Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

Cimino’s answer to the classic road movie. The standard plot about friendship is held together by the fact that everything that happens on the screen is completely unpredictable. The screenplay is a masterpiece in misleading you masterly and offering the complete opposite of what you were expecting. Then there are the excellently conceived main characters – Preacherman Clint is basically a classic type, but young Jeff Bridges in a surprisingly jolly and optimistic role is a complete opposite to the guy with all the great lines that we are used to. An intense finale. It often reminded me of similarly toned Scarecrow with Pacino and Hackman. (04/02/2015)

From my point of view, one of the weaker contributions to Mr. C. E.'s filmography. If it weren't for Eastwood and Bridges, all that would be left of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot would be gorgeous shots of the Montana landscape and two halves of the film (road movie + heist action) that don't really fit together. I can't say I'm outright disappointed, but... Somehow it wasn't right. If the whole film was set in the spirit of the second hour, I would be great, because that is the hour where most of the things I will remember happened (the robbery, the cannon, the chase, the "It happened here once before" Doberman and the wonderful finale). (16/07/2011)