The Five Man Army DVD Review
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The Five Man Army DVD Review
Synopsis: Where this army leads, action fans – especially Spaghetti Western fans – will want to follow. Set during the Mexican Revolution, The Five Man Army is a niftily executed tale of mercenaries who, on behalf of rebel forces, take on a mission to rob a trainload of gold. Make that a suicide mission, because this train is heavily armored; armed with troops, cannon and machine guns, and traveling a route guarded by more soldiers. Peter Graves, then known for his role as mastermind Jim Phelps in TV’s Mission: Impossible, faces another odds-defying task as the Dutchman, leader of a handpicked commando squad consisting of a strongman, an explosives expert, a circus acrobat and a Samurai swordsman. Famed composer Ennio Morricone’s throbbing score amplifies the action of this ready-to-be-rediscovered film that, writes The New York Times’s Vincent Canby, is “for anybody who enjoys lean, taut suspense with no fiddling around.” All aboard!
Review: I've seen a lot of spaghetti westerns in my time. In fact, I fancy myself a fan of them. I hadn't seen this one yet, however, so I'm very happy that the Warner Archive decided to rescurrect it for a DVD release. This is one of those releases that can only be purchased on their site online (see the link above). The film centers around the Dutchman and his ragtag army of mercenaries that he's organized for a job and their violent escapades. This was a fantastic film...well acted and even more well written. Those writing duties, by the way, were done by a young Dario Argento...thats right..the same Argento that is considered the master of gore horror films. Fun fact for you. This one is a great watch and will please any fan of westerns.
Interest Range: Vintage Film, Action