REVIEW: The Good, the Bad, the Weird Lousy for Viewers, Worse For Horses

Movieline Score:

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Every so often in The Good, the Bad, the Weird, Kim does give you reason to perk up. The opening-credits sequence is gorgeous and evocative, a marvelous widescreen desert view that swoops over to a set of train tracks, where a few ratty birds pick at a decimated carcass. A larger bird of prey zooms down on them, grabbing their treat in his talons before soaring into the blue. The picture's greatest attribute is its unapologetically cinematic quality: When he sets his mind to it, Kim knows how to use the big screen as a massive canvas -- this is a movie that begs to be viewed on something much bigger than an iPod, or even an iPad.

And Kim does show a flair for elaborate action sequences, including a humdinger in which practically every character we've met in the course of the movie, along with some new ones, races across the desert on horseback, all in pursuit of the priceless whatsit. (The music on the soundtrack is a bone-rattling version of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood.") It's a magnificent and elaborate sequence, although Kim lets it run on for too long: It would be far more effective with some tightening and tweaking.

And as stirring as it may be to watch those majestic four-legged creatures galloping through the desert, someone has to pay the price for all that excitement -- and you can bet it's going to be the stunt horses. The sequence is filled with gunfire and explosions that clearly startle the animals; while some of the action is very clearly computer-enhanced, I counted many instances -- too many -- in which horses stumbled and fell in ways that were clearly unrehearsed.

Films made in the United States have to follow very clear guidelines when it comes to animal cruelty, and we can't expect to dictate to foreign filmmakers what they can and can't do. But on-screen (or, for that matter, off-screen) animal suffering diminishes my enjoyment of a picture, if it doesn't demolish it altogether. There are times, maybe, when it's justified. I'm an ardent defender of the rabbit-hunting sequence in Renoir's The Rules of the Game: Vivid cruelty is the point of the sequence, not a casual by-product of it. But watching horses being made to suffer just so a million fanboys can say, "Kewl!" isn't my idea of fun. The Good, the Bad, the Weird isn't nearly as good or as weird as Kim believes it to be. And as thrill rides go, it leaves a very bad aftertaste.

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Comments

  • Morgo says:

    I don't respect reviews that say "it's not as good as they think it is" etc. Pre-suppositions like that diminish the review, because a reviewer has no idea what the film-maker thinks of their work (unless they've asked). It's unfair to the film, and unhelpful to people trying to decide whether to go or not. If you think it's dumb, say it's dumb (in a clever way of course), don't fancy it up with some false perspective.

  • jj says:

    Saw this film twice, two years ago. It's very fun, very watchable. I highly recommend it.

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  • Jane says:

    "I counted many instances — too many — in which horses stumbled and fell in ways that were clearly unrehearsed"
    There were exactly four horses that fell in the finale sequence and they were all standard stunts that have been practiced safely for ages. The explosions I can understand being iffy about, but I really don't think you watched this film with a careful eye.

  • Denise says:

    This review sucks! I love this movie!

  • Erick Ramirez says:

    I watched this movie last night and found it to be a great movie. I don't know how you can gripe about this film having a convoluted plot when the film's inspiration is just as muddled! Don't get me wrong, I love "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly", but around the third time that they get caught up in something that they hard no part in, I began to get a little annoyed.
    In addition, though you mentioned "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", you failed to comment on the film's overall brilliant score. Sometimes I was confused by what time period the movie was meant to be set in, but that was actually highlighted by the score, which is a unique mix of Asian/Western themes, with some electronic music thrown in at times.
    Every action sequence was great and the Good's character is meant to be a foil to the Weird. Which is why you consider him to be "boring". He is not the main character in this film, though; it's clearly the Weird. I loved all the characters and their role in the crazy rat race. The characters are eccentric enough to keep you interested in their motives.
    Overall, a great film, and I believe that you made a quick-and-dirty judgment of the film and you let it glaze over the better parts of this movie.

  • Brendon Ressler says:

    Someone who really doesn't get it. This is one of the most enjoyable films I've seen in years (after three viewings) and Hollywood better watch out because Korea is figuring it out. I understand that opinions differ but I've recommended this movie to five friends of varying tastes and four of them have loved it. I'll admit that they could have probably edited 45 minutes out and not lost anything significant but the same could be said of Leone's movie as well.

  • RB says:

    I agree with this reviewer's comments about animal cruelty. After watching all of those horses fall during the desert chase scene, there's no way I could recommend the movie to someone now.