Navajo Joe (1967)

Burt Reynolds stars in this lusty gutsy action western about a fearless Indian with a relentless vendetta against a band of outlaws that killed his people.System Requirements:Running Time: 93 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: WESTERN/CLASSICS Rating: NR UPC: 883904107132 Manufacturer No: M110713 Product Description

IF NOT FOR BURT REYNOLDS . . . . .

I read many westerns and watch western movies, but if not for Burt Reynolds the picture NAVAJO JOE would not be too good. The much younger, thinner, and athletic Reynolds is in his prime in this feature.

Though some reviewers rave about the musical score, it mostly intrudes and got on my nerves: if one enjoys near screams and yelps then it will not doubt please, but for my ears it was mostly an irritation and offered no suspense I can recall.

The scenery is visually extraordinary, and as this is a Spanish-Italian production, as typical of many westerns of the time, it was probably shot in Spain. The horses are sensational and the western town mockups are pretty realistic. But other than Burt Reynolds most of the western characters on screen do not have a true western feel about them. One real problem for western fans: though the train is very nice and visually pleasing, it is of wide gauge track not the narrow gauge one would expect in the American west. And the design of the locomotive is not one that would have been seen in the American west.

In the main, I am not much of a spaghetti western fan, and generally have to tolerate even the best Clint Eastwood venture, however, TWO MULES FOR SISTER SARA, SHALAKO, DUEL AT DIABLO, JOE KIDD, BREAKHEART PASS, and ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, are all foreign movies I adoringly watch over and over.

Since this movie, NAVAJO JOE, has become something of a cult favorite many people will watch it. I think it provides good entertainment and is worth seeing, just don't pay too much attention to the make up or the lips of the actors.

Best in westerns, pards.

Semper Fi. October 13, 2008

No extra features, but you'll live

I just bought the DVD today, great presentation. Picture looks great, anamorphic widescreen, pretty much what the fans have been waiting for. It's pretty cheap, too. Would've been nice to see some special features. I would've enjoyed seeing maybe a new interview with Burt Reynolds, maybe see his thoughts today on the film. I have gained a greater appreciation for the film. This is a much better presentation than that pan and scanned version present in the Wild West Box set. If you're a fan of Burt Reynolds, Sergio Corbucci, westerns, spaghetti westerns, or anything that applies to this film, buy it! You will not regret it. May 16, 2008

Finally

Navajo Joe suffers from mediocre makeup effects and below average scenery, but it makes up in story intensity, drama and most of all music. Morricone's score gives you goosebumps and it makes the movie so much more emotional. The reason why people are longing to see this movie on DVD, is that it is a quintessential Spaghetti Western, one of the must see films of the genre, with the music so popular, the star so famous and the finale so memorable, it is a wonder MGM hasn't released this one years ago (this is a copy of my review I wrote at the Spaghetti Western Database, swdb.info) February 23, 2008

Young Burt Reynolds saves the lives of the Indians.

Here is an interesting early Burt Reynolds film released in 1966. It is a foreign film of Italian-Spanish. An interesting role for Burt Reynolds because in real-life he has Indian in him. Reynolds was probably the age of 29 at the time this was filmed. Good western. The villian Duncan likes to scalp Indians. Navajo Joe (Burt Reynolds) looks out for his people on a white horse. Even when the saloon girls try to make a run for it to get away from the evil Duncan, Navajo Joe saves the girls lives. Native Indians will like the ending of this one. I would like to recommend My Name Is Nobody (1973), starring the unforgetable Terence Hill, with Henry Fonda and Steve Kanaly (Kanaly later co-starred in the "Dallas" tv series). December 9, 2003

Very Violent but Good Spaghetti Western

Burt Reynolds in the title role takes out revenge on Aldo Sanbrell and his gang in this extremely violent and unsympathetic Spaghetti Western. This film shows off Reynolds' great physique and athletic prowess (circa 1966) under Sergio Corbucci's direction. Ennio Morricone (Leo Nichols) composed a rather over the top pseudo-American Indian score which is just wild. The final confrontation between Reynolds and Sanbrell is so incredible it has to be seen. June 26, 2001

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