Big Jake (1971)

John Wayne playing John Wayne. Nobody does it better. Not that impressed with the acting of some minor characters. The film was quite violent, interspersed with some mildly humorous sequences. The late setting (1909) and the appearance of automobiles, etc. were a nice touch, keeping it from being a total repeat of other Wayne movies. This is not really one of Wayne's better Westerns, but worth seeing for any of his fans, like me, who have somehow missed it all these years.

(Flash Review)John Wayne plays a cowboy named McCandles, great name, in this Western that highlights the trend away from horses to cars and motorcycle. It opens in 1909 with eight bandits who approach vast ranch estate and murder many workers and kidnap the mother's grandson for a random of $1mil. Not just any grandson, a grandson of McCandles who has been away from the family for many years. The mother calls back McCandles to handle the job of rescuing the grandson and make sure the ransom makes it to its destination safely. Will anyone doubt McCandles at accomplishing his task and will he have any tricks up his sleeve? This was a solid story as a basis some good shootouts, snappy dialog and splendid natural cinematography. Pure John Wayne.

. . . to see the damage repetitive head injuries can have, as it's clear that BIG JAKE was shot out of sequence, beginning with John Wayne knocking out Real Life son Patrick Wayne and pretend son Christopher Mitchum in Mexican Escondero Hotel Room #8 who knows for how many takes. Always a stickler for authenticity, "The Duke" obviously took his stage directions a little too literally here, which is why these two co-stars were virtually unheard of ever again. One only needs to watch the rest of BIG JAKE, filmed AFTER this double tragedy, to see how Pat and Chris seem to be competing for a not-even-invented-yet Razzie Award for Most Wooden Actor in a Supporting Role. John Wayne's "BIG JAKE" character names his dog "Dog," so that viewers won't feel too bad when this thoughtlessly tagged mutt is hacked to death by John Goodfellow's machete. Jake's Native American sidekick is named generically after Uncle Sam, for the exact same reason. As John-the-Machete-Man tries for a bloody Hat Trick by slashing after BIG JAKE's grandson, viewers will be wracking their brains to remember whether Jake named the kid simply "Boy."

This is a great movie. Lots action, great plot and acting. Big Jake is believed dead by almost everyone he runs into. Believe me he isn't!!! John Wayne is Big Jake and he is one tough mother. Richard Boone gets the lead bad guy role and he is very good. Maureen O'Hara is his wife and a very demanding shrew, yet they are still married. When his son is kidnapped by Boone and his gang that come to the McCandels ranch and kill a bunch of people and take the youngest and very effeminately dressed youngest son she calls for Big Jake. He shows up and with his sons he goes after the bad guys. I like that one of his sons are actually played by his real son. The bath scene is good and violent. Several of the amateurish bad men in the town are just sooo out classed and they die. Big Jake finally runs the kidnappers down and things come to a head. When things finally get to crunch time the dog gets killed by the fat ass, one son shoots the sniper and Richard Boone gets killed. The young son is safe and returned to mama.