Wagons East (1994)

John Candy final

John Candy fans will want his final movie. This is a reverse on the Westward Ho call and quite entertaining. June 22, 2008

I Was There

This film is very importent for because i was there working like a extra thats why i recomend this film we have many adventures is just great May 16, 2007

"Do you have a really big book?"

A hand full of citizens of various occupations and orientations realize the west is not all it is cracked up to be. They decide to go back east, but to do this they will need a skilled and knowledgeable wagon master. Who should stumble in but the best wagon master in the west, James H. Harlow (John Candy). Naturally there is a money grubbing cabal apposed to this move and they will stop at nothing to throat the "Wagons East" plan.

Well designed with a select group of actors that never overplayed their parts. The consumes and scenes here exceptionally good for the comedy. The Indians look like Indians and the floozies look floozy. The film is jam packed with one liners.
April 8, 2007

Hurrah for John Candy, Boo for the Film

WAGONS EAST was a sad epitaph to John Candy's career. The plot is good, but the screenplay is terrible. Sadly, Candy passed away during the last two weeks of filming. At the time the film company commented that Candy's scenes were already in the can, but the reality is that John Candy is inexplicably missing from a couple of scenes. His absence is most notable in the "Snow in Summertime" scene. A padded stand-in wearing Candy's buckskins is seen sauntering away in the background, but John Candy is nowhere to be seen around the fireplace later.

Filmed in Mexico, WAGONS EAST is a BLAZZING SADDLES wanna-be. Instead it looks more like a low-budget television movie. Actor Ed Lauter plays the bad guy. Unfortunately, his stereotypical character is almost a rip-off of Kirk Douglas' accident prone heavy in 1979's comedy THE VILLAIN. Lauter has been in television and movies a long time. He appeared in both versions of THE LONGEST YARD. He could have found a better cinematic vehicle than this.

The story is simply this: The residents of a lackluster western town decide that it was a mistake to ever move west. They hire John Candy to lead them back east. Unfortunately, the publicity generated by this eastward march causes influential land speculators to panic. As such, they attempt to foil returning settlers plans by sending a professional bad guy to intercept them.

Much as I enjoy John Candy movies, this one is a disappointment. I cannot even say that it was good to see Candy on the big screen again as he appeared to be laboring through each scene. In Candy's last two films, CANADIAN BACON and WAGON'S EAST, he sported a scraggily beard. This was not the same energetic John Candy from STRIPES, BRUSTER'S MILLIONS, SPLASH, UNCLE BUCK, PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES, ONLY THE LONELY, or SUMMER RENTAL.

Okay, enough bashing the film. The DVD is very affordable and if you are a John Candy fan, then this should probably find its way into your movie collection. It is just a shame that Candy's last film was this one. February 24, 2006

terrible terrible way to remember John

This is not only the worst John Candy movie ever made, but one of the worst all time movies ever made, it even makes itself worse by saying it is dedicated to the memory of Candy. January 8, 2006

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