Mackenna's Gold | | Cast : | Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif | | Director : | J. Lee Thompson | | Studio : | Columbia/Tristar Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Full Screen | | Released Date : | May 10, 1969 | | DVD Released Date : | June 07, 2005 | | Language : | English (Subtitled), English (Dubbed), Portuguese (Subtitled), Thai (Subtitled), English (Original Language), Chinese (Subtitled), Korean (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | NR (Not Rated) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 05, 2005 | | Summary | A good "adventure" western | Content
 | As others have mentioned, this movie contains a couple of hokie scenes. But the movie, as a whole, is quite watchable. I enjoy watching Westerns because they provide me with a sense of escape-ism. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. In fact, I've watched it several times over the years. It has plenty of action, interesting characters, and beautiful scenery. One of the things I liked best was the character interaction between Omar Sharief and Gregory Peck.. bad guy versus good guy. I also liked the outdoor scenes; some beautiful cinematography. It really made you feel as if they (and you) were on an adventure. If you like Westerns, this one's pretty good. Don't judge the entire movie on a couple of silly scenes. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 23, 2005 | | Summary | Just a damn good film, even if a bit corny. | Content
| Saw this originally in home town theater with a bunch of high school buddies. I was bowled over by the location scenery (yes, some of it is fake, like the valley of gold of course). What I'm not sure of, is how much of this film was widescreen. In this edition, the widescreen cuts out after the opening sequence, and goes to standard proportion. So if it IS entirely in widescreen, this is one of the few flicks I would want to have in widescreen, seeing as how I currently still own a standard tv. (Take your purchase decision into consideration. I believe one other reviewer said an earlier edition had both wide and standard versions.)
Buy it if only for the presense of a great ensemble cast, great location scenery (Monument valley, etc.), and more action than the usual western. Like, an earthquake, for instance.
I own very few westerns, but this appeals on many levels, to non fans alike. And Julie Newmar is the guy-flick icing on the cake! |
| Rating | | | Date | June 21, 2005 | | Summary | Oh chicken buzzard. | Content
| I love this movie! The opening song the shakeing bridge and the wall of gold. The picture quality was ok. I wish it were in wide screen. Missing alot of scenery. I liked the camera mounted to the mule effect. If you want something to watch thats fun.
get this movie! |
| Rating | | | Date | February 22, 2005 | | Summary | ONLY FULLSCREEN VERSION AVAILABLE? | Content
| This is a brilliant movie. However, be aware, that the version that I was shipped (February 2005) from Amazon.ca, is NOT the version described here. THERE IS NO WIDESCREED VERSION on side 2. There is no side 2. I would check before ordering. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 01, 2004 | | Summary | Mackenna's Garbage | Content
| I'd heard so much about this movie over the years, that when I finally got the chance to watch it recently I was really looking forward to it. Moreover, THE GUNS OF NAVARONE was one of my favorites and MACKENNA'S GOLD reunited the star (Peck), the director (Thompson), the screenwriter (Foreman), and the composer (Tomkin) of that film. Perhaps these factors created too high of expectations, but my God... what a weird, crappy movie!!!
Jose Feliciano's psychedelic-folk tune about a vulture [what???], which plays during the opening credits [and alas intermittently throught the rest of the film] was an omen for things to come. By the way, no wonder this guy is best known for his version of Feliz Navidad. Anyhow, Gregory Peck's Marshall Mackenna is tracking his nemesis Colorado (Sharif) when a dying Indian tells him about the location of a famed horde of gold. This revelation sets the stage of an unintentionally campy adventure about greed, revenge, race, and vultures [well not really, but Jose Feliciano seemed to think so].
There are so many great actors in this film, but many [cough.. Omar Sharif.. cough] turn in performances that make Adam West & William Shatner seem like nuanced thespians. On top of that you have some horrible performances by a couple of actors in key Indian parts. Few things in westerns irritate me more than non-Indian actors playing Indian roles as if they are Lurch from the Adams Family in Indian garb! Oh wait, one of these guys actually was Lurch on the Adams Family!!! Only Eli Wallach [this guy rocks in westerns!] and Telly Savalas breath any life, albeit briefly, into the big-budget buffoonery. The finale is so awful. THE GUNS of NAVARONE had great special effects, but the much touted-effects of this film that was made 8 years later are comical. Wow, MGM purchased a Canyon and destroyed it for the film. If the cinematography doesn't capture this well on film its all for naught!!!
Gregory Peck in the lead role makes this incredibly long nonsense somewhat watchable, but 1969 was not a good year for Gregory Peck westerns - a year in which he also made Stalking Moon [another potboiler with Anglos giving crappy performances as Indians, but no vulture songs]. 1958, however, was a much better year for Gregory Peck westerns as both the BIG COUNTRY [what a great theme] and the underated BRAVADOS were released during that time. I guess in this instance the idealization of the 1950s does hold up.
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