TrueJoshNight
Truly Dreadful Film
Keeley Coleman
The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;
Fatma Suarez
The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
vincentlynch-moonoi
It's good to see this western out on DVD, although the transfer is just "okay".I'll admit to being a huge Dino fan, but I disagree with a few others who have posted here...this is a pretty average western flick of the old style...which isn't saying a lot since by the 1970s most western flicks were pretty average. The story is actually okay -- two friends split up, one becoming a sheriff (Rock Hudson), and the other becoming a train robber (Dean Martin). Some would say the age of the two stars (Dean was 56 at this time and Rock was 48) was a bit illogical. But I don't suppose all sheriffs or robbers were young. So that's fine, but where the age doesn't work is in the flashback scenes as the two friends ambled along in earlier years. This was the last major starring role for both actors. Hudson soon turned to television, and Dean's films weren't making the bucks anymore. Dean does some of his own horse riding here, though not as much as in his younger years. Dean loved making westerns, and in many of his westerns he did most of his own riding. During the making of this film his favorite movie horse died, and apparently he was quite broken up over it.The scenery is genuine and very nice -- northern New Mexico and probably a bit of southern Colorado (and you can still ride this very train). Kudos for the director in selecting the locales.The story is this -- Dean teams up with some robbers to rob a train, then has a falling out with them, shoots one of them, and skedaddles with the loot. So the 2 remaining are after him. As is the sheriff -- his old friend, Hudson. Dean eventually gets caught...sort of...or gives himself up...sort of. But the DA breaks a promise while Rock is out of town with his wife (Susan Clark), Dean escapes, and the chase is on again. The end is pretty predictable, but the filming in the forest fire is a different slant on things, and quite effective.If you like old-style westerns, you'll like this one. The first half could be a little less sentimental, but it builds nicely. It's a GOOD film, but not a great one. Very watchable, however, and the second half is much better than the early portions.
RamblerReb
This film would have made a fairly good romantic triangle comedy in a more modern setting, but the western aspects of the film jar against the charming comic rivalry between Hudson and Dino for the female lead's attention. The early-'70s feel of the script didn't gel with the time period. Don't get me wrong, the banter and verbal sparring made me chuckle, but it is dialogue I would expect to take place in a Manhattan apartment between three urban sophisticates.Of course, Dean Martin's amiable charm elevates this, as it always does all his films, above what it would have been without him. Hudson struggles valiantly, but his is unable to muster the star power to compete with Martin's effortless performance playing himself again. Martin's sheer charisma forces everyone else to up their game, but at the same time mutes them in the face of his good-humored zest for life. One thinks that seeing a person playing essentially the same character again and again would become monotonous, but Martin never gets stale no matter how many times he mugs and smirks and breaks the fourth wall.The downer ending is a bit of a deal-breaker, as I'd have preferred Hudson or anybody else to have died than who did, but it is still worth checking out for Dino completists.
platini14
this is the last.western the dean martin and i believed what is very underrated. Dean martin now in duel acting with Rock Hudson, in other film of brothers in conflict. where dean is the star in this film. Rock Hudson is fine as opposite a dean. Respect to movie is very nice shots of scenario context to history. wonderful ambientation . very much suspense with elements what i don't view in others westerns in resume an western distinct in the style of Dean Martin what deserve more popularity with the public. this is a film lost in time and very difficult to watch for this reason. very little know in 1973 when its realized.
bkoganbing
Showdown is another version of the two buddies who take different turns in the road of life. It borrows elements from George Marshall's supremely enjoyable Texas which starred two very young players named Glenn Ford and Bill Holden.The buddies here are Dean Martin and Rock Hudson. They're a little older than Bill and Glenn were. Rock Hudson is now a solid respectable citizen ranch owner, married to Susan Clark, and who also happens to be the sheriff.Dino cleared out from the ranch they had and has been gone for two years so he doesn't know that Hudson is the new sheriff. Maybe he wouldn't have decided to rob that train with some very serious outlaw types. Unfortunately Dino was recognized and Hudson has to bring him in.This turned out to be the last western film for both Dean Martin and Rock Hudson. Martin, starting with Rio Bravo in 1959, did a whole string of westerns of varying quality. But making them is hard work, a fact Dean discovered one day out in the desert heat making these films. The rest of his movies were done in modern dress.Also for some reason two of the most agreeable stars to work with as attested to by numerous co-stars of both did not get along during the making of Showdown.Yet this Damon and Pythias story is still good entertainment and nothing either Rock or Dean had any reason to be ashamed of.
