It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Released in 1980, "The Mountain Men" chronicles the adventures of two mountain men in 1838 played by Charlton Heston and Brian Keith. They're bickering, cussing, fun-loving best friends who haven't seen each other for a couple of winters and the former is disheartened to discover that the market for beaver pelts has gone sour. Together they trap, fight Natives and party at a mountain rendezvous. When Tyler (Heston) acquires a Native woman named Running Moon (Victoria Racimo) her ex, a ruthless Blackfoot warrior named Heavy Eagle (Stephen Macht), wants her back and will kill to get her.This movie has a bad reputation with critics, but is generally praised by Western fans. Due to its subject matter it's not a conventional Western. There are no saloons, quaint Western towns, Sheriffs, Marshals, cavalries, cattle drives or quick-draw shootouts. "The Mountain Men" takes the topic of 1972's "Jeremiah Johnson" and mixes it with the tone of 1953's "Hondo" and, more so, 1977's "Grayeagle." It's mostly like the latter two in the way the Native Americans are depicted -- wild and savage. Their portrayal, albeit somewhat cartoony, is neither politically correct nor politically incorrect. It's basically just the way it was. They were either peaceable or brutally hostile depending on the people with whom they were dealing. For instance, the Crow Natives are friendly toward the mountain men in the movie whereas the Blackfoot are hostile. In any case, if you favor the aforementioned Westerns, you'll probably appreciate "The Mountain Men."I can understand the criticism of the film in that the first act is weak and tempts the viewer to tune out. The very first scene where one aged mountain man on horseback tackles another just for fun is Exhibit A. There's no way anyone would risk breaking bones in the high country just for kicks, particularly the elderly. Exhibit B is when Tyler fails to immediately go back and apprehend his pack animals, which contained his only possessions on Earth and his very means of survival in a cruel wilderness. If you can get past these flaws, however, the story really picks up when a certain character is savagely scalped at the beginning of the second act. The score is initially a turn-off as well because it's dated and maudlin, but if you persevere, you'll get used to it and there are some surprisingly effective parts (e.g. the percussion piece right before the river duel and the part that plays during the hot springs scene). Once you get into the second act the story becomes compelling and you feel involved in the lives of the characters until the end. While the two protagonists are gruff and unbecoming they have hearts of gold, sort of. Unfortunately, some people are so turned off by their gruffness that they can't look beyond it. I, for one, appreciated the realistic portrayal, as well as the humor, which is in contrast to "Jeremiah Johnson," where the tone was decidedly grim. In addition, Running Moon is a great character and the love she shares with Tyler is a potent story element. Heavy Eagle is also a quality antagonist.I suppose you could say it's a flaw that the principle Native characters speak English too well, but I'm pretty sure the script was written this way to get away from the sometimes laughable broken English that Natives would speak in older Westerns (the screenplay was incidentally written by Heston's son, Fraser). It would've helped if the Indians spoke their native language in the Native sequences, but it's assumed that they ARE speaking their native tongue, just like Germans are speaking German in WWII movies, not English, even though they're shown speaking English.Numerous other things impressed me about "Mountain Men." For instance, the Natives and their encampments look authentic even while one or two of the Indians seemed to act too modern, e.g. Cross Otter. Furthermore, there's a lot of muscular Western action with the mountain men fighting the Natives. One scene in particular is notable: Heavy Eagle tackles Tyler and they land in a rushing river where they continue to (try to) fight. It's a pretty exhilarating outdoors sequence and the waterfall is awesome. Lastly, despite the comic book tone, the movie is adult-oriented and gives a good glimpse of what it must've been like to live in the high country during that era. While "The Mountain Men" starts off weak it gets better as you catch a grip with the characters and the tone of the movie. It's a unique Western and the effort that was put into it is obvious. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Let me put it this way: I'd watch "The Mountain Men" any day before I'd watch the wildly overrated and lagging "The Wild Bunch." The film runs 102 minutes and was shot entirely in Northwestern Wyoming.GRADE: B

(This review may contain spoilers)This movie is a little off the beaten "oater" path. A must for Heston lovers; this is Charles as his career was winding down. It is a glimpse at what life MIGHT have been like as the mid-western frontier was being opened up by White American and French trappers. The Blackfeet and Crow Indian portrayals are of course not entirely accurate, but outside of an actual, fact-based bio or a historically-researched documentary, what fictional movie has portrayed or reflected exactly how Indians and Whites interacted back in the 1800's?The movie is set in and around Yellowstone and Montana and shot lovingly to reflect the natural beauty of the surroundings. Brian Keith and Heston seemed to be enjoying their characterizations. The "love interest" angle with Heston and Running Moon, and the base story line are solid, as is the apparent brotherly love shared between the two main characters.This is a good, solid "easy-entertainment" movie, OK to share with your teens (a little rough language), the family, and/or the wife/girlfriend/significant other. Get the popcorn ready! Make this movie a part of your collection...very few movies are made his way anymore.

The Mountain Men was a western vehicle for acclaimed actor and legend Charlton Heston . Also starring Brian Keith, a talented actor in his own right . Heston and Keith wander the great American landscape , drink a lot of liquor , murder various critters, Blackfoot Indians and the English language . In a skirmish with said Blackfoot Indians , Heston gets a squaw and her husband and chief is not happy the white man stole his source of poon tang. Running Moon much prefers the company of the bearded Heston and conflict and action ensues. Heston and Keith are trappers that chase beaver and are real gnarly dudes that is much missed in modern Hollywood cinema . The Mountain Men is beautifully shot and ( for the most part) well acted .My only complainant is the casting of white actors for the Indian characters, which is acceptable for a western in 1950. (but not for 1980) Even so this is a very enjoyable and manly western adventure.

Another movie where a relation of the star wrote the screenplay. No screen writing credentials equals poor movie. Rated as one of the worst movies of the 1980's for good reason. A poor attempt to profit from, and bear similarities to, Jeremiah Johnson fame. Heston ends up with an unwanted Indian girl 17 minutes into the movie. Like many of the "Indians" in this movie she was more like a Mexican than an Indian. Why can't we get one or two real Indians? In one scene Indians approach their camp. The Indian sounds like a Mexican trying to talk in broken English like an Indian. Minutes later Indians attack. Laughing and hilarity throughout the battle. Just another fun day in the mountains. One of the guys is standing and is hit in the chest by an arrow. His concern would be on the level of someone who stepped into a puddle of mud with freshly polished shoes. So Heston nonchalantly stands up beside him. I guess he wanted to be a good target for the Indians. Heston pulls it out of his chest like he's dusting dirt off the guy's sleeve. The next day the guy is running around with no problem. In another scene here is Heston stumbling through the woods. You're wondering where his walker is. He's attacked by half a dozen young Indian braves. Of course, the old codger bests them in hand to hand combat. A poor sight at best. He arrives back at the camp and Keith sees he was attacked. And they were joking about it. You'd think he just got back from the 7-Eleven and spilled an ICEE. Throughout this movie I was never sure if it was supposed to be a serious movie or a comedy. Either way it flopped.