Shalako

PG

1968

1h 53m

Western

List

50%

6 Reviews

Tomatometer

29%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

While guiding a hunting party of clueless European aristocrats, cowboy Bosky Fulton (Stephen Boyd) leads them into hostile Apache territory. Becoming separated from the group, Countess Irina Lazaar (Brigitte Bardot) experiences the first run-in with an Apache, which results in the tracker Shalako (Sean Connery) coming to her rescue. Despite Shalako's warning to leave the area immediately, the pampered foreigners fail to take him seriously, leaving them in grave danger.

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DanTheMan 2

Sean Connery's first big venture following his initial departure from the role of 007 and an adaptation of the Louis L'Amour novel of the same name, Shalako mostly prides itself on its cast more than anything else; reuniting Sean with Honor Blackman and featuring alongside the gorgeous Brigitte Bardot, it's a watchable movie for sure, but it doesn't completely live up to the interesting premise it lays bare in its opening act. Edward Dmytrick's final western, his direction is serviceable but far from what he's more well known for; the script meanders around, often moving at a snail's pace, especially in the second half. It attempts to keep a realistic survivalist tone but all that comes crashing down into total ridiculousness by the final act and nonsensical ending; granted the cast is doing their best with the material and the action, though sparse, is well shot and choreographed. Backed by some wonderfully colourful photography by Ted Moore, a passable score by Robert Farnon and a completely laughable title song, Shalako won't be a film you'll be itching to rewatch anytime soon, however, it's worth a watch for curiosity's sake even if it is more or less disposable.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/02/24

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dave j

Adapted from a novel by Louis L'Amour has Shalako (Sean Connery) coming across betweenthe Native Americans and European game hunters poaching

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

martn.hillstad@gmail.com

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

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Audience Member

shalako was a great idea and a good film in hindsight however it wont probably be the most amazing fikm youll ever see and certainly not the most amazing western ever made. first of all, the actress performance was below sufficient and credible and some of the shots did not synchronise with the action. not worth wasting two hours upon.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

140915: Definitely think this movie is higher than its current rating of 27%. Decent film, just a bit different and a little bit slow at times. Interesting premise, a foreign hunting safari in the old west confronted by Apaches. Was odd hearing all the accents, especially Connery's classic James Bond tone. A much younger Connery. Bardot looking hot. Some good action.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Directed by Edward Dmytryk (The End of the Affair (1955), Mirage (1965) and Alvarez Kelly (1966)), this is maybe one of the oddest westerns to have been made in the 1960's, maybe along with The Singer Not the Song (1961), especially with an unconventional cast and even other British actors on screen. But, would you believe it, the whole enterprise actually works, and makes good use of locations in Spain. During the mid-19th Century, somewhere in the American West, a hunting party composed of European aristocrats like Sir Charles Daggett (Jack Hawkins), Baron Frederick Von Hallstatt (Peter van Eyck), Countess Irina Lazaar (Brigitte Bardot) and Lady Julia Daggett (Honor Blackman) are led into Apache territory by their guide Bosky Fulton (Stephen Boyd). Threatened by Apache chief Chato (Woody Strode), the party's only hope of survival is in the form of Irish hunter Moses Zebulon Carlin known as 'Shalako' (Sean Connery), who goes in to save them, then find a passage to safety for the hunting party. This is the sort of cast you wouldn't expect seeing in a western, it even has Eric Sykes in it as the party's butler Mako. It does feel a bit dated in places, but it was interesting to see Connery do something different after he (briefly) left the Bond franchise, but it's worth a look.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

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Edward Dmytryk

Director

Sean Connery

Shalako

Brigitte Bardot

Irina Lazaar

Stephen Boyd

Bosky Fulton

Jack Hawkins

Sir Charles Daggett

Peter van Eyck

Frederick von Hallstatt

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Joe Clay

Times (UK)

... A western adventure clearly indebted to the 1967 Paul Newman film Hombre.

Apr 28, 2023

Full Review

Renata Adler

New York Times

Strong action on a very wide screen from mid-front row turns out to be quite wonderful.

May 21, 2005

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Edward Dmytryk's Shalako is a disappointment from this veteran action director, whose recent "Anzio" was a cut above most war epics.

Rated: 2/4

Oct 23, 2004

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

At least the premise was cute.

Rated: C

Mar 29, 2007

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Pablo Villaça

Cinema em Cena

Dmytryk constri um clima crescente de tenso, sendo auxiliado na tarefa por Connery, que convence como veterano do Oeste americano. No entanto, o final anti-climtico compromete a produo.

Rated: 3/5

May 25, 2006

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jul 24, 2005

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Synopsis

While guiding a hunting party of clueless European aristocrats, cowboy Bosky Fulton (Stephen Boyd) leads them into hostile Apache territory. Becoming separated from the group, Countess Irina Lazaar (Brigitte Bardot) experiences the first run-in with an Apache, which results in the tracker Shalako (Sean Connery) coming to her rescue. Despite Shalako's warning to leave the area immediately, the pampered foreigners fail to take him seriously, leaving them in grave danger.

Director: Edward Dmytryk
Rating: PG
Genre: Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (DVD): May 25, 2004
Runtime: 1h 53m