I never thought the Bronco Billy Wild West Show would actually aspire to entertainment on a deeper level. Right after that great con job by Clint Eastwood's character when he makes everyone in the troupe feel good about not being paid, there was no reason to believe this was going to be anything more than pure popcorn. But throw in everyone's pathetic back story and a few freebies for the orphanage and insane asylum, and you begin to get a picture of Billy McCoy as a sympathetic character who really cares for and respects his friends. Round the story out with an original take on the 'you can be anything you want' theme, and you've got enough to keep you smiling for a good couple of hours. Even good old American patriotism gets a workout with the new tent put together by the loonies at the asylum, although the sight of all those flags sewn together might be enough to blur your vision.
OK, so some of the story elements don't make too much sense, like why did Antoinette Lily's (Sondra Locke) murder ever gain any traction in the first place? Then there's Arlington (Geoffrey Lewis) taking the fall for a future payday. I'm not really buying any of that, but hey, it sort of works for the rest of the story to play out. I guess the thing to do is take a good pull of old Doc's snake bite remedy or a reasonable facsimile, and settle along for the ride. It's a side of actor and director Eastwood that can be every bit as instructive as his usually more serious fare.
OK, so some of the story elements don't make too much sense, like why did Antoinette Lily's (Sondra Locke) murder ever gain any traction in the first place? Then there's Arlington (Geoffrey Lewis) taking the fall for a future payday. I'm not really buying any of that, but hey, it sort of works for the rest of the story to play out. I guess the thing to do is take a good pull of old Doc's snake bite remedy or a reasonable facsimile, and settle along for the ride. It's a side of actor and director Eastwood that can be every bit as instructive as his usually more serious fare.