3.0 out of 5 stars
Ethan Wayne, son of John but not his true heir, July 23, 2009
This review is from: Manhunt (DVD)
Ethan, John Wayne's son, made several attempts in the 1980s to follow in his father's cinematic footsteps -- of which this modern-day western might be the most notable example -- but despite a pleasing appearance and affable manner, he lacked the strength, solidity, and charisma of his famous father and thus could not duplicate his father's success. Having lowered their expectations, however, many viewers will enjoy this modest but efficiently-paced account of a young cowboy falsely convicted and sent to an Arizona prison. There's a fair amount of action, especially of the car-chase variety, but little in the way of bloody violence. What's more, the movie offers, in supporting roles, the welcome presence of such veteran actors as Ernest Borgnine, Henry Silva, and Bo Swenson. While 22-year-old Wayne can't quite bring off his "tough guy" moments, he does look good, all shirtless and sweaty, in his "beefcake" scenes, and by playing the victim in a whipping scene, he's earned himself a footnote in the history of movie trivia. According to the book, "Lash! The 100 Great Scenes of Men Being Whipped in the Movies," Ethan and John Wayne constitute one of the few father-son teams who've both suffered an on-screen flogging. (John Wayne felt the sting of a lash when he played Genghis Khan in "The Conqueror.") Ethan Wayne's flogging occurs in a barn and it's notable fot the expressions on the ranch-hands' faces as they watch the whip repeatedly tear bloody gashes across Ethan's bare back. These expressions indicate not only a level of sadistic enjoyment but also a homoerotic excitement which is surprisingly blatant.
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