The Undefeated
The Undefeated
PG | 04 October 1969 (USA)
Watch Now on Starz

Watch with Subscription, Cancel anytime

Watch Now
The Undefeated Trailers View All

After the Civil War, ex-Union Colonel John Henry Thomas and ex-Confederate Colonel James Langdon are leading two disparate groups of people through strife-torn Mexico. John Henry and company are bringing horses to the unpopular Mexican government for $35 a head while Langdon is leading a contingent of displaced southerners, who are looking for a new life in Mexico after losing their property to carpetbaggers. The two men are eventually forced to mend their differences in order to fight off both bandits and revolutionaries, as they try to lead their friends and kin to safety.

Reviews
Claysaba

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Aubrey Hackett

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

View More
Brenda

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

View More
Jerrie

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

View More
utgard14

If you ever wanted to see John Wayne and Rock Hudson wear long sideburns, this is the movie for you. Duke plays a Yankee and Rock plays a Rebel in this post-Civil War western that finds both men coming into conflict with Mexican bandits and soldiers. Yeah. Watch to see how that happens. Supporting cast includes Jan-Michael Vincent, Merlin Olsen, Tony Aguilar, and so on. Certain elements of this, such as the hairstyles, are very much a product of the era in which this was made rather than historical accuracy. It reminds me of Bonanza in the '70s when Little Joe had long bushy sideburns because actor Michael Landon cared more about his personal style than that of his character. The curiosity factor of seeing Duke and Rock in a movie together might make it worth seeing for some. Really, though, it's pretty dull. The direction is pedestrian and uninteresting. It's watchable enough, particularly for fans of Wayne and Hudson. But beyond that it's nothing special.

View More
denis888

I like John Wayne, regardless. he was a real good actor for war movies and for westerns like this one. The Undefeated is a nice post-Civil War western with Wayne and Hudson as main stars, and they both deliver excellent parts, as a Union and a Confederate officers, respectively. This is not any new story, down in Mexico, with all the bandits, wild horses, Mexican troops, deserts, shoot-outs, women, Indians, cactuses, dances and all. Nothing very new, but this movie really works well and all 120 minutes it is a nice and fast sunny dry Mexican drama. Some phrases and dialog lines are very cool and deeply humorous, too. Why 8, and not 10? As I wrote above, rather predictable plot, looks often like many Mexico border westerns so far. Often, smacks of some other Wayne films, but generally, still, a very enjoyable, fast, often hilarious movie full of action and events. Good for all western buffs and Civil war aficionados like me/ Recommended

View More
rogerblake-281-718819

This is a typical late John Wayne western.Wayne is way past his prime,overweight and wearing an obvious toupee.Having said this he still looks like a tough old buzzard who could hold his own in a bar room brawl.Like all of his films the scenery is brilliantly photographed and the action scenes are first rate which cover up the holes in the plot.The musical score is an added bonus.The plot concerns Confederate Colonel James Langdon (Rock Hudson) who with his family and the surviving members of his regiment are heading for Mexico to start a new life offering their services to the Emperor Maximillion.Langdon has burnt his boats or at least his mansion to prevent the carpetbaggers from profiting by it.Meanwhile John Wayne's cavalry have just fought a vicious little skirmish when a rider appears and tells them of Lee's surrender(on a historical note Lee only surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia,a fact that seems to have escaped the Hollywood script writers)Under a flag of truce Wayne goes to inform his Confederate counterpart Major Saunders(Royal Dano)who tells him they already knew.An incredulous Wayne asks why they are still fighting to be told "This is our land Sir and you are on it"."But we are all Americans"replies Wayne."I know Sir"says the one armed Major"that has always been the pity of it".He holds out his one good hand and says "Thank you for your courtesy Sir".That one sequence elevates the whole film to a higher level.Royal Dano only has a brief cameo but is by far the best thing in the entire film.Wayne and his remaining troopers are demobbed,they head west rounding up wild horses with the intention of selling them to Maximillion.Of course the inevitable happens,they meet up with Langdon's ex-Confederates and at one point rescue them from Mexican bandits.Wayne takes a fancy to Colonel Langdon's widowed sister complaining to her that his ex wife is busy giving piano lessons in Boston and that she had been so busy being a lady that she forgot to be a woman.(if all he wanted was a bedroom eyed floozy perhaps he shouldn't have married her in the first place).Later with typical Southern hospitality Wayne and his men are invited to a fourth of July shindig.It all ends in a massive punch up,one of those wonderfully staged brawls that Hollywood seem to do so well.Afterwards,with nobody appearing too seriously hurt both sides agree that they have had a really good time and they all part the best of friends.The Colonel's sixteen year old daughter falls for Wayne's adopted Cherokee Indian son Blue Boy,I won't name the actor who played the part as the proverbial wooden Indian would have done just as well.A bit like this review the plot then meanders but the upshot is that Langdon's Confederates fall into the hands of Mexican revolutionaries who threaten to shoot them unless they persuade Wayne to hand over his herd of horses.Wayne agrees and united they all head back to the United States.Its all rather hard to swallow especially Langdon's acceptance of his daughter's choice of husband.Praise where praise is due,Rock Hudson plays the aristocratic Langdon to perfection with a gloriously over the top Southern accent.Its always good to see Ben Johnson and Harry Carey Jun. and John Agar make blink and you will miss them cameos,I would like to have seen a bit more of them.John Wayne is of course John Wayne,what you see is what you get.All in all an exciting colorful western if all a bit unbelievable.On another historic note General Shelby and several hundred ex- Confederates did go South into Mexico offering their services to the highest bidder.They certainly were not using the 1880-90 weaponry on show in this film.

View More
TankGuy

True grit(1969)had managed to win John Wayne an Oscar and was widely loved by audiences all around the world. What followed were the dukes, lets say 'final movies'.Apart from Rio Lobo(1970),Rooster Cogburn(1975) and The Shootist(1976), the 'the rest of the dukes post True Grit westerns' seem to be foregotten,the undefeated is one of them,but for me, it's a memorable classic.John Wayne and Rock Hudson are perfect as the two leads and the storyline is brilliant. There is plenty of action which comes in the form of several battle scenes, shootouts and an epic scale brawl.So there you are my friends, this movie is a classic. Highly recommended to any western fans.

View More