Vanel) restaurant to see his former criminal colleagues.  They all went straight during WWII when they joined the French Resistance, and after the war Bertani opened a restaurant where they all work.  They believe Robie is guilty and are mad that the police are once again suspicious of their actions.  Bertani assigns Foussard's (Martinelli) teenage daughter Danielle (Auber) to help Robie escape.

Robie goes to a resort where he teams up with insurance man H.H. Hughson (Williams) to figure out the thieves next target.  American tourists Jessie (Landis) and Frances (Kelly) Stevens are at the top of the list.  Jessie is a bored widow, trying to find a husband for her daughter.  Francie is taken with Robie and they begin spending time together.  Can he prove stop the thieves, prove his innocence, and get the girl?


This is one of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock films.  The story is an adaptation of the 1952 "To Catch a Thief" written by David F. Dodge.  The cast is wonderful, and filled with actors that had previously worked with Hitchcock (or would work with him again after this film).  This was Hitchcock's third (and final) collaboration with Grace Kelly (Dial M for Murder and Rear Window).  It was also his third (of 4) collaboration with Cary Grant (Suspicion, Notorious, and North by Northwest).  Jessie Royce Landis appeared alongside Grant in North by Northwest and also appeared on an episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents."  John Williams appeared in Dial M for Murder with Kelly.  French actor Charles Vanel did not speak any English and his English dialog was dubbed.  Brigitte Auber was a French actress who only made a few English language films.

In college I wrote a paper about the costumes in this film.  Edith Head was a phenomenal, and award winning, costume designer.  Grace Kelly's dresses, and the other costumes, in this film are gorgeous.  Head was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design (she was nominated 35 times and won 8 times).  She worked with Hitchcock on 8 films: The Birds, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Marnie, Notorious, Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, Topaz, Vertigo.

The film was also nominated for an Oscar in Best Art Direction, and won the Oscar for Best Cinematography (for Robert Burks).  And the film was featured on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions.


To Catch a Thief (1955) 106 minutes
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Cary Grant as John "The Cat" Robie
Grace Kelly as Frances Stevens
Jessie Royce Landis as Jessie Stevens
John Williams as H.H. Hughson
Charles Vanel as Bertani
Brigitte Auber as Danielle Foussard

Jean Martinelli as Foussard