The Wild Bunch

A solid ride, whose the moral values and strength of friendship inspired of some of the creators of the contemporary film industry (John Woo, Michael Mann). Sam Peckinpah's fondness for blood and violence is very evident, especially in the action scenes, which are excellently shot, unusually clear and realistic, though at times the too hectic editing can be bothersome, but otherwise, more or less satisfaction. The actors deliver exactly what is needed: rough faces, tough gestures, and decisive actions. The central duo forms a perfect example of enemies. It is hard to distinguish between good and evil, which plays only to the advantage of the film. (21/10/2006)

It's a good western, no doubt about it. It's incredibly bloody, incredibly action-packed, incredibly tough, but I simply found that Sergio Leone and his approach to the western suited me more. The Italian is more American, more emotional, and more Western than the Americans themselves. Here, it is very much influenced by the Mexican setting of a large part of the plot. But as I said, it's an excellent western, it just didn't resonate with me as much as "Once Upon a Time in the West." (13/07/2015)

For everything that happened after the train robbery, I would be delighted to give Peckinpah’s most famous picture full marks and I would also gladly place the Wild Bunch on the pedestal of best westerns right behind Leone’s masterpieces. But I can’t, I just can’t. What prevents me doing so it the hour it takes to get going. It’s not bad, but it is so desperately ordinary and confusable with any other western (with the exception of the opening sequence, of course) that it’s hard to watch. (05/12/2009)

I'm afraid my expectations were too high after reading other people's reviews. One thing is clear, the movie is much grittier and rawer compared to classic Westerns; traditional gun duels cannot compete with these wild explosions of violence. However, if I put aside the opening and final scenes, all that was left in the extensive middle was a train robbery. The part where they traveled from the place of the previous massacre to the place of the future one was quite time-consuming, and there was only a limited amount of action in it. It dragged on for me, and similarly divided plots in contemporary Westerns are often the main reason for my decreased satisfaction. It's a shame because I enjoyed the movie otherwise. It's quite possible that it's just me, as the majority opinion disagrees with me. Well, I can't do much about how I perceive things, so I'll conclude by saying that if I hadn't been somewhat bored in the middle of the film, I would have given it at least four stars. / Lesson learned: A machine gun with unlimited ammunition is every shooter's dream. (18/07/2023)

A bloody masterpiece with several powerful scenes. In my opinion, stealing the weapons from the train is slightly better than simply a destructive finale. The setting, shortly before the outbreak of the world war, gives it the necessary feeling of the end of the Wild West as we know it, and the beginning of a new era. (02/09/2019)