Michael_Elliott Wagons East (1994) * (out of 4)A group of settlers who headed West for a better life soon realize that it's not what they thought so they want to head back East. They hire James Harlow (John Candy) to take them back but they soon realize that they might have picked the wrong man.I still remember walking into the theater when WAGON'S EAST opened. You knew walking in that Candy had just recently passed and you knew that you were watching what would be his final picture. I don't think anyone could have expected to see how bad this movie actually was but thankfully for Candy, the greatness throughout his career is what people remember and not this final film.This is a really bad movie and I've seen where Candy didn't want to make it and I believe this because the screenplay is really awful. There's really nothing funny that happens here and the screenplay is so bad you really do wonder why anyone would have wanted to make the film. The majoirty of the running time has Candy acting drunk, falling over and doing various dumb things but none of it is funny.It's really too bad that Candy finished his career with this movie but it should be stated that a lot of legends end their careers with such movies. WAGON'S EAST really doesn't work on any level so it's probably best that it has been forgotten.

sunny lovett (dwtaxi) Wagons East is a well presented western about a group of settlers who have found the glorious west to be more The Land of Barbarism than the promised Land of Opportunity. So they quit and head home.It is wrong to think of the movie as a spoof and if you watch it expecting a Mel Brooks movie you will only be disappointed. Wagons East is a genuine western comedy, with a wide variety of laughs from family trip clichés to road runner gags and seen as such it is a remarkably good western with clever, though uncomplicated comedy and a good plot image. Although the greedy, but paranoid Rail Mogul is a little weak, most of the clichés fit in neatly and comically with the plot.Oh and don't watch Wagons East expecting a John Candy film. The main leads are Richard Lewis and Robert Picardo, with strong input from Scrubs star John C. McGinley. Candy makes a good appearance, but his comic performance is considerably muted compared to his more prominent films. This may be due to his unfortunate death towards the end of filming; or it may be that he felt the role deserved a more quiet presentation due to the terrible secret in the characters past.I enjoyed this film immensely and heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys a light laugh.

Amy Adler A lady enters a bar somewhere in the wild west. She looks very refined and is, in fact, seeking the man who bought her as a mail-order bride. When she learns a group of men pooled their monies together, she sits down at the bar and orders whiskey. Chalk up one more disillusioned traveler to the land beyond the Mississippi. Phil (Richard Lewis) and others are also fed up with the harsh living conditions. Why don't they all get a wagon train to go back to civilization? They find a wagon train leader (John Candy) who says he's the man to take them across the mountains, prairies and whatever other terrain is necessary to see the good life again. But, he is harboring a big secret. Also, once news goes to St. Louis that people are heading in the wrong direction, an army officer vows to keep these people from telling others how bad it really is. The Indians, however, may be happy indeed that settlers are leaving their territories! From bathroom stops in the bushes to campfire revelations between the manly men, this journey has it all. Can it succeed? This movie is fun, fun, fun, as the Beach Boys say. There is so much to spoof about the rough and tumble western frontier that the humor is never forced and gives way to many a giggle. The scenery is quite beautiful and the film sports an authentic look. Most of the actors are fine but Candy, who died during the filming and whose part was digitally completed, never seems like himself. His usual go-for-broke spirit is just not present. That said, the film still works beautifully and is a great view for any Saturday night of fun. If you love Candy, however, be prepared to cry a few tears for his loss from the world which dearly loved him.

bloodvampyre This is a great movie. Not quite as zany as Blazing Saddles, but well worth a watch. John Candy, in my opinion, is a great comic actor. The running gags and one liners are really funny. I am proud to say that I have it in my video library. Long live John Candy, a true comedian.