"CATLOW"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5 stars) STARRING Yul Brynner as CATLOW Richard Crenna as COWAN Leonard Nimoy as MILLER Daliah Lavi as ROSITA Jo Ann Pflug as CHRISTINA Rated PG-13 Available on DVD ay 19 Official Warner Bros. Vido Site Studio: Warner Bros. Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Catlow (Yul Brynner) is an old-west outlaw who is wanted by everyone from the Mexican Army to the United States marshals. Ben Cowan (Richard Crenna) is a lawman trying to bring Catlow to justice. As much as they are adversaries, they are also friends, and they enjoy an entertaining and friendly chase. However, the ruthless killer Miller (Leonard Nimoy) is also out for Catlow’s blood.
WHAT I LIKED
Over the past few weeks, i have reviewed a slate of classic western DVDs – from spaghetti westerns to John Wayne classics. “Catlow” offers a new twist to this mixed bag with a tongue-in-cheek delivery. Based on a novel by Louis L’Amour, “Catlow” is as much a buddy movie as it is a classic western.
The actors in this film make thing swork, with Yul Brynner and Richard Crenna offering a fresh banter that is both fun and believable. The film sets up Catlow as one of the “good” bad guys. Sure, he’s an outlaw, but he really doesn’t hurt anyone, and the people he steals from kind of deserve it.
This is contrasted to Leonard Nimoy’s humorless portrayal of Miller, that guy who literally wears the black hat. Although it was made more than 35 years ago, at the time of its release, “Catlow” offered Nimoy a much-needed break from his “Star Trek” type-casting, and he did an excellent job playing the villain.
“Catlow” manages to mix the lighthearted nature of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” with the classic western genre. while it has a freindly nature, it does offer the shoot-em-up scenes you’ll crave from this kind of film. IN many ways, it reminds me of the big-screen adaptation of “Maverick” about a decade ago – it takes itself serious when it needs to, but it also has fun when it can.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Of all the westerns I’ve seen in the past few weeks, this is the one that really has trouble breaking out of its own era. It’s not uncommon for a film made in the 70s to feature hippie haircuts and modern bluejeans. While the production design looks as western as movies come, the fashion and styles yank your mind back to the present (well, the 1970s, at least).
Also, like many films from this generation, there is a distinct feel of a television production behind it. This might be partially due to the fact that director Sam Wanamaker, despite making a fun flick, has his roots in television.
Still, this film is a nice, forgotten diversion.
DVD FEATURES
The DVD comes with only the theatrical trailer, which is steeped in the 70s even more than the film itself is.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Louis L’Amour fans and western junkies... and anyone who wants to see a villainous Leonard Nimoy without pointy ears and a van dyke beard.
