Joe Kidd Review

Joe Kidd Review

Although Joe Kidd remains a fairly sturdy western with a decent plot, good acting and quite intense action sequences, it is also far from classic, slow in places and unfortunately rather forgettable. Clint Eastwood and Robert Duvall (two of my favourite actors) do not wholly disappoint. Eastwood was in his usual carefree, cold and cool “Man With No Name” spaghetti western style, but Duvall was also rather similar and I believe that Clint’s type of role does not entirely suit him, plus he could have acted a great deal better!

Joe Kidd (Eastwood) currently in jail is released on the command of Frank Harlan (Duvall), a wealthy landowner who has formed a posse to help kill Mexican bandit Luis Chama (John Saxon) ,the organiser of a revolt against the landowners in favour of the poor, whose land it really belongs to. Kidd refuses to join the posse at first, but soon changes his mind when Chama attacks his ranch and assaults one of his workers. After Kidd falls in love with a Mexican girl, he kills two of the posse and changes sides to help Chama and his gang.

Like “District 9”, the last third of the film is much more exciting, eventful and exaggerated than the rest. The highlights of the film are basically the action scenes, which are demonstrated more than ever towards the end. The cinematography and production aren’t much to look at either and give the western a less convincing, more depressing feel.

Overall, the film is quite good and is just about held together by standard acting, an alright plot and occasional action sequences. If you’re after good quality Eastwood westerns, check out The Outlaw Josey Wales, High Plains Drifter and The Dollars Trilogy. Don’t have too high hopes about this one, as it’s really for western fans only.

7/10