The Professionals
Reviewer: Lee Griffiths
Issue 106 August 2008
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The sexiest western ever made?
The Lowdown: A wealthy Texan hires four mercenaries (Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, and Woody Strode) to rescue his wife (Claudia Cardinale) from a Mexican bandit (Jack Palance). However, things might not be as straightforward as the mercenaries think.
Review: The three-time Oscar-nominee, The Professionals, may not be in the same league as John Ford and Howard Hawks’ genre classics, but Richard Brooks’ all-star adventure is definitely one of the most enjoyable westerns you’re ever likely to come across.
A feisty and brilliant Claudia Cardinale joins the dream cast of Burt Lancaster, Le Marvin, Robert Ryan, Woody Strode and Jack Palance for a fun-packed kidnapping yarn that’s full to the brim with energy and laced with dazzling Technicolor visuals. Though appearing as an ever so slightly random release from Sony, The Professionals turns out to be quite a catch on the Blu-ray format.
The rollicking soundtrack from legendary composer Maurice Jarre will definitely shock your speakers back to life with its orchestral wonder, though the special features unfortunately lessen the impact with a selection of unspectacular featurettes, the best of which (‘Memories From The Professionals’) includes some fairly entertaining interview footage with the legendary Cardinale.
The visual quality is really rather lovely, providing a clean, sharp and colourful picture with very little grain. Some of the interior scenes lack definition, but generally, amidst the wide-open desert settings, the sweat glistens and the cleavage heaves in glorious high-def fashion (thanks to Cardinale and the very buxom Marie Gomez), and if anything, the Blu-ray’s sharper visuals provide a reminder of just how sizzlingly sexy this western was/is.
PICTURE: 7
AUDIO: 7
FILM: 7
EXTRAS: 6
DVD Info:
Certificate: PG
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, Woody Strode
Directed By: Richard Brooks, 1966
Distributor: Sony
Audio: Dolby True HD 5.1
Visuals: 2.35:1 Widescreen
Running Time: 117 mins
Price: £17.99
Film supplied by: DnA
Special Features:
‘The Professionals – A Classic’ Featurette
‘Burt Lancaster: A Portrait’ Featurette
‘Memories From The Professionals’ Featurette
Trailer
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