Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

kcterrell-25046 A rag-tag group of young teenagers volunteer to help John Wayne get his 1500 head of cattle to market, 400 miles away, and Wayne is stuck in a jam because all of his hired hands get the gold fever and run off. Faced with bills and the habit of driving his cattle every summer, Wayne takes on the role of drive master, mentor, teacher, and father to the lot of them. And the inexperienced teens prove resourceful and reliable, maturing quickly on the dusty trail. OK, none of the young actors in the film went on to any big Hollywood success. But, their limited acting skills actually added to the schtick of the set-up.Trailed and eventually ambushed by rustlers, the kids lose Wayne and their herd in a flurry of bullets that put the Duke in the grave. An endearing drive cook, Roscoe Lee Brown (cudos) steps up as the step-father of the crew, and the boys go after the rustlers to retrieve the herd in memory of Wayne.A good story, solid writing, and on-site cinematography make the movie, with Wayne's performance, of course. Direction is subpar, especially with the typical Hollywood intentional gaffs. The rustler gang consists of nine men, but after the boys ambush and kill four of them, there are suddenly ten members of the gang coming after them. It's annoying that directors want the viewer absorbed into the visual tale, but also to forgive the inconsistencies and the details. At some points along the drive, it looks like Wayne is really driving 1500 head. At other times, it looks like the entire herd is about 80 cattle, and at other times, it appears to consist of maybe 200 head. This kind of laziness in direction only serves to distract the viewer.All in all, a deserving film, with a young Bruce Dern playing a really, really bad outlaw. A typical Western prop character that you can really hate if you are into the action.A worthwhile two hours spent with a good film despite some flaws.

zkonedog Most of the time, a movie needs a really solid plot to truly be great. "The Cowboys" is an exception to this rule, however, as the acting of John Wayne, Bruce Dern, and the adolescent cast make this gritty Western stand the test of time.For a basic plot summary, "The Cowboys" sees rancher Wil Andersen (Wayne) deserted by his ranch hands just days before a big scheduled cattle drive. In a bind, Andersen takes on a group of schoolboys to help him bring in the herd. Along the way, key roles also include a Mexican "mistake of nature" teenager named Cimarron (A Martinez), a Negro cook (Roscoe Lee Browne), and a slimy ex-con "Long Hair" (Dern) determined to get the best of Andersen and his rather motley crew.As I mentioned, this film is a bit short on plot in terms of believability. It isn't "gritty" in the sense of portraying stark reality.However, director Mark Rydell more than makes up for this hole by conjuring up some of The Duke's greatest emotive scenes ever caught on camera. The chemistry between Wayne and Dern is unmatched in the history of Duke movies, while his changing relationship with the boys is quite an emotional journey for the viewer.Yet, at the same time, this isn't a purely "dark" movie by any means. It contains quite a bit of humor and levity which perfectly balances out those scenes that are so poignant and utterly humorless.Overall, I can confidently put "The Cowboys" in my list of top Westerns. It has terrific acting, a good mix of camaraderie/emotion, plays on many themes such as boys becoming men, how to deal with evil in its basest form, and the kind of life being a cattle rancher/driver was all about.

dancc **Possible Spoilers** (Come on, it's over 40 years old, what are you waiting for?)I'll start by admitting that I am a John Wayne fan. I'll also say I'm not a fan of his politics. I don't say that to start an argument, I say it so it's clear I like him as an actor, not as a symbol.Now that that's out of the way I have to say that I consider THE COWBOYS to be one of his best performances (it's on a par with THE SEARCHERS & THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE). THE COWBOYS shows Wayne at his most emotionally accessible. He's still playing the stoic westerner, but we see him with his wife (who loves him, but clearly knows he's a pigheaded bastard) & we see him playing his age. Not like in TRUE GRIT where he played "old", but simply playing his actual age (65, which in1876, was pretty damn old). And he clearly had a genuine rapport with young men he was working with.I also have to say that to some degree this film turns the "John Wayne" ethos on it's head. I know a lot of people think this film shows The Duke turning the kids into little versions of himself. But I think the most important moment in the film is when the kids finally bring the cattle into Belle Fourche. They've killed the rustlers who killed their leader (& father figure). And they've accomplished what they promised to do. But none of them look pleased with themselves. They aren't riding tall in the saddle. They are beaten down, worn out, & depressed. They've "done what a mans gotta do", but it hasn't made them happy or proud. Quite the opposite. They have clearly lost something in the acts of violence they have done, no matter how necessary some of them may have been. A lot of people use the cliché "coming of age" when referring to this film. I think the better cliché would be "loss of innocence". I also want to respond to a reviewer (who was writing in 2003, but, what the hell) who said he thought Roscoe Lee Browne was "better" than John Wayne in the film. I am an actor myself & I bow before the altar of Mr. Browne. I would kill (well, let's not get crazy here) a close acquaintance just for his voice. (He did an episode of BARNEY MILLER that I highly recommend to everyone). And he is absolutely wonderful in THE COWBOYS. But I think he & Wayne owe each other a thanks for making each other better. The chemistry between the two of them is unbelievable. If you want to chalk it up to their political differences, feel free. Frankly, to me, it just looks like a couple actors having a great time working with each other. Apparently, the scene where Browne tosses the knife at Wayne's hand when he's reaching for a piece of pie was improvised (Wayne didn't know it was going to happen). But Duke ran with it, & it's a great moment.I've already written too much. To anyone who has not seen this film, watch it. Set all your presumptions aside, & watch it on it's own terms. I think you'll love it

iftikharkhokher This is probably the best of the movies Wayne made before his death.The John Wayne philosophy is more than evident here;drink,atheist,pride,loyalty to his race but human enough to accept others,hard living and brave.His own man. The story is gullible but entertaining with a very good script and fine acting by all the actors especially the boys.Bruce Dern is chilling as the villain.The outdoor shooting is superb and the music lends to it.I have seen many of Wayne's movies and though his political leanings are evident there is something about his presence that appeals to common sense and being a MAN.