What is it like when you team up with a bank robber(Clint Eastwood) and a hot-rodding slick(Jeff Bridges) ? An explosive action packed hit! Eastwood is "Thunderbolt and Bridges is "Lightfoot". They meet by accident when Lightfoot steals a Trans Am and Thunderbolt disguised as a preacher runs afoul of one of his old partners. Though not wanted by the police, they do keep one step ahead. After Thunderbolt recovered from the the dislocated shoulder, he gets a good night romp with the stranger. Now his old partners Red(George Kennedy) and his partner finds him and his new friend, they would get back into business to rob another bank. They have different job fronts in order to get the biggest gun, Lightfoot gets to hear about Thunderbolt's earlier jobs. During the outdoor jobs, Lightfoot gets to see the owner of the house stark naked. And Red looks at him with disbelief. The heist is a success, but the car races and chases are really the memorable moments of the film. Plenty of action, plenty of puns, this movie is a classic in the making. 5 stars.

Thunderbolt (Clint Eastwood) is a bank robber hiding out as a preacher and the only one who knows where the loot is hidden. Red Leary (George Kennedy) tracks him down and shoots at him. Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges) is passing by driving his stolen Camaro and rescues Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt can't get rid of him. Red Leary and Eddie Goody (Geoffrey Lewis) continues to follow them. Thunderbolt discovers his hiding place, an old schoolhouse, has been replaced with a new school. With his loot presumably gone, the four rivals decide to join forces to take down a big score with an anti-tank gun.Michael Cimino delivers some beautifully shoot scenes and some wild characters. He also has the great Eastwood and a young stud in Bridges. It's a fairly simple heist movie composed of really interesting scenes. The acting is terrific and the guys have good chemistry. For all the wild action, the most memorable is the outrageous man with the rabbits in his truck. This is a hidden gem from the 70s.

The best part of "Thunderbolt And Lightfoot" is the start. It grabs your attention and makes you start wondering right off. Clint Eastwood is playing a preacher. A preacher? This certainly wasn't what I was expecting. His sermon was a bit rambling, but he was definitely preaching and collared. So, what's with this? Then, suddenly, Red (George Kennedy) bursts into the church and opens fire on the preacher, who runs for his life. Good start. You expect more. But then the movie settles down. A lot.Eastwood is actually Thunderbolt - who robbed a Montana bank years before, and Kennedy's Red thinks Thunderbolt ran off with the money. (Why would he be preaching in a little country church if he had half a million dollars?) Running from Red, Thunderbolt runs into Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges) - a small timer who'd like to pull off something bigger. Misunderstandings are overcome, and Red and his buddy team up with them on a plan to rob the very same bank - because who would expect that!You can't really call this an action movie. It has some action, but not a lot. Some of it is a sort of comedy. Mostly, though, after its strong start it just kind of wanders aimlessly. You know it's leading up to the bank robbery, but mostly you'd look at this as a form of male bonding between the leads.The strong start is the best part of this, but it's not really a compliment to say that the best part of a movie is its opening scenes. (5/10)

An excellent character based comedy / drama, "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" is a well above average 1970s vehicle for established star Clint Eastwood. Clint plays the role of "Thunderbolt", a bank robber laying low (masquerading as a preacher!) when an old associate shows up, ready to do him in. Saving Thunderbolts' life is amiable, carefree youngster "Lightfoot", played with charm and likability by Jeff Bridges. They become quick friends. Soon, they'll find that they won't be able to escape Thunderbolts' old partners in crime, Red Leary (George Kennedy) and Eddie Goody (Geoffrey Lewis). Lightfoot gets the bright idea that they should mastermind the second robbery of a bank that the others had previously hit.As could be expected with any good caper film, it's fun to see the participants discuss all the obstacles in their way, and all of the preparations that they will have to make. This material is immensely enjoyable, but it's the characters and performances that really make an impact. Clint does a typically solid, engaging job, with very fine support from the foaming-mad Kennedy and the always reliable Lewis. There's quite a few other familiar faces in the cast, too: Catherine Bach, Gary Busey, Jack Dodson, Burton Gilliam, Roy Jenson, Bill McKinney, Vic Tayback, Dub Taylor, Gregory Walcott, and Cliff Emmich. But make no mistake, this is Bridges' film. Whether he's taunting Red in an interesting way, or being made to dress in drag as part of the robbery scheme, he steals the show.Michael Cimino, the filmmaker who later scored big with "The Deer Hunter", and earned himself infamy with the notorious spectacle "Heaven's Gate", made his directing debut here. He'd previously co-written the "Dirty Harry" sequel "Magnum Force", and Clint had lots of confidence in the up and coming talent. Cimino gives his film great pace, and, in collaboration with cinematographer Frank Stanley, gives "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" some impressive widescreen compositions.Endearing entertainment all the way, further enhanced by Paul Williams's touching song "Where Does a Fool Go".Nine out of 10.