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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Average Western, But The DVD Is Not The Complete Film., June 27, 2003
Since I never expected a whole lot out of JOE KIDD, I wasn't really disappointed. I was expecting a standard, light western, nothing more . . . . . and that's exactly what I got. JOE KIDD is about a guy named Joe Kidd (gasp!), who gets involved with a posse led by a rich land baron named Harlan (Robert Duvall). He's after the Hispanic revolutionary wannabe Luis Chama, who's causing a lot of trouble and stirring up the Spanish populace. And that's about it. Like I said, nothin' at all to get excited about, but Clint's mere presence can make a movie worth while. Unfortunately (and obviously), he's the highlight of the film, as the rest of the cast is just passing. Not even the great Robert Duvall seems to be interested in the picture, but who can blame him? Actually, the story has (or had) potential; it covers (or tries to) a lot of ground about loyalty, right vs. wrong, and it even raises the question of "What IS right?". But none of this is ever brought up to its full potential, and if it had, this may have been a truly great western. But alas, it is not so. All this is even more disappointing from the fact that this is a John Sturges film. This is the same man who helmed such masterpieces as THE GREAT ESCAPE and THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN!?! Surprising, and utterly devastating. Not to say that JOE KIDD is a necessarily BAD film, far from it! It just isn't GREAT. And I shouldn't complain much, I guess; what the hell could you expect from a running time of 1 Hr. 28 Mins.? This is about thirty minutes short of what all westerns should be. But I must admit, the main theme present during the opening and closing credits is pretty cool!Along with the HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER re-release, all that has changed in this DVD is the cover and disc art. All there is for special features are production notes, cast and filmmakers' bios, and a theatrical trailer. Heck, even the production notes make the film sound tired! And the transfer ain't all that great, but it gets better as the film goes along. But the whole reason I lowered my rating down to two stars instead of three, is the fact that a certain scene (one of the best in the entire film) has been completely eliminated from the film! In it, more of the morality touches are discussed and brought into light. As well, it is this scene where Joe Kidd admits his love for Helen, a crucial element to the movie's impact! It's a short scene, but it remains one of the most impactful in the entire movie. I just watched it on AMC, and that scene was right there, playing out in front of me! This really ticks me off, the fact that along with miniscule extras and an average transfer, I can't even watch the complete film!!! Only worth buying if you're a big Eastwood fan/collector. For [$$$]... , I guess it ain't a big loss.
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