Wordiezett So much average

Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Dorathen Better Late Then Never

Isbel A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Richie-67-485852 I like John Wayne. He had done some impressive work but not all his movies hit the heights. This be one of them and I am sad to say that he acted, directed and produced and one suspects his ego got the best of him and no one around him could say otherwise. This says a lot about Wayne. I tried to watch this but had to speed it up at times. It drags, over-emphasizes and gets silly which for a film this long is the kiss of death. The movie and the subject is what legends are made of but this version is a legend in Wayne's mind. Watch if you must and & can and hold the...

JohnLeeT This is indeed motion picture greatness as seldom achieved. The passion of director/producer/actor John Wayne for his project is as profound as any other auteur in cinematic history. His triumph as a first time director is astounding and his masterful work behind the camera leaves the unprepared viewer breathless. The cinematography, film score, and set design are stunningly beautiful and the performances Wayne inspires from his cast are nothing less than superb. The battle scenes are choreographed with incredible skill and epic in their scope, bringing audiences to the edge of their seats. However, the intimacy and character development are equally amazing and it is in the tension filled time leading up to the final conflict that we come to know and care for those who are about to die. John Wayne captures the glory and tragedy of the Alamo as no other film maker has and this motion picture will be viewed forever as the ultimate depiction of this dramatic moment in history. If Wayne had lived longer and received a bit more encouragement from film critics who badly reviewed him as a director purely because of his conservative politics, he may well have become a film maker of Clint Eastwood or John Ford's stature, perhaps another David Lean, expressing his personal cinematic vision and passion in even greater fashion as his directing career matured. Alas, we lost this wonderful, beloved talent far too soon and the potential so clearly seen in The Alamo would never be completely realized in films never to be made. Yet, students of cinema will study and celebrate the screen performances of John Wayne for many generations to come and eventually his gifts as a director will be recognized as well. For now, The Alamo stands as an artistic achievement of epic proportions, a testament to the sacrifice of true heroes, and a celluloid monument to John Wayne, Director.

Neil Welch In a seminal part of the history of the USA and Texas in particular, a small number of resistance fighters hold off the vast invading Mexican army at the derelict Alamo mission in San Antonio.In the 50-odd years since John Wayne's The Alamo was made, thousands upon thousands of movies have reached the public, ranging from the classic to the dreadful. Those regarded as classic have pushed the boundaries of cinema, and it must be accepted that this version of The Alamo doesn't stand up up too well when judged by present-day criteria.But back in 1960, The Alamo was an Event. Wayne was at the height of his popularity (he was box office number 1 for many years),this was a pet project of his, and it was an epic (and, unusually, a western one rather than biblical).Hindsight shows it to be somewhat bloated, rather slow paced at times, and over loaded with right wing polemic. On the other hand, it is undoubtedly sincere, the action sequences with their large casts are well marshalled, and it is a good looking film.For me, it passes muster. I wish I still had the commemorative programme which accompanied on its first cinema run!

TheLittleSongbird Just for the record I like John Wayne and his films, I love The Searchers, The Quiet Man, El Dorado, The Shootist, Fort Apache and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and quite like Red River and Rio Bravo. The Alamo is not Wayne's worst movie, not even close, that dishonour to me is still The Conqueror, but again it's not among his best either.Before I point out what I didn't like very much about The Alamo, I noticed several things I liked and admired. The Alamo is a beautifully made film with great colour, magnificent scenery and strong cinematography. Dmitri Tiomkin has penned some wonderful scores, such as It's a Wonderful Life, Red River and The High and the Mighty, and the score for The Alamo was no exception, with its melodious and rousing themes.Some assets showed some good and bad things. One was the script, the second half in written quality is actually stirring stuff. I wish I could say the same for the first half, sadly I found it rather leaden. Another was the direction, in the second half it shows signs of brilliance however in the first it is somewhat self-indulgent with scenes going on too long. This paragraph especially applies to the cast. John Wayne is charismatic enough and does a better job at acting here I feel than directing and Richard Widmark once again gives a solid performance. One of the most disappointing things of this picture is the performance of Laurence Harvey, who's very stiff with an accent that is both inconsistent and obvious.There are also some assets that didn't do much for me. In terms of story, the second half is much better than the first. The second half has some good writing and picks up the pace, the first half on the other hand is in my opinion unexciting and pedestrian with too many overlong scenes that could've been trimmed easily. The Alamo is perhaps 15 minutes too long, the pace is often dull particularly at the start and for a lengthy movie you'd expect more character development than this. Widmark's is probably the most well developed, Harvey's character is very awkward and perhaps even out of place throughout.Overall, too uneven and just didn't engage me. 5/10 Bethany Cox