Film Overview"The Villain" likewise called "Cactus Jack Slade" is a 1979 Technicolor comedy western movie directed by Hal Needham and starring Kirk Douglas, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Ann-Margret. The movie is a parody of the western genre filled with funny gags and funny one-liners. Kirk Douglas plays a clumsy criminal called Cactus Jack Slade, Arnold Schwarzenegger is cast as the good-looking but dim-witted hero named Handsome Stranger, and Ann-Margret plays the lovely yet equally naive character, Charming Jones.
Plot Summary"The Villain" follows the misadventures of Cactus Jack Slade, a bungling desperado worked with by jagged lender Parody Jones, played by Strother Martin, to steal a treasure map from a lady. His task is to kidnap the lady and take the map that leads to a cache of surprise gold. This lady is Charming Jones, who simply inherited the map from her daddy (Jack Elam).
Captivating is accompanied throughout the desert to New Mexico by the overly positive, but clueless, good-looking male called Handsome Stranger. The villain, Cactus Jack Slade, attempts to seize the map by using various coyote-like schemes, but his strategies continuously backfire due to his clumsiness, additional exacerbated by the ineptitude of his horse, Whiskey.
Comic HighlightRegardless of his innumerable failures, Cactus Jack continues his pursuit with imaginative, and hilarious, plots to take the map and abduct Charming. The various gags and slapstick comedy variety from encounters with Native Americans to creative campfire shenanigans, each computing situation more amusing than the previous one. Nevertheless, the efforts of the shrewd and scheming Cactus Jack Slade prove useless against the innocent, yet unusual, luck of Charming Jones and Handsome Stranger.
Final TouchThe movie culminates with a remarkable train chase including dynamites and hand-to-hand combat on horseback, where yet again, Cactus Jack's plans are screwed up by his own incompetence. A final twist in the tale appears when Cactus Jack acquires an upper hand for a moment, however, it soon falls apart and he ends up blasting himself into the sky with a dynamite stick.
Conclusion"The Villain" is a light-hearted comedy pulling its humor from the satirical take on classic western stereotypes. Kirk Douglas's comical abilities are on complete display screen, including a slapstick beauty to the character of Cactus Jack Slade. Schwarzenegger, in among his first roles, reveals an unforeseen flair for funny that would later on end up being an emphasize of his acting profession. The film is known for its over-the-top visual gags, witty discussions, and absurd action, cheerfully skewering the common 'wild west' tropes. In spite of the various negative reviews, the film has actually constructed a cult following over the years for its distinct humor and eccentric characters.
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