Clevercell Very disappointing...

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Scott LeBrun Are you looking for sophisticated humor? Subtlety? Nuance?I didn't think so.If what you desire is an outrageous Western spoof made in the mold of Road Runner / Wile E. Coyote cartoons, then "The Villain" is certain to tickle your funny bone.Kirk Douglas is top billed as the title character, alias Cactus Jack Slade, an outlaw who screws up time and time again. He's determined but incompetent. He really is like that famous cartoon canine, what with his spectacular lack of success.Cactus Jack is hired by crooked banker Avery Simpson (Jack Elam) for the purpose of screwing over a miner named Parody Jones (Strother Martin). Parody isn't dumb, though, utilizing his sexpot daughter Charming (Ann-Margret) and the ramrod straight Handsome Stranger (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to make sure that a critical payment reaches its destination.All you really need to know about "The Villain" is this: special guest star Paul Lynde plays an Indian chief named Nervous Elk. And that's what you can expect in this gleefully goofy, comically sadistic, politically incorrect comedy with gags-a-plenty. Other guest stars include Foster Brooks as a drunken bank clerk, Ruth Buzzi as a damsel in no distress, Robert Tessier as an Indian sidekick, "Mashing Finger", and singer Mel Tillis as a stuttering telegraph agent (Mel also sings the three theme songs).Kirk is hilarious as a bumbling bad guy, for whom you do feel rather sorry. Ann-Margret is tantalizing as the decidedly horny Charming, who lusts after Handsome Stranger. Arnold is appropriately sincere, and dense, as the supposed hero. Some of the supporting roles are really rather brief (you don't see Martin for long). The ones that tend to steal the show are Lynde, and a horse named Ott as Cactus Jacks' not so loyal steed, Whiskey."The Villain" is not always terribly funny, but when it works, it's a riot. There's even a classic "painted tunnel" gag in the Wile E. Coyote tradition!Directed in style by Hal Needham of "Smokey and the Bandit" and "The Cannonball Run" fame.Seven out of 10.

IndustriousAngel Cactus Jack has all the ingredients for a cool comedy - Hal Needham at the helm, capable actors (Schwarzenegger can be used very effectively in comedies), gorgeous settings, fun costumes and a nice soundtrack - but after an OK start things get more and more repetitive, predictable and, simply, tedious.The idea of doing a real-life version of a LooneyTunes cartoon is interesting, and Kirk Douglas really tried to breathe some life into his Wile E Coyote, but the dynamic and rhythm are way off - most gags last about five times as long as in the cartoon if not longer - and stretching such a 7 minute cartoon to feature length without adding anything at least resembling a decent story or interesting characters makes Cactus Jack nearly painful to watch.

MARIO GAUCI This is just the kind of movie whose existence (both in terms of the premise and the people involved) make even knowledgeable film buffs do a double-take – I know I did when I chanced upon it first in a VHS catalogue in the mid-1980s! For this reason – a live-action version of a Road Runner/Looney Tunes cartoon with Kirk Douglas(!) evoking the hapless but dogged figure of Wile E. Coyote – I'd always been curious about it…even if I had the good sense to not to expect much of the eventual outcome.That said, while certain gags don't really translate or else fall miserably flat (not only because they're already familiar from countless cartoons but the fact that animation has a much more 'believable flexibility' as it were), parts of it are definitely amusing (with Douglas, one of Hollywood's most durable leading men, willing to spoof his own image by undergoing a series of pratfalls throughout). Having the typical desert setting, the makers opted to make this a Western; therefore, it can also be read as yet another (broad) genre lampoon. Of course, it's not a patch on Mel Brooks' classic BLAZING SADDLES (1974); incidentally, here we also get a handful of wisecracking Indians (led by Paul Lynde, from the "Beach Party" series, in his last film) a' la Texas ACROSS THE RIVER (1966) which, as it happens, I've also just watched.The thin plot involves Douglas being paid by unscrupulous banker Jack Elam (after the former's disastrous attempt to blow up the latter's safe!) to thwart heroine Ann-Margret's journey (who's just withdrawn a large sum of money) back home. She's something of a nymphomaniac herself and is being escorted by the foolishly-named Handsome Stranger (played with all the woodenness he can muster by, of all people, Arnold Schwarzenegger!) but who seems totally impervious to her charms; by the way, she is called Charmin' and dad Strother Martin goes by the unlikely moniker of Parody! Douglas conceives many a cartoonish ruse in the accomplishment of his mission: every single one of these backfires, however (sometimes with the help of his "treacherous" steed itself) – with the intended victims being completely oblivious of the whole thing; the latter's scenes together are fairly dull but, thankfully, the lion's share of the running-time is devoted to Douglas' ill-timed antics! In fact, the two parties only come face to face twice during the course of the film: first, when Douglas disguises himself as a preacher (his hammy turn here seems to be tapping a typical larger-than-life performance by Jack Palance!) and, then, at the climax where, having finally had enough of Schwarzenegger's cluelessness, Ann-Margret decides to side with the villain (actually the film's original American title). This unforeseen turn-of-events sends Douglas leaping over rooftops in an impromptu fit of uncontainable ecstasy, as often seen in Tex Avery cartoons and which easily gets the film's biggest laugh – though other undeniable chuckles have him slipping high in the air on an empty beer bottle, squashed at the front of a speeding train and knocked about when the platform he's standing on falls apart in the aforementioned preacher sequence! I told you it plays like a cartoon… P.S. Incidentally, as part of my Christmas schedule, I should also be re-acquainting myself with two of the same director's other 'chase' comedies – the "Cannonball Run" films, both of which I haven't watched since the mid-1980s

bkoganbing I'm not quite sure why Kirk Douglas took the part of a live Wile E. Coyote in the film villain other than to say that he had now tried the slapstick comedy genre. But in this case the frustrated coyote is not matched up with the beeping road runner. His adversary is Dudley DooRight in the person of Arnold Schwarzneggar, the Handsome Stranger. Yes folks, that's his character name.We've got a third cartoon character in the mix, Ann-Margret doing a prototype of Jessica Rabbit. Annie's really showing off the stuff today with bosoms akimbo, she's got every member of the cast panting after her with the exceptions of Strother Martin who is her father and still sees Daddy's little girl and Arnie whom she pants after, but who doesn't show the slightest interest.The bulk of the film is taken up with Kirk as villainous Cactus Jack and his horse Whiskey, doing their best to stop Arnie and Ann and rob them of a large sum of money from banker Jack Elam to Strother Martin. It's here where all the comparisons to the road runner cartoons take place.I'm sure Kirk Douglas liked the change of pace, burlesquing his own western image. And he had a tough assignment because the majority of his scenes are alone and the dialog was spoken to his horse. Maybe Mr. Ed should have been cast in the role. If anybody noticed the name of the horse Whiskey is the same name that Kirk Douglas used for his horse in his acclaimed Lonely Are The Brave.Lest you think that because this is a road runner film the ending is a road runner ending. Let's just say that Jessica Rabbit has her needs and priorities as well.