Inimigos à Força

The plot for Showdown is so ordinary that you might just find yourself asking why you picked this up in the video rental place. But there's enough star power on the first through third tiers that this 1973 oater can't be a complete waste of time.

I remember seeing the movie on NBC some thirty years or more ago. I'd never heard of it, it had interesting people, and how badly could it be butchered for television? It was only PG back then.

Showdown is one of those movies you should see just so you can say something like, "Hey, I saw this old western with Rock Hudson and Dean Martin, and it wasn't too bad." Of course, if your time is just too valuable, then skip it.

But it's a decent excuse to eat some popcorn.

Though it breezes along at an amiable pace, there's really nothing special about this particular western. It has a lot of stuff that ends up being irrelevant, such as with the character of the sheriff's wife, and the multiple flashbacks. Though the technical side is professional, it resembles a made-for-TV movie of the time. Still, there is some interest here. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Hong Kong director John Woo saw this, because there are elements and themes here that can be found in his movies.

It may not be an amazing script, but the couple great actors of Martin and Hudson make it well worth the watch. It's a decent western, even if there's no great "action" to speak of. You won't find any memes from it, and it's not even really blog-worthy beyond the hour and a half of relaxing tv watching. Both Martin and Hudson play their parts in an understated way, which makes it more believable.

There's enough chemestry between Rock and Dean that they're comfortable to watch. There is some subtle humor here and there, and the story doesn't offend. Personally I enjoyed it, if you like westerns and buddies on opposite sides you may like it too.

I have always had difficulty watching Rock Hudson getting into physically grittier parts; somehow he just doesn't ever quite convince me - he is just a bit too "clean cut" to be seen in a muddy outfit, or be in a fist-fight... This film sees him as the sheriff ("Chuck") out on the trail of old pal Dean Martin ("Billy") who has - almost playfully - helped a gang of outlaws rob a train. Things start to go south shortly after that and soon Hudson is on his trail and a local posse is on the trail of them both! It's not the most complex storyline you will ever see, and the stars - alongside a rather feisty Susan Clark as Hudson's wife provide a nicely paced western adventure. Apparently the two men were a bit like rutting stags during filming, but it doesn't cross into the production - it's a decent, if largely forgettable, 100 mins.

When I sat down to watch the 1973 Western "Showdown" here in 2022, it was actually the very first time I have ever seen it. In fact, it was my very first time to ever have heard about the movie as well. Then again, I haven't really been harboring much interest for the Western genre before earlier this year.

So I have to say that I didn't have any expectations to writers Theodore Taylor and Hank Fine as I sat down to watch "Showdown". But I figured that since the movie had Rock Hudson and Dean Martin on the cast list, then I would most likely be in for something worthwhile.

And now having seen "Showdown", I will admit that this was actually a rather enjoyable and entertaining movie. Director George Seaton put together a very good narrative from the works of the writers, and the movie was actually good from beginning and right up to the end. So, it was definitely a movie well-worth sitting down to watch.

"Showdown" has a good cast, with Rock Hudson playing Chuck Jarvis and Dean Martin playing Billy Massey. They were really nicely cast for the leading roles. The movie also have some other familiar faces on the cast list, such as Susan Clark, Donald Moffat, John McLiam and Ed Begley Jr.

If you enjoy Western movies, then "Showdown" is without a doubt a movie that is worth watching, and it has that particularly enjoyable Western atmosphere to it. I was genuinely entertained by this movie.

My rating of "Showdown" lands on a six out of ten stars.