This is not John Wayne's best film or his worst either, for me it leans towards the watchable but disappointing category. It is definitely watchable, especially for the handsome photography and scenery. Also the first five minutes was inspired I think, and the score was more than adequate. While past his prime, John Wayne is good here, I liked how Maureen O'Hara was so elegant and Richard Boone is very entertaining.
Sadly, Big Jake is also quite lazily directed, and the plot is disappointingly meagre. The script is an uneven mix, one minute it flows well, the other it feels stilted, while the ending could have been better rounded off. Out of the cast, I liked Wayne, I liked Boone, I liked O'Hara, but I thought Chris Mitchum and Patrick Wayne were pretty awful.
All in all, it is a watchable effort but doesn't quite work. 5/10 Bethany Cox
Sadly, Big Jake is also quite lazily directed, and the plot is disappointingly meagre. The script is an uneven mix, one minute it flows well, the other it feels stilted, while the ending could have been better rounded off. Out of the cast, I liked Wayne, I liked Boone, I liked O'Hara, but I thought Chris Mitchum and Patrick Wayne were pretty awful.
All in all, it is a watchable effort but doesn't quite work. 5/10 Bethany Cox