Cabo Blanco

Judging solely from the cool poster art (featuring a mean looking Bronson with a .357 magnum in hand) I expected a gritty 70s/80s style crime flick with the main twist being that it's set in a tropical Latin American location instead of the typical NYC or LA. Instead what we get is a 1940s era neo-noir with shades of 'Casablanca'. I guess I would have been fine with that as it would have been an interesting change of pace for a Bronson flick (so long as it were accompanied by plenty of hard-hitting action). However whatever potential this film had quickly deteriorates as the plot becomes nothing more than a lame, slow paced, sunken treasure movie.

Highlights include a few creative(though underwhelming) action scenes, topless Latina chicks, and appearances by Fernando Rey and Jason Robards (who isn't very convincing as a German expatriate). Even a cameo by a talking parrot can't save it. Avoid.

An inkeeper : Charles Bronson and an assortment of misfit characters are searching for a nazi treasure with unexpected consequences. This variety of other characters include an ex Nazi officer : Jason Robards , a mysterious French woman : Dominique Sanda , a suspect police chief : Fernando Rey , an adventurer : Simon MacCorkindale , among others .All of them assemble in Peru after WWII and everyone shares a common interest : to find a missing treasure of gold , lost in a ship wreck.

This is an adventure, thriller, suspense movie full of flaws and gaps , dealing with a motley group searching for a Nazi loot sunken off the coast of Peru. The plot sounds familiar as the film results to be a very inferior crossover between Casablanca and The treasure of Sierra Madre , taking parts here and there . Average screenplay by Victor Andres Catena and Jaime Comas Gil with plenty of twists and turns .The main and support cast is frankly excellent though really wasted , giving mediocre interpretations. Bronson plays in his usual wooden style a tough and two-fisted bartender who runs the local watering hole ; Dominique Sanda is a beautiful woman searching for his lover ; Jason Robards plays a nasty Nazi who controls the townsfolk and the police chief well performed by Fernando Rey . Here appears an important plethora of secondary actors as Gilbert Roland , Camila Sparv , Simon MacCorkindale , Clifton James , Anna De Sade and brief appearance by the Spanish Aldo Sambrell . Atmospheric cinematograhy by the Mexican Alex Phillips , being necessary a perfect remastering because of film copy is washed-out. Adequate and sunny scenarios by the expert production designer Jaime Perez Cubero. Evocative musical score by Jerry Goldsmith , but far from his great soundtracks.

The motion picture was regularly directed by J.Lee Thompson . Lee made various Charles Bronson vehicles , both of them got some successes , working in titles as St Ives, White Buffalo , Ten to midnight, Death Wish the crackdown , The evil that men do, Murphy Law , Messenger of death , Kinjite forbidden subjects and this Cabo Blanco . Thompson's greatest hit was Navarone guns as well as MacKenna gold . Rating : 4.5/10 . Mediocre , though the movie will appeal to Charles Bronson fans

It seems like almost all Hollywood stars have to have their own version of Casablanca.

Even Shakespeare plays must not have attracted so many varied 'interpretations'.

Even Charles Bronson ?!

But surprisingly the movie is still a typical Bronson movie. Factor in the nudity, the fights, the thrills, and the 'he-men' that populate your regular Bronson movie.

I personally found the ending a bit'weak and maybe obscure'; but it helps to differentiate the movie from being a direct Casablanca copy.

Overall, it stands up OK for die-hard Bronson fans.

This is very slickly made film which sadly doesn't have a good reputation or a decent widescreen release. The camera-work on the film is excellent with much moving camera a great score and good locations.

The odd thing is the bursts of full frontal nudity and one really graphic death scene. These seem to be included for fans of Bronson's gritty films but seem totally out of place here.

Sondra is dull as usual. Bronson solid. Robards doesn't seem to want to be bothered by doing a German accent. It has real visual sweep. Odd rather forced voice over which seems to be trying to set this up for a sequel perhaps at the end.

Despite these forced elements--of violence, nudity,and nostalgia--the bulk of the film works as a mystery and intrigue--rather than say action. One of the few of director Thompson's later films that really hearken back to his early Hollywood career of sweeping location quasi epics.

The ending builds suspense only to pay it off in an offbeat--and perhaps off putting way for some. Jerry Goldsmith contributes a fantastic score too, btw.

Deserves more respect and proper restoration than it gets especially among the later career of Bronson. In fact, as a bit of an update a blu ray of the film does now exist, you can see and enjoy the widescreen phototgraphy to it's full impact. The blu ray also includes a well made making-of-film done at the time, by one of Gregory Peck's children, no less!

A big fan of j lee thompson and charles bronson i found this movie worth a watch. its very layed back and old school like a visit to your folks.its south American local and tropic feel was a real plus and Charley was in in good form.but thompson was slumming it a bit,maybe enjoying the sun to much.the pace was slow even for this sort of film.

i think i could of enjoyed it more if the copy i had was any good, but it is poor with only the widescreen formate save it from being unwatchable. it is such a rare movie that i was happy enough to see it at all.

if you enjoy 70's style movies and gumshoe movies give it a go its good late night fodder.