Please don't spend money on this.

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

There really isn't much new to "The Good Guys and the Bad Guys" to distinguish it from dozens of other westerns. In other words, it's made up of a lot of very, very familiar story elements--story elements that were used better in previous films. You get a lot of films like "High Noon" and "Rio Lobo"--where it's just a lone sheriff or a sheriff and a friend trying to fend off an evil gang. The only big difference is that the film is supposed to be a comedy....though most of it really isn't all that funny. The only reason you might want to see this is Robert Mitchum (who is watchable in anything), but he's certainly done better westerns.The film begins with the Marshall (Mitchum) telling the Mayor (Martin Balsam) that a gang of bandits is coming to town to rob them. However, the Mayor doesn't seem the least bit concerned--after all, it's the 20th century and the age of train robbers is in the distant past. In fact, to shut up the Marshall, they decide to retire him in a big surprise ceremony. But the now ex-Marshall isn't about to just disappear and he intends to stop the bad guys anyway. The problem is that there are just too many. Can Gary Cooper...I mean, John Wayne...no, I mean Robert Mitchum, stop them? Sorry about the confusion--as I said, it sure had a VERY familiar plot and I've seen these folks (and many others) in similar films.Now I am NOT saying that this is a bad film. But it's definitely recycled and the humor is anything but funny. As for the main stars, Mitchum and George Kennedy, they try their best and aren't bad--it's just ashamed they weren't given more with which to work. A time-passer and nothing more. Oh, and by the way, the music is pretty god-awful--and sounded more like something you might have heard a decade earlier and sounded very out of place for 1969.

I love it when the title of the film keeps it simple - "The Good Guys and the Bad Guys". Can't make it any plainer than that for a Western. The two main characters keep it simple too; Robert Mitchum as the forcibly retired Marshal Flagg, and George Kennedy as old time nemesis Big John McKay. The pair team up after upstart Waco (David Carradine) takes over McKay's old gang, and gives him the bum's rush in a classic case of age discrimination. Back then you couldn't sue for such things.This one is played for grins as much as it is for tough guy action. The smarmy and lascivious mayor of Progress is played by Martin Balsam, prone to getting caught with his pants down both literally and figuratively. I'm not sure what the Tina Louise character found interesting enough in the mayor to be caught dead in the same room with him. There was a line about her being a victim of internal combustion, so maybe that was it.Something I never saw in a Western before, actually two things - there's a cool scene with an out of control buckboard where the two horses pulling it straddle a telephone pole - yikes! And how about McKay's spin around after being hit by a bullet in the shoulder trick. Very effectively done.This probably won't be on anyone's list of Ten Best Westerns, but it's entertaining enough to devote the hour and a half or so to watch it. Mitchum and Kennedy play well off each other, and I liked the idea that they hooked up on a handshake, the way men of integrity used to do such things. I'm still wondering though why Buddy Hackett was in that opening crowd scene.

The film talks about a semi-retired sheriff (Robert Mitchum) who finds his nemesis , an old outlaw (George Kennedy) . He is abandoned by his band (leaders are David Carradine and John Davis Chandler) of cutthroats for being too old to execute a bank-heist that the gang is planning . Demystified Western was one of a group of much-imitated which changed the concept of their particular genre each bent on disproving a popular myth , yet tinged with humor , spoof and combining anti-heroes , replacing cars and horses ; in addition , the inevitable decadence of protagonists . The formula deals to enhance the comic observations of the western originated on the decade of the 60s by the following filmmakers : Andrew McLagen and Burt Kennedy , fine director of this movie .Burt Kennedy directed similar Western with comedy such as :¨Support your local gunfighter¨ (one of the best spoof Western) , ¨Support your local sheriff¨ (his highpoint) , ¨Dirty Dingus Mcgee¨ and ¨War Wagon¨ . The picture is wonderfully amused and enjoyable with Robert Mitchum as a tough but dreary sheriff with his Maverick image who uses brains as well as brawny and guns . He cleaned a lawless town in his own highly individual way but he is fired by the Mayor , rightly played by Martin Balsam . Mitchum in one of the best interpretations was much stronger actor when being something older than a straightforward hero . George Kennedy makes a robustly likable characterization . Stars have a splendid fight aboard a train towards the end ; furthermore , it contains excellent action sequences , as well as the pursuits and derailing train . Ronald Cohen's screenplay besides having more than its fair scraps of funny lines , throws up rich characters . Thus , Douglas Fowley as the old brawler likeness Walter Brennan (Support you local..) clearly relishing his comic relief . John Davis Chandler , as always, plays a sadist gunfighter. There appears uncredited Christopher Mitchum , Robert's son , along with Buddy Hackett . Film exteriors were shot in New Mexico by cameraman Harry Stradling who reflects stunningly the marvelous landscapes . Jolly and agreeable musical score by William Lava and songs by Ned Washington. The motion picture was well directed by Burt Kennedy .

For those who like western's, this one has it all. For those who don't, the same applies.The ageing Marshal teams up with the ageing bandit to oust the bad young guys, hopelessly out-numbered of course. Naturally with age comes experience and the bad guys are defeated as the (ex) Marshal (played brilliantly by Mitchum) walks into a hail of pistol fire flanked by his new(ish) best friend (Big John Makay- aka George Kennedy)and dispenses justice with both barrels. The likable old drunk is shot in the back by one of the bad guys, the whores aren't shown as harlots, the mayor gets it anywhere he can and the new Marshal is stupid. Hardly surprising.Oh, and of course, there's a love interest for the Marshal- and a cute little blonde boy who looks to Mitchum as a substitute father. There's an almost hilarious train sequence and a train chase with a difference. For those women who find westerns aren't really their thing but are made to watch them by boyfriends, this one has a big plus: Robert Mitchum, for all that he is playing a character who is supposed to be past it looks pretty fine. Likable enough, but don't take it too seriously- its not meant to be.