Fantastic!

Best movie ever!

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Blistering performances.

If you want an easygoing movie that employs likable actors to pleasing effect, you may wind up accepting "The Undefeated" for what it is. But if you are like me and want a story that keeps your attention and moves you to a satisfying conclusion, this makes for a tough sell.At the end of the American Civil War, a Union and Confederate colonel separately lead their people into Mexico. The Yank, John Henry Thomas (John Wayne), is bringing 3,000 horses to the Emperor Maximilian at $35 a head. The Rebel, James Langdon (Rock Hudson), is escaping the ignominy of surrender.Mexico, alas, is in the throes of a bloody revolution. If they are to survive, they must set aside their differences and work together.As John Henry explains it: "We got Maximilian on one hand and Juárez on the other, and bandits in between. And on top of that, we're Americans in Mexico taking a cavvy of horses to a very unpopular government. Why should we expect trouble?" A product of that last great year for Westerns, 1969, "The Undefeated" has amazingly crisp and dynamic cinematography. William H. Clothier knew about shooting horses and horizons, and showcases both talents to majestic effect. The dialogue is often funny. But the film itself offers a hodge-podge of undernourished subplots, sweet talk, and sudden bursts of action that never gels.Director Andrew V. McLaglen liked to cram his films with lots of different stories and people. Sometimes, like with his Wayne movie the next year, "Chisum," it worked. Here it doesn't.There's a listless quality to the crux of the movie, John Henry and Langdon working together. Hudson's character is introduced as headstrong ("I got no taste losin' to a lot of Yankee rabble") but seems too easygoing with his former foe. Much time is wasted on a gormless romantic subplot involving Langdon's daughter and John Henry's adopted Cherokee son. Ben Johnson as John Henry's chief buddy has little to do but shrug and make wisecracks. The cast list includes John Agar and Richard Mulligan, but there's only a brief glimpse of the former and no sign of the latter in the finished film. McLaglen must have bit off more than he could chew in post- production.Wayne is perfectly adequate, settling into the role of senior presence rather than a major player. McLaglen has fun setting up Duke's gruff charm and understated reactions, but as Oscar material, he hardly posed a threat to that year's winner, John Wayne in "True Grit."Goofy subplots include surly cook Dub Taylor, whose main bit of business is telling everyone but his faithful tabby to go to hell; and a Rebel civilian no one will talk to because he didn't serve in the war. So why did he join them on this dangerous journey? It's never explained, but you hardly notice when nothing else is.SPOILER ALERT - The ending is a strange one, where John Henry and Langdon turn on Maximilian after Juárez's people take the Southerners hostage. To spare their being massacred John Henry gives up the horses and rides home. Perhaps he realizes the Juáristas despite being ungentlemanly have a point, it being their land, but it's never explained: "You win one, you lose one," John Henry shrugs, and that's that. SPOILER ENDThere are fun scenes in the movie, and everything is beautiful to look at, so I won't carp too much at all the loose ends. My real beef is wishing McLaglen, a solid pro in other efforts, did more with his cast and opportunities here.

If you ever wanted to see John Wayne and Rock Hudson wear long sideburns, this is the movie for you. Duke plays a Yankee and Rock plays a Rebel in this post-Civil War western that finds both men coming into conflict with Mexican bandits and soldiers. Yeah. Watch to see how that happens. Supporting cast includes Jan-Michael Vincent, Merlin Olsen, Tony Aguilar, and so on. Certain elements of this, such as the hairstyles, are very much a product of the era in which this was made rather than historical accuracy. It reminds me of Bonanza in the '70s when Little Joe had long bushy sideburns because actor Michael Landon cared more about his personal style than that of his character. The curiosity factor of seeing Duke and Rock in a movie together might make it worth seeing for some. Really, though, it's pretty dull. The direction is pedestrian and uninteresting. It's watchable enough, particularly for fans of Wayne and Hudson. But beyond that it's nothing special.

I like John Wayne, regardless. he was a real good actor for war movies and for westerns like this one. The Undefeated is a nice post-Civil War western with Wayne and Hudson as main stars, and they both deliver excellent parts, as a Union and a Confederate officers, respectively. This is not any new story, down in Mexico, with all the bandits, wild horses, Mexican troops, deserts, shoot-outs, women, Indians, cactuses, dances and all. Nothing very new, but this movie really works well and all 120 minutes it is a nice and fast sunny dry Mexican drama. Some phrases and dialog lines are very cool and deeply humorous, too. Why 8, and not 10? As I wrote above, rather predictable plot, looks often like many Mexico border westerns so far. Often, smacks of some other Wayne films, but generally, still, a very enjoyable, fast, often hilarious movie full of action and events. Good for all western buffs and Civil war aficionados like me/ Recommended

"The Undefeated" is a Western featuring one of the American cinema's strongest leading men, John Wayne, and directed by the usually dependable Andrew V. McLaglen, who also worked with Wayne on other, much better Westerns such as "Chisum" and "McLintock!". But this is one of the lesser entries in either of their filmographies. It's hardly a bad movie – but it's certainly shy of being a good picture and it has just about imagination put into it as does the name of the John Wayne character: John Henry Thomas (his friends call him John Henry).The movie is set right after the Civil War. Wayne is a former Union colonel now driving thousands of horses with his former command down to Mexico. At the same time, a group of surviving Confederates led by Rock Hudson pack up their families and belongings and head through the same area seeking new homes. And when the two groups cross paths, well, the rest is fairly predictable.The problem with "The Undefeated" is that it does not have much originality in its otherwise workable premise. It's the standard friend-enemy story with the Union and Confederate soldiers hating each other then growing on each other and later depending on each other. It's a very familiar story. And at the same time, the movie also fails (but not majorly) because it seems very watered down and that's a shame because of it boasts such a strong cast: John Wayne, Rock Hudson, Ben Johnson, Bruce Cabot, Harry Carey, Jr. and so on. The characters are also quite flat without one I particularly cared for. They are well portrayed, of course, with the exception of Ramon Gabriel who is supposed to be a Native American, but I'm afraid even with the makeup on is as poor an excuse for one as Chuck Connors was in "Geronimo." At the same time, there are a lot of subplots, such as a budding romantic interest between Wayne and one of the Confederate widows that never goes anyway and really does not serve a purpose other than to fill up time. And a scene that looks like it was modeled after a hilarious moment in "McLintock!" fails to stir up even so much as a generous chuckle."The Undefeated" is not one of the landmarks or milestones in John Wayne's legendary career. As a matter of fact, it's not even a good picture. It's passable, but nothing more than that. It just plods dully along to its anticlimax of an ending and leaves its audience feeling a little wish-washy.