NateWatchesCoolMovies
Breakheart Pass is a wicked tough, badass Charles Bronson action vehicle steeped in the macho charm on the 1970's, and filled with ever changing photography as a train hurtles across the Nevada and Idaho mountains during a snowy winter. Onboard is John Deakins (Bronson), a dangerous outlaw being transported as prisoner to a remote, well guarded fort somewhere deep in the wilderness. Deakins isn't who he seems though, and neither is anyone else onboard for that matter. When a murder occurs, he takes it upon himself to wage a bloody crusade on everyone else in order to find the truth about what's going on, and the truth about their frozen voyage. Bronson is nails tough, doing some deliriously sketchy stunts and engaging in blessedly R rated, pretty intense violence for 70's standards. The cast is stacked, other passengers include Ed Lauren, David Huddleston, Richard Crenna, Charles Durning and Ben Johnson as the ruthless federal marshal in charge of Deakin's transport. A rock solid genre picture, thrilling, decked out in western production design and filled with savage, bullet ridden, bone breaking set pieces.
Maziun
The biggest problem with this movie is the rather uninteresting beginning. The movie doesn't introduce us to the characters in the interesting way. It simply lacks hook for the first twenty minutes. Thankfully with time the movie slowly gets more and more interesting. It's not strange , because the story is an interesting mix of western , thriller and action.There are some nice dialogues here and plenty of action in the last 30 minutes. There is also quite many twists and nice mystery along the way. Good old Alistair MacLean. "Breakheart pass" feels like a book , although I'm not sure if there was a book under the same title.Charles Bronson ("Death wish") is a typical silent bad ass hero that is easy to like. I was delighted to see Richard Crenna ("Rambo : First blood") as the governor. Other actors are OK.Action scenes feel real. The special effects are sometimes a little outdated. The music by Jerry Goldsmith is really nice.Good and underrated western. I give it 7/10.
AaronCapenBanner
Based on Alistair MacLean's novel about a troop train transporting soldiers and medical supplies to a plague ridden fort, that is threatened by hijackers and other secrets from various characters like the territorial governor, doctor, and a mysterious prisoner.Featuring a fine cast that includes Charles Bronson, Richard Crenna, Jill Ireland, Charles Durning, and Ed Lauter, this suspenseful and action filled western thriller(directed by Tom Gries) is great fun all the way, and also has a twist laden plot to keep the viewer guessing.Some graphic violence at times, but intelligently done, and beautifully filmed on real snowy locations. If you love trains, you can't miss this one!
Wizard-8
At the peak of his popularity, Charles Bronson appeared in this very appealing romp. While the movie certainly can be called a western, it's quite different than most westerns. Much of the movie is a mystery, for one thing, with a lot of investigation along the way. Some action fans may be disappointed that there isn't a terrible amount of action for a Bronson movie. But I found the movie entertaining all the same. The mystery of the multiple murders is intriguing, and will have you wondering who is behind it all. The movie also looks great, from its ample production values to the scenery. And Bronson makes an appealing hero, using his brains more than his fists and guns for a change. The only real flaw of the movie comes after you watch it - when you think back on what you've seen, some details don't make complete sense. But before that point, the movie does entertain from start to finish, without a single boring or tedious moment.
