Titreenp SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Freeman This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Scott LeBrun "The Professionals" is classic cinema in terms of the "gathering together men for a mission" plot. In this case, a quartet of guys who specialize in weapons (Lee Marvin as Fardan), horses (Robert Ryan as Ehrengard), tracking (Woody Strode as Jake), and explosives (Burt Lancaster as Dolworth), are assembled by millionaire J.W. Grant (Ralph Bellamy). Grant wants the men to rescue his hot young wife Maria (Claudia Cardinale) from Mexican bandit Jesus Raza (Jack Palance). Fardan and Dolworth know Raza from their days of fighting in the Mexican revolution, and can't believe this is the same guy they once knew. As it turns out, they don't know the true story.Adapted by director Richard Brooks from the novel "A Mule for the Marquesa" by Frank O'Rourke, this is wonderfully made in every aspect. The script, which touches upon ideas of compassion, selflessness vs. selfishness, morality, and duplicity, has some choice dialogue. Marvin, Ryan, Strode, and Lancaster make a *great* team, their personalities nicely contrasting along the way. Each man gets a very brief but effective introduction during the opening credits sequence, and each of them is engaging in his own subtle way. Lancaster is source for a fair amount of humour - he ends up in his underwear not once but twice - while Strode is a true "strong yet silent" type. Cardinale is delightfully spirited as the victim. Bellamy, Joe De Santis as Ortega, Jorge Martinez de Hoyos as the likable goat keeper Padilla, and Marie Gomez as the fiery revolutionary Chiquita are all similarly superb.Rousing music by Maurice Jarre, lovely photography by Conrad Hall, and excellent extensive use of very rural locations all size up as heavy assets. This is a fairly long film at just under two hours, but a lot of care and detail goes into the rescue mission, and it's fun to watch this team at work, doing what they do best. At first, it would seem that the Raza character is painfully under written, but the more scenes with him that we see towards the end, the more we understand him.Superior entertainment, with a particularly satisfying wrap-up.Nine out of 10.

Son-of-WRA I really enjoyed this film because of all things typical of classic films. I thought I was going to see a B-film with bad acting and sleep-inducing plot.Was I surprised.I should know better because of the principal cast. The sets, writing, action, direction and just the right actors make a film worth watching again and again.The real delight (after seeing Claudia in any frame) was Burt Lancaster's portrayal of the devilish rogue Dolworth as he contrasted with Lee Marvin's reserved and disciplined character Fardan. Woody Strode wasn't buried in the background typical of roles for African American's during that time but should have had more dialogue. Robert Ryan's Ehrengard role was surprisingly minimal yet Jack Palance's Raza was extremely well played.The last good western I've seen was the remake of "True Grit" which didn't disappoint. This film does as good a job (if not better) of providing entertainment without going dreadfully overboard with any single element.

TheLittleSongbird A great amount of talent on display in The Professionals and mostly very well used. It is a shame that Robert Ryan's role is so underwritten and he looked as lost as he did in a somewhat atypical role(this is the same Robert Ryan who made an unforgettable villain in Claggart in 1962's Billy Budd). For my liking too the film ends a little too tidily with some of the scripting a tad confused. But The Professionals is superbly made with sweeping photography that makes expansive use of the colourfully exotic locations and a lusciously evocative score from none other than Maurice Jarre, cannot get enough of the spine chilling opening sequence. The script crackles with wit and tension and is remarkably quotable(it was nominated for a Oscar and in my opinion was deserving of the nomination), the action is rousingly staged and the story, apart from a couple of plodding moments in the middle, is a vast majority of the time gripping. It was great also to see characters that were likable as well as flawed rather than resorting too much to one-dimensional stereotypes. The Professionals is expertly directed- some of the best direction of any Western not from John Ford, Sam Pekinpah or Sergio Leone names on them. And expertly acted as well, with Burt Lancaster on blisteringly funny form and Jack Palance as a slightly hammy but entertainingly menacing villain standing out, their scene on the rocks being an acting highlight. Lee Marvin gives a brooding performance without ever being one-note- every inch the figure of authority- and Claudia Cardinale looks gorgeous and involved. Ralph Bellamy is also excellent, his character's development is sketchy but he does somehow manage to make him interesting and compelling. All in all, a fine film that is sadly somewhat under-seen, the word professional for this near-classic is very apt. 8/10 Bethany Cox

peter-goggins anyone else see the link between this film and Spielberg's Indiana Jones movies ??? or is it just my imagination ? this film is one of those that you seen when you were a kid and remember bits of it..lovely cinematography , and has that timeless feel to it .. Burt Lancaster is the perfect lead man with a rather beautiful female to boot.. anyone else see the link between this film and Spielberg's Indiana Jones movies ??? or is it just my imagination ? this film is one of those that you seen when you were a kid and remember bits of it..lovely cinematography , and has that timeless feel to it .. Burt Lancaster is the perfect lead man with a rather beautiful ..