Michael_Elliott 100 Rifles (1969) ** (out of 4)Yaqui Joe Herrera (Burt Reynolds) robs an Arizona bank and heads into Mexico where he's eventually caught by Sheriff Lyedecker (Jim Brown). Soon the sheriff realizes that the young half Indian stole the money so that he could buy his people some weapons in order to fight. Soon Lyedecker joins forces with the group and strikes up a relationship with Sarita (Raquel Welch).100 RIFLES is a rather interesting film to watch, although it's not nearly as good as one would have hoped. This film certainly has a very European feel to it yet it's pretty much missing all of the ingredients of the Spaghetti Westerns that were so popular at the time. I'm not sure why the director went away from delivering a type of film that was so popular during this era but either way we've got a very good cast that helps make up for it.The cast are certainly the reason to watch the film even though I'd argue that no one really gives what you'd consider a "good" performance. Both Brown and Reynolds were still rather young in their careers so we can overlook that they're not strong dramatic actors. With that said, both of them certainly had a presence about them and they manage to help keep the film moving and slightly entertaining. Welch is basically here to show off her sexuality, which she does a great job at. The director constantly likes to hint at her sexuality and this is especially true early on when she goes to take her shirt off and just as you think you're about to see something... We've also got a young and beautiful Soledad Miranda in a small part.The biggest problem with 100 RIFLES is the fact that it runs on way too long and there's just really not much of a story to carry the extended running time. I really do wish the film had been edited down further because there are some great scenes scattered throughout. The highlight would have to be a battle sequence where the bad guys are on a train and the good guys do a surprise attack. This scene here is certainly worth sitting through the movie for.

bkoganbing 100 Rifles is a film worth seeing for western fans because it's a European shot western which has absolutely no trace of the spaghetti flavor. As I think westerns are best made in America by a mile, this was a pleasant surprise. It also features interracial lovers Raquel Welch and Jim Brown.Brown is a lawman down with extradition papers looking for Burt Reynolds, mixed racial revolutionary who robbed a bank in Phoenix. But the money was used to buy guns for the Yaqui Indians who are being persecuted and harassed by genocidal general Fernando Lamas. Being the cowboy hero you know that Brown will get involved and having Raquel there is an added inducement.As mean as Lamas is watching the film I also thought he was rather stupid at times. Reynolds and Brown outwit him at every turn.Also here are Eric Braeden as Lamas's German adviser and Dan O'Herlihy who runs the new railroad in the Sonora State. O'Herlihy just wants to make sure he's with the winner.Some question about Brown being both black and a sheriff. Actually during Republican administrations like the Roosevelt-Taft era that 100 Rifles is set in a black US marshal would have been not so uncommon in those times. In anyway he's as tall in the saddle as John Wayne ever was.Fans of the three leads will like 100 Rifles and you might become a fan of any or all of them upon seeing this film.

tavm Burt Reynolds plays a half-breed who stole some money to buy the title amount of items for his people, Jim Brown is a sheriff pursuing him, and Requel Welch is a revolutionary having witnessed a hanging of a family member. All three eventually team up to defeat the Mexican general Fernando Lamas and his men for all the cruel acts they committed. With what I just described, this was quite entertaining what with all those action scenes, a steamy love scene, and Ms. Welch's assets almost exposed whenever her close-ups come on. Really, I don't have anything else to say except that 100 Rifles is worth a look for fans of the above players.

cny_cd This film had a lot of potential, and had a lot of things going for it (great scenery, good story, big name actors), yet it still falls a little flat. In my opinion, a lot of the reason for this is that the actors, although very good in other roles, were just not well suited for this story. The one exception was Fernando "Dahhlings" Lamas, who really did a great job playing a Mexican general. Jim Brown, who has been good in other movies (i.e. The Dirty Dozen), really wasn't convincing as a sheriff (were there any African-American sheriffs in the Southern USA at this point in time?), and his acting is quite wooden throughout. Raquel Welch, although quite stunning to look at, really was never a great actress, and isn't all that believable as a Mexican guerrilla fighter. And seeing Burt Reynolds in a role as a half Mexican, half American thief is quite unusual and not very authentic either. The story itself is pretty good and briskly paced, and the locations are quite beautiful to look at. Despite the poor casting choices, this is a decent film, and well worth a look. 6 rifles out of 10......