Memorergi good film but with many flaws

Spidersecu Don't Believe the Hype

Hulkeasexo it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

Roy Hart If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

elvircorhodzic THE PROFESSIONALS is adventurous western film, that offers an exciting and very tense heroic action in a dangerous and inaccessible desert landscape. An unusual introduction, brutal actions without excessive melodrama and a constant cynicism are the biggest advantages of this film. The script was adapted from the novel "A Mule for the Marquesa" by Frank O'Rourke.During the Mexican Revolution, a powerful and wealthy rancher hires four men, who are all experts in their respective fields, to rescue his kidnapped wife Maria from the clutches of the desperado Raza. Raza is a former revolutionary leader. The professionals ravels 100 miles into Mexico to retrieve the woman. After crossing the Mexican border, the team tracks the bandits to their hideout. They witness soldiers on a government train being massacred by Raza's small army. The professionals follow the captured train to the end of the line and retake it from the bandits. Their rescue operation is successful, but it seems that a rich rancher's not telling the truth...Charismatic characters are skillfully grooved between their professionalism, past, justice and truth. The money as a powerful motive is contrary to their ideals. However, money is part of their job, even if they do not reach it.The atmosphere is very good, the characterization is not bad either.Lee Marvin as Henry 'Rico' Fardan is a former military officer and expert on modern weapons. He is a former participant in the Mexican Revolution, which left big scars in his heart. Fardan is a mysterious character with a high degree of respect for his work, revolution and past. Burt Lancaster as Bill Dolworth is an expert in explosives. Dolworth is an impulsive character who will accept any bid and draw the best from it. It seems that his weakness are beautiful, rebellious and strong women such as Maria (Claudia Cardinale) and Chiquita (Marie Gomez) Robert Ryan as Hans Ehrengard is a horse trainer who adopts a brutal lesson from his colleagues. Woody Strode as Jake Sharp is a master of crafts as a traditional Apache scout.Jack Palance as Jesus Raza is a typical character of a revolutionary, who has, after the disappointment in his ideal, became a bandit. Ralph Bellamy as Joe Grant is sort of the epitome of what comes after every bloody revolution.

classicsoncall A hostage rescue mission turns into a kidnapping in the middle of the story, and no one is more surprised than the two kidnappers, Rico Fardan (Lee Marvin) and Bill Dolworth (Burt Lancaster). It almost disrupts the mission to see their target Maria (Claudia Cardinale) cozy up to Mexican revolutionary Jesus Raza (Jack Palance) right before they attempt the save. Cardinale was one of the hot, young actresses to make their mark in the Sixties, in good company with the likes of women like Raquel Welch and Sophia Loren. For a movie that takes place for a good part in the desert, Cardinale managed to supply her own heat in every scene she's in.Maria in actuality, was the wife of railroad magnate J.W. Grant (Ralph Bellamy), though against her will due to a prearranged marriage by her dying father. Her abduction turns out to be just the opposite, she returned to Raza voluntarily and wants no part of her husband. This plot twist changes the entire tenor of the story, as 'The Professionals', primarily Fardan and Dolworth, begin to rethink their roles in the mission and eventually come full circle to voluntarily give up their huge payday. Dolworth in particular might have been a sucker for love, but seeing as how Grant was a creep, the rest of the rescue posse didn't seem to mind all that much.This was a pretty interesting cast. Along with the principals already mentioned, Robert Ryan and Woody Strode were also on hand to round out the four man rescue team, while female revolutionary Chiquita (Marie Gomez) handled an exceptionally poignant death scene reminiscing with Dolworth over past times and lost loves. It was one more clue that the principals might have at one time been associates of the Mexican Raza; their deference to his prestige and character seemed to resonate throughout the picture.Adding to the tenor of the story were the gorgeous scenic locations of Death Valley and Nevada's Valley of Fire State Park. A thought occurred to me after Dolworth's explosion sealed off the passageway through the mountain gap making it impossible to use by Raza's men. Because it was such a scenic marvel, I had to wonder if a construction crew had to go back and insure that the rubble was cleared away for future adventurers to enjoy.

Scott LeBrun "The Professionals" is classic cinema in terms of the "gathering together men for a mission" plot. In this case, a quartet of guys who specialize in weapons (Lee Marvin as Fardan), horses (Robert Ryan as Ehrengard), tracking (Woody Strode as Jake), and explosives (Burt Lancaster as Dolworth), are assembled by millionaire J.W. Grant (Ralph Bellamy). Grant wants the men to rescue his hot young wife Maria (Claudia Cardinale) from Mexican bandit Jesus Raza (Jack Palance). Fardan and Dolworth know Raza from their days of fighting in the Mexican revolution, and can't believe this is the same guy they once knew. As it turns out, they don't know the true story.Adapted by director Richard Brooks from the novel "A Mule for the Marquesa" by Frank O'Rourke, this is wonderfully made in every aspect. The script, which touches upon ideas of compassion, selflessness vs. selfishness, morality, and duplicity, has some choice dialogue. Marvin, Ryan, Strode, and Lancaster make a *great* team, their personalities nicely contrasting along the way. Each man gets a very brief but effective introduction during the opening credits sequence, and each of them is engaging in his own subtle way. Lancaster is source for a fair amount of humour - he ends up in his underwear not once but twice - while Strode is a true "strong yet silent" type. Cardinale is delightfully spirited as the victim. Bellamy, Joe De Santis as Ortega, Jorge Martinez de Hoyos as the likable goat keeper Padilla, and Marie Gomez as the fiery revolutionary Chiquita are all similarly superb.Rousing music by Maurice Jarre, lovely photography by Conrad Hall, and excellent extensive use of very rural locations all size up as heavy assets. This is a fairly long film at just under two hours, but a lot of care and detail goes into the rescue mission, and it's fun to watch this team at work, doing what they do best. At first, it would seem that the Raza character is painfully under written, but the more scenes with him that we see towards the end, the more we understand him.Superior entertainment, with a particularly satisfying wrap-up.Nine out of 10.

Tweekums When wealthy Texan Joe Grant hires Henry 'Rico' Fardan to lead a small group deep into revolutionary Mexico to rescue his kidnapped wife Rico knows it won't be an easy job; four men against an army! Mrs Grant is being held by a revolutionary by the name of Jesus Raza who Rico and Bill Dolworth, an explosives expert, fought along side earlier in the war. It isn't long after they cross the border that they meet the first of Raza's men... clearly it won't be easy getting to his Hacienda and once there it will be even harder to get Mrs Grant out and back to her husband unharmed. Once they get to her they find they have another problem; she left Grant of her own free will and is in love with Raza... still they have been paid to take her back to her husband so take her back they will.The opening scene where Rico is firing a machine gun next to a car makes it clear that this is set much later than most westerns; that doesn't stop it being a 'proper' western. While he doesn't get top billing Lee Marvin is definitely the star of the film and he does a fine job as Rico, he is ably supported by Burt Lancaster (the official star) as Dolworth, Woody Strode as Jake Sharp, an expert with a longbow and Robert Ryan as the fourth and final member of the rescue party. Claudia Cardinale puts in a feisty performance as the 'kidnapped' Maria Grant.Fans of the genre or people just wanting an exciting adventure should enjoy this as there is plenty of action almost from the moment they cross the border; this action is mainly shootouts but there is also a train ambush and when we get to the raid on the hacienda there are numerous spectacular explosions. This may be the midpoint of the film but the return north is no less exciting. While the twists weren't all that surprising they were believable and added a bit more interest to the story.