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I once was a huge Eastwood fan. Actually, still am of his early classics. But I've decided to skip this one as I've skipped many others of his since Heartbreak Ridge. That's because those that I've sampled have let me down majorly. Heartbreak Ridge was his last excellent work, IMO. Ok, I momentarily forgot about The Dead Pool. It wasn't a let down, but I wouldn't put it at the Heartbreak Ridge level either. After that, he seemed to shift gears in style and philosophy and his movies have suffered for it.
Beyond me why anyone would want to take the phenomenal success he enjoyed from the 50s through the 80s and then attempt to remake his "brand", if you will. Unforgiven was the most overrated movie in the history of cinema and it seemed to mark a new direction that has continued to disappoint.
Don't get me wrong. It is not as though the rest of Hollywood has been putting out stellar quality material in the same time frame. It's almost all trash....and that's why my theater outings are few and far between in recent years. But you used to be able to count on an Eastwood film for a great couple of hours and your money's worth. Any more it's as much a gamble as it is with any film....and you usually lose.
I've read many comparisons of The Mule to Gran Torino, which was one of my biggest Eastwood disappointments. If I needed a "last straw" to keep me home, that was it.
Betting that we won't see Eastwood smuggling drugs via "where the sun don't shine."
Got to thinking, this could be his last movie. Some people are healthy one year then not so much. As for me, I'd like to see Eastwood starring when he is 100.
Betting that we won't see Eastwood smuggling drugs via "where the sun don't shine."
Got to thinking, this could be his last movie. Some people are healthy one year then not so much. As for me, I'd like to see Eastwood starring when he is 100.
So would I, in classic form. Not apologizing for his past or committing suicide.
And talk about box office. Who wouldn't go to see him kick butt Harry Callahan style as he enters his 2nd century?
I've read many comparisons of The Mule to Gran Torino, which was one of my biggest Eastwood disappointments. If I needed a "last straw" to keep me home, that was it.
To each his own. I watched 'The Mule' and was thoroughly entertained. Didn't see the connection between it and Gran Torino, other than both movies have an old man as the main character. If anything, The Mule was the opposite of Torino.
I'm particularly impressed that the writer could take a short article in NYT about an old man who got caught in a drug bust, and gave this old man a backstory and fleshed the story out, and made it into an interesting movie. The story of Leo Sharp (the real life oldest drug mule on which Eastwood's character was based) was not much and was somewhat incomplete, because the NYT writer never had a chance to interview Sharp. His dementia already set in when he was sentenced to jail and he died a few years after.
I saw it today. I liked Gran Torino better but this was pretty good.
I also liked Gran Torino better but I thought this was a good movie. Solid. It also differed somewhat from so many of his movies - I felt that it had a unique story to tell, and it wasn't a typical shoot em up movie.
I went to see it in the theater and I don't regret it. Was it a "Schindler's List?" No. But it was good.
It would seem, whether he intended it or not, that Eastwood's more recent work is appealing to an audience that is considerably more female than his classics from 30-50 years ago.
I can't help but be curious as to whether there is anyone here who liked Gran Torino and The Mule AND liked Coogan's Bluff, The Gauntlet, and Heartbreak Ridge. I'd be surprised if there are very many, especially among men.
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