Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Harry Lags Ex-outlaw Jess Wade (Elvis Presley) tries at going straight but is curtailed when his old gang finally catches up with him, and head bandit Vince Hackett (Victor French) has come up with a truly messed-up punishment. Elvis gets beat up pretty badly and left to die, but uses some basic survival skills and gets his revenge. If you like Elvis, you won't be disappointed. Elvis, cowboys, horses, and beautiful shots of the Arizona desert, what more could you want in an evening's entertainment? Highly recommended for fans of westerns even if you are not a huge Elvis fan, as well as fans of Elvis even if you are not a huge western fan. If nothing else, "Charro" shows that Elvis could've easily been a Western hero in Eastwood's league if he chose to keep with it and got better scripts. Elvis' acting in the movie Charro! is quite good. He seemed to have his heart into making this film and it shows.Conclusion - Worth watching 7/10

Gary R. Peterson Watching CHARRO back to back with FLAMING STAR made for a great Saturday afternoon. The old school Hollywood Western of 1960 had changed so much by 1969 and the spaghetti western-influenced CHARRO. What hadn't changed was Elvis' eminent ability to entertain.Charles Marquis Warren, who produced, wrote, and directed CHARRO, has an unimpeachable place in the Western pantheon: He developed for television both GUNSMOKE and THE VIRGINIAN and created RAWHIDE. Yeah, it's obvious Warren was trying to leap aboard the spaghetti western bandwagon with CHARRO, and the results are impressive even if he's no Sergio Leone (he certainly did a better job aping the Italians than did Ted Post with HANG 'EM HIGH). The legacy of CHARRO for fans of THE VIRGINIAN is the film's influence on the ninth and final season of that series, rechristened THE MEN FROM SHILOH, which aired in 1970-71. From the red-tinted title sequence to the scruffy, furry faced heroes, it's all seen here first.The cast is impressive. Victor French, just a few years out from playing hapless Agent 44 on GET SMART, demonstrates his range and plays with aplomb the megalomaniacal leader of the Hackett Gang, a man who could gun down one of his own men and brand another. For those who know French only from good guy roles on LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, CARTER COUNTRY, and HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN, this film will prove an eye-opener. My own eyes were opened years ago when I caught French playing town taming Sheriff Bo Harker in "The Tarnished Badge" episode of GUNSMOKE where his badness just blew me away.Solomon Sturges was a standout as Billy Roy, the psychotic kid brother of Vince. But I flashbacked to James Best as Billy John, the psychotic kid brother of Lee Van Cleef in Randolph Scott's 1959 film RIDE LONESOME. The similarities kept piling up: In RIDE LONESOME Randolph Scott uses the psycho kid brother as bait to lure out the big brother, has to listen to the kid's threatening taunts of "wait till my brother gets here..." and in the end even ties the kid brother to a tree. Oh, well, if Warren was going to steal, he at least knew to steal from Budd Boetticher! And Sturges does an outstanding job, really upping the antic energy and the tension with his taunts and hysterical outbursts.James Sikking's unhinged Confederate veteran Gunner presages Donald Sutherland's Oddball in KELLY'S HEROES. Sikking made the most of his few scenes and stood out from Hackett's otherwise forgettable gang. And speaking of forgettable, the exotic Ina Balin was cast in a thankless role with little to do but take a G-rated bath and look on the action with concern. Like Inger Stevens in Dean Martin's FIVE CARD STUD, she's the whorehouse madam with a heart of gold. Talk about your tired tropes! RAWHIDE alum Paul Brinegar gets a small role as town barber Opie Keetch. Lynn Kellogg as chorus girl Marcie appeared poised for a larger role that never developed.The story is engaging, fast moving, and exciting. The cannon-fired dynamite attack on the town was startling (I jumped when the godless heathen blasted off the church steeple!). The characters are ones you care about and learn details about as the story unfolds. Even the vile Vince Hackett has an inexplicable soft spot for his soft-headed brother, which gives him depth and hints at an unexplained and painful past. Sheriff Ramsey mentored the misguided Jess Wade and led him out of a life of crime, lending weight to their relationship, especially when Jess is sworn in as deputy. There's a sense throughout the film that we in the audience are only seeing the tip of the iceberg and that a lot has transpired in these characters' lives before Elvis crooned over the opening titles.Speaking of the rousing theme song, it was co-written by Billy Strange and Mac Davis who wrote several classic Elvis songs, including "Memories," and "A Little Less Conversation." (Davis alone wrote "In the Ghetto.")The Hugo Montenegro soundtrack is excellent and heightens the suspense. It could have been billed as its own character since it's almost overwhelmingly pronounced and loud (no complaints--I loved it!).Film critic Leonard Maltin dissed this flick with a no-star BOMB rating. Maltin writes, "Attempt to change Presley's image by casting him in a straight Western is a total failure. Elvis sings only one song." Wow! What this reveals is the fact Maltin doesn't know jack about Elvis. Elvis' first film, LOVE ME TENDER, was a straight Western, as was FLAMING STAR in 1960. Maltin fails to see that CHARRO was returning Elvis to his cinematic roots, reverting, not changing his image. That Maltin bemoans the fact there's only one song in the movie shows his standard for an "Elvis movie" is the musical comedies. I enjoy those too, but Elvis had long ago demonstrated his ability to play meatier roles. Maltin rejects CHARRO because it doesn't fit his preconceived expectation of what an Elvis movie should be. Okay, maybe CHARRO isn't CITIZEN KANE, but it definitely deserved better than the blithe dismissal of BOMB.I gave FLAMING STAR a 7-star rating and CHARRO an 8-star rating. Deep down, I know FLAMING STAR was a better produced and weightier movie and features a better Elvis performance, BUT... which movie will I want to rewatch again on a lazy, rainy Saturday afternoon? CHARRO!

stalzz64 OK, I love Elvis movies a LOT, but he made some serious clunkers all in the name of the almighty dollar and contracts Col. Parker made him sign. Why Elvis couldn't break away and do more films like this, we'll never know. We'll also never know 'what could have been', had Elvis escaped the movie musical grind sooner. This is a pretty good western, I have to say, and I have seen a LOT of westerns and I am a huge fan of the genre. It's pretty cool that he only sings the title song over the opening credits of Charro! and doesn't break into song in the middle of a scene like in his usual Hollywood formula musicals.He was offered the Kris Kristofferson part in 'A Star Is Born', and I think he would have been GREAT in that. For whatever reason, he turned it down. He was more into making concert films at that time, plus he was deeply involved in his prescription drug addiction and had put on a lot of weight, so maybe those were big issues that kept him from doing more good film roles. Elvis, I thank you for making Charro! I wish there had been more films like this in your Hollywood resume.

lastliberal Vince Hackett (Victor French): You won't be needing my tender care anymore You're free to go, Jess. Anywhere where the Mexican law or Mexican federales can't find you. Or any place north where the American law or the American cavalry can't run you down. You're a famous man, Jess. Don't ever forget it. Jess Wade (Elvis): I won't. This was the King's last dramatic role. He seemed a bit stiff, but maybe that was the script he had to work with. It's just not right to have an Elvis movie where he doesn't sing. He's not Clint Eastwood, for gosh sakes, so why try to put him in a spaghetti western? Victor french, whom you may remember from "Highway to Heaven" or "Little House on the Prarie," did a much better job of acting than Elvis.Maybe the film would have been better if that actually added the Hootchie Kootchie girl, Charo, to the cast.