One More Train to Rob (1971)

Sorry, this movie sucks

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

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

I have watched many bad westerns over the years and from the first minutes I was afraid that this was just another. Something close to The Villain, a horrible western comedy from 1979 where the most funny part is Kirk Douglas' horse.One More Train To Rob is not just one more silly western, and it soon becomes surprisingly well made, with good acting, great stunts, not all to much shooting and almost no bad clichés. The characters are real, the props too and even the studio backgrounds look great. Most is simply pure quality. Only in the beginning the light setting is over done. The actors are not trying to be funny at all, neither does the director, and it works. Though it seems on occasions as a parody, perhaps to be considered as kind of a semi-comedy, with just a few a bit silly parts. But there's always an intention to it, and it doesn't really matter, cause it's a true western all the way and most pleasing of all, it has a great plot, with some surprises as well. And the good beating the bad in the end, at least kind of.

One More Train to Rob (1971) starts out a bit dull, on the average side. It is slow-going and the direction is really not motivated. I really didn't think it would amount to anything, and it doesn't, still, it is barely above average and will get you to the end. What helps it along is the acting of the actors, reliables like George Peppard, Soon-Tek Oh (Missing in Action 2 (1985)), John Vernon (Animal House (1978 )), Diana Muldaur, etc. They aren't that good and the script is nothing to goggle over, but still, seeing familiar acting faces helps.Hal Needham (frequent collaborator with Burt Reynolds) is in it.George Peppard plays a train bandit who gets caught and sent to prison. He comes back to find his old crew has changed and wants to get rid of him. Some absurd action scenes ensue and then it ends.In all, it is rather mild and not very engaging, but it's something to see on a rainy night.

The plot of this movie may seem familiar to Western devotees and so it should because it is essentially the same as that deployed by Brando in his sole directorial credit One Eyed Jacks ,namely an ex jailbird bent on revenge on a former associate ,now a man of wealth and substance ,who he feels has double crossed him .Where the movies part company is that Brando used the plot as the vehicle for a grim almost Jacobean revenge tragedy ,this movie takes a lighter ,friskier tone Peppard plays the wronged man ,one Harker Fleet ,who seeks to get back at his former associate in crime ,Timothy Nolan -well played by John Vernon.They are rivals for the favours of Diane Muldaur and also vie with each other in striving to rob an elderly Chinese man of his gold Andrew V McLaglen -who along with Burt Kennedy was virtually the only man directing Westerns on a regular basis in the USA during the seventies-keeps things moving briskly and the action is vigorous and well paced .Good performances and a tongue in cheek script help maintain interest and the result is a diverting second tier Western that many people will enjoy

Andrew V. McLaglen ("McLintock!" "The Way West," "Shenandoah") outdoes himself with a slight of a story, "One More Train to Rob". Clearly George Peppard's funniest and, perhaps, best performance as the "good, bad guy train robber" cheated by his friend, John Vernon (also a fine performance) out of his share and out of his woman, Diana Muldaur. Muldaur, as always, combines beauty, brains and class. However, here, she even manages to be funny and sexy. She and Peppard have great chemistry. The movie has some surprising twists and turns, and even a social conscience. The plight of immigrant Chinese during the 19th Century and the racial injustices shown them deliver a surprisingly effective subplot. "One More Train to Rob" is one of my favorite westerns, and I'm so happy it is finally showing on ENCORE WESTERN Channel. I give it an "8".