saw this last night and i have seen it before many years ago and didnât think much of it. on second viewing and i now appreciate SWâs a lot more than when i first saw it, i like it much better. The opening credits are good and the music while sounding a lot like the good, the bad and the ugly at times is effective.Yeah it is like a " Mission Impossible" episode at times, especially with Peter Graves who was stuck with that image anyway. some good tense scenes. the version i have is the xxx dvd ans it clearly looks cut in two places, one when the general rips a womanâs blouse and presumably her breasts were shown and when the Samurai slices a soldier.must be my mind playing tricks but i was sure when i first saw this film, only two of the five survived, must be mixing it up with something else. entertaining film.
Does anyone know if the Shoarma release is cut as well? The print TCM ran a while ago definitely has a bit o boobage and plenty of blood.
Yes, very entertaining.
But I think it lacks the socially critical component.
A Zapata Western is always a criticism of social contexts. How Mercenario or QuiĂŠn sabe.
In TFMA is lacking.
But he is still good. 
Been watching this one for a few days almost like a serie (never a good way to watch a movie), itâs a solid sw thatâs does not let down the SW tradition regardless iof who the director was, but I think that could have a even better film.
Having Peter Graves itâs a cool thing, of course itâs a impossible mission not to think of Mission Impossible, but I guess that happens with any movie with him (even the comic ones).
Thereâs not nothing of outstanding, and IMO in a way it works like a Zapata film, the score is good (the main theme itâs superb) most of the cast itâs top class some SW royalty, I think that the little spark that separates the classics from the more average stuff. This must have been supose to be a grat hit at the time MI was a very popular serie, so Graves was a big name an American director a classical plot etc, but I think the films fails, because it all a little bit to predictable, the story an OK one, buit with some lack of imagination, even with that final twist. Anyway in visual terms itâs a great film and for what matters I liked and have fun while watching it
Iâve seen this a few days ago but almost like a series always on-off, 10 minutes today, another 10 tomorrow, and so on, had the chance today to see it from start to end without any interruptions, and enjoyed even more than the last view, and come up with some conclusions about it, just a pity I could not see it in the Cinema.
Someone said that a Western to be considered a SW itâs all about style, regardless of the rest, I will say even more itâs all about style and substance/content. Give me Almeria a classical soundtrack full of trumpets and Mexican guitars, and a U.S. leading actor, and I will give you a great SW, of course the screenplay itâs important but not so important as the image and the music, and thatâs the magic of SW.
Now I considered a great film (yes could be even better) never dull, full of action, I just imagine if it was directed by Leone, that firing squad scene at the beginning, with the people signing, would be even more amazing, maybe it would become slower with a very different ending, but I think that this was a story to could be filmed by him, not that Iâm complaining who ever directed did a good job, and the mission impossible thing turn this one different from other spags. It turns out that it could enter the Zapata category (the gold is being stolen for the revolution).
Normally American actors went to Europe to do SW cause their career was fading, and SW would represented a new chance of a comeback or in worst cases just a chance to work, not the case here Peter Graves was at the top of his success back then, so this was surely a work of love.
4 stars stuff to me, I really like this type of films, and I was wrong itâs also a classical a film with such a magnificent soundtrack should be a classic. And yes I will comment a film only after seeing it in a row.
How´s the thai dvd from triple x? Has it got English audio?
3/5 rating for me
[url]http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/851/cinqueuomini.jpg/[/url]
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This was the first Spaghetti score I purchased by Morricone after the Leone scores on L.P, and what a fine score. The L.P cover fascinated me for years as did not realise it was Spencerâs boots for some reason:
What do you think of this score, Ennioo ?
For sentiment reasons for me itâs a score I always remember as one of my first purchased L.Pâs.
Like you say in your review the main theme does sort of sound familar, and is full of Morricone trademarks. The themes just fit what is on screen so well. Favourite theme is the one where the guy is running for the train, intense stuff. I am a bit biased when it comes to Morricone western scores as I am such a great fan. His western scores represent his best and most inventive work for me.
i just watched the end - to refresh things - but can´t agree with the statement it had elegant end twist
it could be elegant if there were not those script anomalies as i mentioned yesterday
and what´s funny, Graves even left them those four thousands dollars on a table, such a nice guy, and they still were pissed off like bastards
well, and when that japanese guy finally met up with his mexican femme fatale at the end, i just shook my head :-
but i liked the train robbery, it was good stealth action
[quote=âtomas, post:52, topic:100â]i just watched the end - to refresh things - but can´t agree with the statement it had elegant end twist
it could be elegant if there were not those script anomalies as i mentioned yesterday
and what´s funny, Graves even left them those four thousands dollars on a table, such a nice guy, and they still were pissed off like bastards
well, and when that japanese guy finally met up with his mexican femme fatale at the end, i just shook my head :-
but i liked the train robbery, it was good stealth action[/quote]
We canât agree about everything, especially when a film divides audiences âŚ
I mentioned these anomalies. I rewatched a few parts too, I guess itâs a result of changing plans (and directors?) while filming.
I didnât like it too much.
I found it uninteresting, and the first part was quite boring, the second is slightly better. :â(
Nothing special, but I wouldnât recommend it to anyone. At least soundtrack is superb, one of my favorites.
Below average spaghetti, but still watchable.
2/5
[quote=âMickey13, post:54, topic:100â]I didnât like it too much.
I found it uninteresting, and the first part was quite boring, the second is slightly better. :â(
Nothing special, but I wouldnât recommend it to anyone. At least soundtrack is superb, one of my favorites.
Below average spaghetti, but still watchable.
2/5[/quote]
i´m not very fond of this flick either, but i surely recommend it to everyone :D, it just has some scenes, which are worth watching
[quote=âscherpschutter, post:53, topic:100â]We canât agree about everything, especially when a film divides audiences âŚ
I mentioned these anomalies. I rewatched a few parts too, I guess itâs a result of changing plans (and directors?) while filming.[/quote]
I canât comment about âplansâ, but the film did NOT change directors while filming.
Peter Graves told Donald S. Bruce, Raymond Isenberg, myself, and (possibly) Tom Betts that the only director this film had was Don Taylor.
The only involvement Argento had in this film was originating the script (which was altered to giant degrees, again according to Peter Graves, by Marc Richards).
The reason I say that Graves possibly told Tom Betts is that I canât recall if Tom was standing with us at the time we were chatting with Mr. Graves.
Now that I have written thisâŚI seem to recall having posted this information here before.
But, maybe folks just want to believe the legend. 
I saw Five Man Army at the Setauket Theater on Long Island in the winter of 1970. It was the co-feature.
I saw it again in San Diego in a grindhouse at what used to be called Horton Plaza. The main feature was Clint Eastwoodâs The Gauntlet. Tepepa was also on the bill. It used to air on television from time to time, but itâs as if the film has dropped off the radar.
Where can I buy the TripleX DVD, does anyone know?
Richard
RichardâW, ethaicd.com have five man army for $11.50 with free worldwide shipping, thatâs where I got mine.
It says âCurrently not available.â now
Could try E Bay, here is one for example
[url]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270864091046[/url]