Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

merklekranz While there is plenty of Van Cleef time in "Barquero", and the Warren Oates factor is a plus, this talky western borders on boring. Almost the entire film takes place in one location, and the script just doesn't make a lot of sense. I mean if Oates would have at least tried to find a shallow river crossing, instead of obsessing about Van Cleef's barge, things might have moved along at a more tolerable pace. As it is, with all the shouting back and forth across the river, nothing really happens for long stretches. "Barquero" to me was somewhat of a disappointment, and in no way challenges Lee Van Cleef's performance in "The Big Gundown" or some of his other non Leone westerns. - MERK

Spikeopath Barquero is directed by Gordon Douglas and written by George Schenck. It stars Lee Van Cleef, Warren Oates, Forrest Tucker, Kerwin Matthews and Mariette Hartley. Music is by Dominic Frontiere and cinematography by Gerald Perry Finnerman.When is a Spaghetti Western not a Spaghetti Western? When it's Barquero is the answer. It has the feel of a Pasta Oater, from the colour photography and musical scoring, to the pungent dialogue delivered in various guises of grizzle and accents, Barquero clearly takes its lead from Europe. Which as it happens is absolutely fine because this is a hugely enjoyable exercise."I would give anything in the world to spend the night with you... Except my barge"Plot basically involves a cat and mouse scenario played out on each side of a river. On one side is a gang of thieves led by Warren Oates' Jake Remy, who after executing a robbery in town are trying to leave the country. On the other side is the townsfolk headed by Cleef's Travis, who is the most important man in the play because he owns the ferry barge that is apparently the only means of crossing the band of water."Back east I read books about men taming the wilderness. I dreamed about those men. They weren't like you. They weren't like you, they were statues that people could look up to. The only resemblance you bear to a statue is pigeon droppings"What unfolds is a twin telling of the character dynamics at work in either side of the camp. Remy is a mercenary bastardo who rules his gang with a rod of aggressive iron, Travis is hard bitten by life and actually doesn't care much for the townsfolk he serves. The two men are battling for supremacy not just of the "barge" situation, but of their psychological well beings. Hostage situations come into play, there's plenty of scowling at each other across the water, some piercing violence and it builds to a grand finale with a battle fit for some viking based epic!Casting aside the cheese laden dialogue, and it's best just to run with it to fully enjoy the picture, it's a production of some serious quality. With two of the genre's best brooders leading the cast, the acting side of things is in good hands. Backing up Cleef and Oates (both excellent) are Tucker (Travis' comic side-kick but still hard as nails) and Matthews (Remy's voice of reason), and although she's under used, the adorable Hartley hits the right notes for the key female role that tempts and taunts Travis' core masculinity. The Colorado location photography is gorgeous, the beautiful shimmering landscapes alive in De Luxe Color. Frontiere's (Hang 'Em High/Chisum) score is dynamite, blending Spaghetti style clangs with military percussion, it swells and explodes at all the key points of plotting. Douglas (Rio Conchos) is unfussy in direction, maintaining interest during the talky character expansion scenes. And finally I simply have to mention the sound mix (Robert Miller and Ben Sad), it's tremendous, the thunder of hooves and the crack of gunfire literally splinters the ears, joyously so. I viewed this in HD on UK TCM on my home cinema system, suffice to say if possible I recommend you see it that way as well!Awash with caricatures and the sort of tongue in cheek scripting that lends it a vibe to not be taken serious, it's clearly not a hidden masterpiece, but this is fascinatingly muscular fun that also looks and sounds tremendous. 7.5/10

Scarecrow-88 Lee Van Cleef squaring off in a battle of wills against Warren Oates..if that doesn't draw excitement from western fans, then you need to check your vital signs, because you might just not be registering a pulse. Fascinating "psychological oater" has cold-blooded killer Jacob Remy(Warren Oates in a phenomenal performance)and his band of murderous cutthroats needing to use a barge in order to cross a river into Mexico. The problem is that the barge is across the river on the other side and in possession of barquero(bargeman)Travis(Lee Van Cleef), his mountain tracker pal, Phil(Forrest Tucker, stealing every scene he's in)and a group of religious squatters. Who will ultimately win this cat and mouse game as each leader tests the other's resolve in order to maintain control of the barge? The movie opens with a sensational 20 or so minute shootout where Remy's men open fire on a town of innocent people for their materials and valuables, including bags of silver stolen from the bank. Remy and his men are so despicable, they not only shoot the men, but women as well.Travis and Phil uncover the truth about Remy's plans to use the barge to get across the river, burning it down afterward, thanks to the blabbering of Fair(..a really young John Davis Chandler)who they take prisoner. Getting across the river, Travis will be damned if he'll give up his barge, and Remy attempts, through various methods, to persuade him to. Kerwin Mathews is Jacob's French lieutenant, the brains of their outfit, attempting to convince him to split their loot evenly, separating before things get out of hand. But, Remy is determined to get that barge, slowly driven to the brink of madness as Travis often outsmarts him, including a successful rescue of a kidnapped squatter.The film is worth watching if just for the performance of Warren Oates, who vividly, and impressively, conveys a madman deteriorating psychologically bit by bit as his attempts to retrieve the barge fail. Van Cleef oozes confidence and charisma(..it's so effortless, he's such a cool cat, this guy)as the cerebral hero and Tucker is an absolute hoot as his calm, breezy, undeterred comrade who remains loyal to him as they match wits with their enemies. Great closing gun battle as Travis gathers his "troops" together for one final showdown with Jacob, Marquette and their goons as they attempt to get across the river another way.A legitimate sleeper, definitely worth pursuing if you are a fan of Van Cleef and Oates. The beautiful Marienne Hartley has a supporting role as a squatter willing to offer her sexual services to Travis in exchange for his saving her husband from being drowned by Jacob.

rise22 This is one of those often-overlooked types of movies that should have gotten a lot more consideration.Just a plain, down-to-earth western, with good guys, bad guys, a little bit of steaminess and a lot of action. It's delightful to watch just an ordinary ferryman outwit and outsmart a bunch of badmen, while enlisting the help of a town full of losers. Lee Van Cleef does a superb job!If you want to watch an old-fashioned shoot-'em-up with a hero, his "partner" and a whole lot of others thrown in to make it interesting, then this is the movie for you.Quite simply put, it should be shown on The Western Channel a lot more often - and it should definitely be released on DVD - what are they waiting for? I loved it if only for the fact that it does NOT have gobs of special effects all done with computers!!