Not sure why it's being bashed so much. My Mom, sister and I sat down on a Saturday afternoon and caught this "sleeper" quite by accident and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. There's plenty of characterization, good acting, a decent plot and enough gunfighting to satisfy most action enthusiasts. It took me about a half hour to get used to James Stewart being a bad guy, but once I accepted it, I enjoyed the rest of the movie without even giving it a second thought. Only one thing annoyed me: gunfighters jamming their guns forward with every shot. It's an amateur move, and I wish the Director would have left that out, but it's only a minor annoyance. Look up the Director and you'll see that this movie fits his style perfectly. A little different from what you might expect from Mr. Stewart, but definitely worth a watch. Just remember: Don't spit in church, scratch yourself in front of your Ma, or pick your nose.

A mildly entertaining western directed by the efficient Andrew V. McLaglen. When bank robber Dean Martin & his unsavory crew are set to be hanged, his clever brother James Stewart shows up as the hangman. After helping the motley group escape, Stewart joins the bandits as they head across the border to Mexico with wealthy widow Raquel Welch in tow. They're all pursued (for various reasons) by vengeful sheriff George Kennedy. Martin plays it straight in this film and Stewart is very much Stewart. In other words, he's a pillar of strength and the film's moral compass. Welch affects a Mexican accent and is fine, though she stays remarkably freshly scrubbed for being on the road for what seems like at least several weeks. The large supporting cast includes Will Geer, Andrew Prine, Denver Pyle and, briefly, Dub Taylor as an ornery hotel attendant. The stunning cinematography is by William H. Clothier and the exciting music score is by Jerry Goldsmith. Both are probably too good for what is essentially a fun diversion.

Is it possible that a western with a cast of Jimmy Stewart, Dean Martin, George Kennedy and Raquel Welch can be any bad? Yes, if the Director is Andrew V. McLaglen. I'm a bit jealous about this guy and how he managed it to work with all these great actors in his career. Most of his movies are mediocre or bad. I can only call one or two really good.My main critic about Bandolero is that this movie is shameless boring with a lot of meaningless talking and Horse riding without any action or suspense. The movie looks fine cause of the all time great cinematographer William H. Clothier. Shame on Hollywood this man never got the Academy Award! The music score of Jerry Goldsmith isn't bad either.Jimmy Stewart and Dean Martin are looking very old in this one. Both have some terrible make up in their faces. Both are playing brothers and they are less believable as the casting of the Sons of Katie Elder. No doubt Mrs. Welch is a Stunner but who was responsible for her over styled hair? As usual good old George Kennedy is underused. A last question: Why Mexican Bandits (Bandoleros) are attacking with an Indian Cry? I love westerns but I'm not a fan of this one.

The word "Bandolero!" rolls off the tongue so nicely you would think the film would have a more upbeat feel to it, especially with that exclamation point as part of the title. However the word in Spanish means bandit, and as the film heads into the second half the action gets pretty grim. Dean Martin and Jimmy Stewart are unusually cast as brothers who meet up in the town of Val Verde, Texas. Stewart's character assumes the guise of a hangman called upon to dispatch outlaw Dee Bishop (Martin) and his renegade bunch after a botched bank holdup that left a prominent citizen dead, shot by Dee. I was hoping to see more of Jock Mahoney when I saw his name in the credits, but he was that unfortunate victim, leaving behind a Mexican bride. I had almost forgotten how gorgeous Raquel Welch was, but this film showcases her looks to maximum appeal, without resorting to various stages of undress. Although there is one time during a battle with Mexican bandits where her blouse is ripped from the back, but the scene is played out more for it's savagery than for titillation.George Kennedy provides a competent but heavily understated portrayal of July Johnson, the Val Verde sheriff who puts together a posse to track down the Bishop gang after they flee from the gallows with Mace Bishop's (Stewart) intervention. I thought it was a clever idea for Mace to provide the weapon, but if you think about it, someone would probably have noticed the exchange of the gun in real life, so the way that's handled is prominently done off screen. That actually surprised me somewhat, as I was wondering how the 'break' would occur, and suddenly there it was.The other thing I wondered about throughout the picture was how Raquel maintained her makeup and wardrobe while trekking through the desert with the bad guys. I know you're not supposed to think about those things with escapist entertainment, but the way current films go for reality, the difference is easily noticed. Never a hair or eyelash out of place, even in those extreme close ups.Probably the biggest surprise by the end of the picture is the idea that Dino and Raquel fall in love (remember, Dee Bishop killed her husband), but it took some prodding from big brother Mace to insist that he talk to her. So in the end, Dino gets the girl, but he dies!, leaving a bittersweet feel at the closing credits.