Customer Reviews

The Gauntlet [VHS]

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4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This review refers to the Warner Bros. DVD edition of "The Gauntlet"....

From the moment Ben Shockley(Clint Eastwood)steps out of his car and an empty booze bottle falls out, we know this is not the usual "Dirty Harry" character we'd been used to up to now. Ben is a cop who's chances for greatness seem to be fading with him.
Eastwood directs as well as stars in this film and we see his brillant directoral style taking hold here.

The Phoenix P.D. seem to be scraping the bottom of the barrel when they assign Shockley the job of escorting Gus Malley, a seemingly unimportant witness from Las Vegas back to Phoenix for a trial. Ben's been looking for his big break on a big case and it doesn't look like this will be it with this guy. Upon arriving in Las Vegas, Ben discovers that Gus is no guy. Gus Malley(Sondra Locke), is a local prostitute and unwilling partcipant in the journey back as well. This is not "a hooker with a heart story" though, this pro is as hard edged as they come, but she does have a brain!

The action starts as soon as they leave the jail. Someone is going to make sure that these two never make it to trial. Vegas is even giving odds against them. Everyone's after them..the mob, the cops, they even made the mistake of angering a group of bikers along the route and they're out for revenge as well. They hardly know who to trust, as they get shot at from all angles, cars blow up, they are set up and beat up. What Gus knows can cost them their lives, but Shockley is now determined to bring his prisoner in at all costs and rises to the occassion and must break through an impassable barrier set-up to keep him at bay.

It's edge of your seat drama, thrills, and fun, as Gus and Ben trade quips and get in a little romance(we couldn't expect any different with Eastwood and Locke)along the way.As usual Clint surrounds himself with the finest talent. Pat Hingle, William Prince, and Bill Mckinney turn in excellent performances as well as Eastwood and Locke. There's also a terrific jazzy score by Jerry Fielding.

The film made in 1977 looks great on this DVD transfer. It is in a widescreen on a dual layer format. The picture looks good. Clear and sharp with good color. There was occasionally a little purplish tint in places, but it didn't take away from the enjoyment of the film. The soundtrack remastered in the 5.1 Dolby Stereo was also good. The music sounded great and the dialouge always crisp. Not too much in the way of bonus material if that's what you're looking for, there's a filmography on Eastwood(his was the only one I was able to access) and a theatrical trailer. It may be viewed in French(Mono) and also has subtitles in English and French as well. You can bet on this one!

5 stars to a great Eastwood action film that can be watched again and again.

Get the Popcorn ready for this one and enjoy.....Laurie

also sold(when available) in 2 pack:The Gauntlet/True Crime

also recommended:
City Hall/Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
The Clint Eastwood Collection (In the Line of Fire/Unforgiven/Bronco Billy/Dirty Harry/The Outlaw Josey Wales/The Beguiled)
(see my reviews for film details)

I read years ago that "The Gauntlet" was originally intended to feature the star matchup of Clint Eastwood and Barbra Streisand, but after Eastwood was warned by the Warner Bros. brass of La Streisand's diva tantrums on the set of "A Star is Born" he nixed the idea and cast his "Josey Wales" costar Sondra Locke instead. Admittedly, a Eastwood-Streisand matchup would have made this film a major blockbuster instead of the solid hit it was, but I'm glad it never happened. The pair would probably have had no chemistry whatsoever and Streisand would have been unbearably shrill in the role of "two bit hooker" Gus Malley. Besides, Locke is excellent in the role and proves a terrific sparring partner for Eastwood. Yes, her subsequent pairings with the legend were less than satisfactory, but for one bright shining moment, Locke's talent would shine brightly.

"The Gauntlet" actually works strictly because of the Eastwood/Locke chemistry and not because of the unbelievable plot. Eastwood plays Ben Shockley, a self-described "dumbass cop" and alcoholic who is sent by Phoenix's shady new police commissioner Blakelock (William Prince) to Las Vegas to extradite Malley, who is the only witness to a mob trial. It becomes obvious from the start that Shockley has been set up and by whom, and the two don't even make it to the airport before they are being chased across the desert by mob assassins. You'll figure out who's behind everything long before Shockley, but for once, his ineptitude makes sense, since he was sent to do the job because of it. The plot turns when Shockley figures it out and decides to prove the brass wrong by delivering Malley to the steps of Phoenix city hall, providing he can get through the impenetrable barrier (or "gauntlet") of policemen sent to stop him.

Like I said, the plot is unbelievable. Shockley and Malley dodge so many bullets and escape so many sure death circumstances a total suspension of belief is required to fully enjoy the nonsense. And the final five minutes is stupid beyond belief, since we are asked to believe the entire Phoenix police force would stand by and watch three people being shot and do absolutely nothing. However, the film is fast-paced and the action scenes are expertly mounted and the film never drags for a single moment in 109 minutes. Eastwood directs with economy and style and with tongue firmly placed in cheek, and for once, the lightning pacing many have yearned for in his recent, more leisurely paced films. And the performances are universally excellent, especially by Locke, Pat Hingle as Shockley's concerned partner-turned-patsy, Michael Cavanaugh as a seemingly sympathetic assistant district attorney, and '70's Eastwood regular Bill McKinney, who is absolutely hilarious as a smarmy constable taken hostage by the desperate pair. In fact, anyone who thinks Locke can't act should watch the expert interplay between her and McKinney when he decides to have fun insulting her and she turns the tables on him, twisting the screws until he explodes. This scene alone is worth the price of of the DVD, and it should serve as a rebuttal to Locke detractors everywhere. I also liked the subtle way Eastwood and Locke's relationship turns from adversarial to actual love and affection. Nowhere in the script is there a specific moment where they fall in love, they just do, and they make the transition believable strictly through their interplay.

The film makes great use of Nevada/Arizona locations and has a terrific jazz score by Jerry Fielding, who heavily borrows from gospel standards like "A Closer Walk (my Lord to Thee)." In fact, the film is littered with religious symbolism, but why is a mystery. In all, the entire production is a solid, professional piece of work by the entire Eastwood team at Malpaso. And while it will never be considered in the same class as such top-drawer Eastwood directorial efforts as "Outlaw Josey Wales," "Unforgiven," and "Mystic River," it remains to this day a solid entertainment that seems to improve with each viewing, just as long as you shut your brain off completely at the end.

As for the DVD, WHV has done better. However, at least it's in panavision widescreen instead of the pan-and-scan that the VHS copies contain. And could we have a little more than the standard theatrical trailers for extras? All in all, it rates ***1/2 (out of *****)
for the film and **1/2 for the DVD presentation.

Though it gets lost in the "Dirty Harry" shuffle, "The Gauntlet" (1977) is an underrated action drama with more emphasis on characterization than bullets. In a change-of-pace role, Clint Eastwood plays a down-and-out Phoenix cop who faces seemingly impossible odds - and endless corruption - when he is assigned to escort a Las Vegas prostitute (Sondra Locke) to trial. Needless to say, Clint's slimy boss (William Prince) wants to make sure he doesn't get the job done. Stylishly directed by Eastwood, the film moves at a fast clip and benefits from strong performances. Interestingly, Eastwood's character fires his gun only twice and never kills anyone. The elaborate climax is a bit ludicrous (why don't the Phoenix officers shoot out the bus tires?), yet "The Gauntlet" remains on-target most of the way. A must-see for Eastwood fans.

The movie itself is as good as any of the Dirty Harry series. The picture quality for a Blu-Ray is pretty good. It's probably the best I have ever seen it. I didn't notice much by the way of dirt or smudges, & grain is about par for a film of this age. If you are looking to buy this or the regular DVD, then I would say this Blu-Ray is a better choice.

One of Eastwood's best films,and one of Sondra Locke'e for that matter,this Blu transfer blows away the previous DVD release which really wasnt all that bad,but this Blu Ray transfer and sound are just incredible,it blows the old DVD right out of the water!!!,your HD TV,and sound system will get quite a workout here!!! No extras here,just the movie,not even a trailer,but for the pretty low price,this one's worth picking up if you're a fan,worth the upgrade!!! The final scenes with the bus(Clint also had some bus action also in Dirty Harry,remember these films were made well before "Speed"!) are truly incredible,this movie is action packed!!! "The Gauntlet" is a winner!!! I've had this on VHS,DVD and now Blu Ray!!! A+

Somewhat dumb but absolutely fun Eastwood/Locke vehicle. Slow, surly cop and clever hooker are double-crossed and on the run from authorities. Recommemded

Unlike some of the other reviewers who seem to enjoy spending their time tearing a movie apart for its accuracy rather than for what it is... Pure entertainment! Who cares if no cop wants to grab the gun from a "crazy" woman, it's the humorous fact that they're letting her get away with it. Just remember, He's got the gun, the badge, and the love of Jesus in his pretty green eyes. What more could a viewer want?

Look at it this way: Eastwood is too intelligent a director to not realize how over-the-top the violence here is, or how silly that final sequence. So it must have been purposeful, yes? 1977's THE GAUNTLET is a neat little piece of hard-boiled cop cinema, done up in that 1970s style, meaning that there's no glitzy CG stuff here, brother. It's strictly blue-collar mayhem, guns and explosions and Clint busting up them villains in that no-nonsense fashion of his.

Eastwood doesn't play "Dirty Harry" Callahan in this one; he plays sort of an inferior version of him. Ben Shockley isn't a supercop. He's a semi-boozy Phoenix badge whose years clocked in at the force have resulted in diddly-squat. In fact, it's his longtime partner who's gotten the cushy promotion. I'm guessing it's Shockley's underachieving career which gets him tasked with flying to Vegas and then escorting home a (to quote the police commissioner) "nothing witness for a nothing trial." The "nothing witness" turns out to be a two-bit hooker, but Shockley soon learns that there's probably a bit more to that "nothing trial." Else, why are gunmen coming out of the woodwork trying to put a bullet in them? Even the Vegas bookmakers are laying down 50 to 1 odds that they don't make it (oops, odds just jumped to 75 to 1).

THE GAUNTLET is fun, man. It's a good old-fashioned police shoot-em-up, with Clint doing his patented flinty, squinting, gravelly-voiced thing. He directs the film as well, and, as mentioned, he must've had his tongue in cheek when he was considering the action set pieces. For sure, he injects some humor in them, the best example of which is probably that poor house that got shot up so much that it finally simply keeled over. And, while I don't know if this qualifies as an action set piece, the most laugh-out-loud scene has to be Clint's rousting out of a motorcycle gang.

- Shockley to the bikesters: "Now if I have a suspicion a felony's been committed, I can just walk right in here anytime I feel like it, 'cause I got this badge, I got this gun, and I've got the love of Jesus right here in my pretty green eyes."

I also think it funny that the dirty cops, on three separate occasions I can recall, pretty much shrug away even the semblance of police protocol and just begin firing away. And, at that house and then at the state line, the dummies don't even bother confirming their kills.

The biggest knock against this film is that crazy "gauntlet" sequence, which is so over-the-top and so far-fetched that, well, I don't quite know what to say about it, other than Clint must have been smoking something. In a way, it's so lacking in verisimilitude that I kind of dug it. And that's pretty much me defending that climactic scene.

Clint and frequent co-star Sondra Locke do their best with their performances to distract you from the sheer what-the-hell!-ness of it all. Clint is Clint, the essence of cool by way of the clenched-jawed slow burn. Sondra Locke comes thru with one of her best performances, as "Gus" Mally, the feisty, smarter-than-average soiled dove. Clint's down-and-out cop isn't much of a thinker; it takes Gus pointing out certain inconsistencies for him to start suspecting the force of shady shenanigans. The two leads' interplay is what really sells me about this film, with their banter being particularly profanity-laced and funny. They don't get along at first, of course (she calls him a "big .45 caliber fruit"). But, eventually, out comes the lovey dovey. Then again, I guess surviving a car bomb and a house getting shot up real good, being chased by a copter, skirmishing in a boxcar, and then steering a bus thru the mother of all bullet storms - well, no question, any of those will put you in a romantic mood.

Okay, this isn't one of Clint's best films; it's no classic. THE GAUNTLET lacks the nuanced heft and drama of some of his Dirty Harry flicks and of, say, classic thrillers like Play Misty for Me and Tightrope. But it's a film that goes down easy. Ben Shockley is a flawed character, and yet he's the same Clint Eastwood type of hero, maybe not so quick with the marbles but he flaunts the same familiar grit. If anyone can make it thru that barrage of bullets on that bus, it's Clint Eastwood, brother. Back then and even now, Clint is a cool cat and a baaaad man. And, hell, you know what, I say THE GAUNTLET is a classic, after all! So there!

This catalog remaster is superb! Looks like it came out recently, not 30 years ago. No frills or extras, but kudos to Warner Bros for keeping the price low. The movie gets 3 stars, the disc gets 4 as there are no extras.

Warner Bros - give us The Outlaw Josie Wales and North by Northwest on Blu-ray - soon!

This film gives a whole new meaning to the term "Treachery".
Clint Eastwood & Sondra Locke team in this cops against cops against the mob movie
Locke plays a supposedly "no nothing witness to a no nothing case"
Sure.until the bullets start to fly a little over 2 million dollars worth according to Malpaso, Eastwoods'production company if I have my fact straight about that.
Eastwood plays Ben Schokley a "drunken bum of a cop" for the Arizona PD who gets the dubious task of taking Gus (Locke) to trial.
The bets begin with 100-1 odds of them making alive to trial.
The two best scenes are when Gus's house gets about 11,349 bullet holes in it then collapses..almost on Eastwood's head. The other scene is the bus they hijack when Sondra Locke's character tells the passenger's on board to politely "HAUL [behind]"!!. This where they drive thru "The Gauntlet" heavily armed cops on both sides who promptly shoot about 17,209 bullets into the bus as it drives by them.
I won't go into the showdown on the steps but it's a cool ending
I'm giving this movie 5 stars because I'm a Clint eastwood fan