The Professionals

PG-13

Released Nov 2, 1966

1h 57m

Western

List

90%

20 Reviews

Tomatometer

81%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Four soldiers of fortune are hired by a wealthy rancher to rescue his beautiful young wife who has been kidnapped by a villainous Mexican bandit. When they finally find her, after fighting their way across deserts and mountains, they discover she is not being held against her will. This causes friction within the band as to whether they should honor their agreement.

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Farah R

The Professionals might not be as compelling as other westerns in that time, but it makes up for what it lacks in good writing with decent twits and performances.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/02/24

Full Review

CodyZamboni

This Western about mercenaries finding their moral code, is surprising, exciting, and well performed. Movie features tons of pumped up action involving dynamite, bow and arrows, machine guns, and Claudia Cardinale's heaving bosom. The four big stars are great, but the filmmakers somehow don't give Robert Ryan much to do. And the last half hour turns into The Burt Lancaster Show.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/02/23

Full Review

Diogo S

WOW. What a big , beautiful Surprise. The score is Terrific!!! The plot is fantastic and the performances amazing. By the way, what a GORGEOUS woman!!!!!!!! Western ESPETACULAR ótima história, atuações fantásticas, tiroteios intensos... INCRIVEL. Deserves more Recognition, that is for sure!!!!!! A truly GREAT Western... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UNDERRATED MASTERPIECE

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/01/22

Full Review

Audience Member

This classic Western was really good. Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Woody Strode, Jack Palance, Robert Ryan, Claudia Cardinale, Ralph Bellamy, and the rest of the cast did a fantastic job in this movie. The plot of the movie was entertaining and dramatic. It's about doing a job for money, but then deciding on whether to do the right thing or not. If you haven't seen this classic movie yet, check it out sometime. It's worth watching.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

william d

Lee Marvin. Burt Lancaster. Woody Strode. Jack Palance. And balancing out all that testosterone is the lovely Claudia Cardinale. What more could you want? Well, a better story for one, but this one is still worth watching.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A star studded cast in a really bad movie (and spare no expense). Made in 1966 toward the end of the 'Big Studio' period in Hollywood, this one displays why formula movies do not work.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

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Richard Brooks

Director

Lee Marvin

Henry "Rico" Fardan

Burt Lancaster

Bill Dolworth

Claudia Cardinale

Mrs. Maria Grant

Robert Ryan

Hans Ehrengard

Woody Strode

Jake Sharp

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Variety Staff

Variety

Exciting explosive sequences, good overall pacing and acting overcome a sometimes thin script.

Apr 8, 2008

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Underrated all-star western.

Apr 8, 2008

Full Review

Time Out

It was comprehensively eclipsed by Peckinpah's ostensibly similar The Wild Bunch.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Ian Kane

Epoch Times

Minor complaints aside, “The Professionals” is a solid, south-of-the-border adventure yarn set during the waning days of the Mexican Revolution.

Rated: 3.5/5

May 1, 2024

Full Review

Robert Roten

Laramie Movie Scope

I don't know if this film fits into what some film historians call the 'Golden Age of Hollywood Westerns,' but it certainly belongs in the top tier of the Western genre. It is expertly written, directed and acted by top Hollywood talent.

Rated: B+

Sep 24, 2022

Full Review

Roger Moore

Movie Nation

Palance and Lancaster grin, chew the scenery and devour the tough-guy talk that is this film's calling card, decades after its release.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 6, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Four soldiers of fortune are hired by a wealthy rancher to rescue his beautiful young wife who has been kidnapped by a villainous Mexican bandit. When they finally find her, after fighting their way across deserts and mountains, they discover she is not being held against her will. This causes friction within the band as to whether they should honor their agreement.

Director: Richard Brooks
Screenwriter: Richard Brooks, Frank O'Rourke
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia, TriStar Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 2, 1966, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Runtime: 1h 57m

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