SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

TaryBiggBall It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

darbski This is not so much a review as a question. I found the movie to be a lot of fun, fast paced, well acted, great scenery, direction, and reasonably put together. My question is: why was this movie the effective end of June Fairchild's career? Sure, she had a couple of nowhere roles in stupid movies, but this was her high point. Cathy Bach, on the other hand did very well after this. Why? June's acting was very good, she had a much bigger part, well, than almost any of the other bit players. Further, she cute as the dickens. She was likable, and she screamed beautifully. This lady had a sad end, and it seems that everyone just wrote her off. Could something have happened on the set that made her an outcast? No doubt it will never be known, but it should be said by someone that she played a good part and is NOT forgotten.

classicsoncall When I select a quote from a film to use in my summary line, it's generally done to capture the flavor of the story or place an emphasis on one of the principal characters. Contrary to what many of the positive posters for the movie have to say about it, I think the thunderbolt I came up with pretty much sums things up. This might be the best example of a film for me where I depart so widely from what looks like the majority. I guess that's why they say it takes all kinds.You know, if I were Johnny Thunderbolt (Clint Eastwood), I don't think I'd have been so open minded about letting my potential assassin come along after patching up a disagreement. Red haired women might have been bad luck, but it seemed like a guy named Red (George Kennedy) could do a lot more damage. Turns out he did too, a bad career move for the trusting bank robber.So what was this, a buddy movie, a heist film, a crime story, what? There were just too many irrelevant things happening and coming out of nowhere that didn't do anything to advance the story, that it eventually slid into boredom for this viewer. Vic Tayback and Gary Busey in the credited cast? I saw each of them on screen for about three seconds - what did I miss? And say, what was that piece of heavy duty artillery that Thunderbolt used to blow a hole through the safe? The darn thing was longer than the car they were driving but it fit into the trunk!!?? I'll give director Cimino one kudo here for putting the 'trunk full of rabbits' guy (Bill McKinney) into the picture, that for me was the best part of the story. It didn't make any sense or have anything to do with anything else going on, but it was a pretty cool diversion. I never had any trouble with tribbles, so for one brief moment, the movie had my attention.

SnoopyStyle Thunderbolt (Clint Eastwood) is a bank robber hiding out as a preacher and the only one who knows where the loot is hidden. Red Leary (George Kennedy) tracks him down and shoots at him. Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges) is passing by driving his stolen Camaro and rescues Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt can't get rid of him. Red Leary and Eddie Goody (Geoffrey Lewis) continues to follow them. Thunderbolt discovers his hiding place, an old schoolhouse, has been replaced with a new school. With his loot presumably gone, the four rivals decide to join forces to take down a big score with an anti-tank gun.Michael Cimino delivers some beautifully shoot scenes and some wild characters. He also has the great Eastwood and a young stud in Bridges. It's a fairly simple heist movie composed of really interesting scenes. The acting is terrific and the guys have good chemistry. For all the wild action, the most memorable is the outrageous man with the rabbits in his truck. This is a hidden gem from the 70s.

grantss Interesting in that it stars Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges, and is probably the only movie to include both of them. Eastwood was already an established star while this movie came early in Bridges' movie career. Interesting too in that it is the directing debut of Michael Cimino. His next movie was one of the greatest movies of all time, The Deer Hunter.This said, despite the acting, directing and writing (Cimino also wrote the script) talent involved, the movie is nothing special. It mostly plays as a farcical comedy. Gratuitous car chases, scenes that have no point, sometimes-random plot. Throw in an implausible bank heist and it doesn't feel at all original.Then we have a very dramatic and moving ending, just to confuse your emotions and sense of what type of movie it is.Performances are good, however. Jeff Bridges is great as Lightfoot and Clint Eastwood is solid, and very Eastwoodesque, as Thunderbolt. Good support from George Kennedy and Geoffrey Lewis. Gary Busey has a very minor role.