Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

BeSummers Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

hackraytex For years Elvis Presley had been desperate to do a movie as a drama character with a non singing part. He was also wanting to a spaghetti western. He had done well in his earlier years with "Love Me Tender", "Flaming Star", Wild In The Country", and "King Creole". These parts had singing in them but it was a chance to stretch his ability to do drama. Spaghetti westerns were still hot so he thought he had finally found the project he was looking for.This was intended to be a TV movie and Elvis thought this would be an opening for him to take his movie career in a different direction. A TV movie would not rely on the box office to carry it. It failed in the box office since it was not supposed to be released to the theaters and had a TV movie look to it. Colonel Parker did not want him to do TV movies and this was probably a set up to keep Presley in line. Parker was always worried about losing his meal ticket. Presley almost fired Parker he did his TV Special in 1968.As mentioned earlier, it was a well made movie that should have succeeded but it was never meant to be released to the theaters. He got to look like a part and he and the movie had a gritty look to it. Charles Marquis Warren was one of the premier western directors then but most of his work was TV so with the supporting actors mostly coming from TV, it did not fly then in the theaters. At that time, it was hard for actors to do both TV and movies and be bankable. Today, that is not the case so maybe Charro was ahead of its time. Elvis could have had a whole new career with this movie if only he had gotten the right support. Maybe he would have lived longer since he would have had a new interest to stimulate him. Rest in peace, Elvis.

Gary R. Peterson Watching CHARRO back to back with FLAMING STAR made for a great Saturday afternoon. The old school Hollywood Western of 1960 had changed so much by 1969 and the spaghetti western-influenced CHARRO. What hadn't changed was Elvis' eminent ability to entertain.Charles Marquis Warren, who produced, wrote, and directed CHARRO, has an unimpeachable place in the Western pantheon: He developed for television both GUNSMOKE and THE VIRGINIAN and created RAWHIDE. Yeah, it's obvious Warren was trying to leap aboard the spaghetti western bandwagon with CHARRO, and the results are impressive even if he's no Sergio Leone (he certainly did a better job aping the Italians than did Ted Post with HANG 'EM HIGH). The legacy of CHARRO for fans of THE VIRGINIAN is the film's influence on the ninth and final season of that series, rechristened THE MEN FROM SHILOH, which aired in 1970-71. From the red-tinted title sequence to the scruffy, furry faced heroes, it's all seen here first.The cast is impressive. Victor French, just a few years out from playing hapless Agent 44 on GET SMART, demonstrates his range and plays with aplomb the megalomaniacal leader of the Hackett Gang, a man who could gun down one of his own men and brand another. For those who know French only from good guy roles on LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, CARTER COUNTRY, and HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN, this film will prove an eye-opener. My own eyes were opened years ago when I caught French playing town taming Sheriff Bo Harker in "The Tarnished Badge" episode of GUNSMOKE where his badness just blew me away.Solomon Sturges was a standout as Billy Roy, the psychotic kid brother of Vince. But I flashbacked to James Best as Billy John, the psychotic kid brother of Lee Van Cleef in Randolph Scott's 1959 film RIDE LONESOME. The similarities kept piling up: In RIDE LONESOME Randolph Scott uses the psycho kid brother as bait to lure out the big brother, has to listen to the kid's threatening taunts of "wait till my brother gets here..." and in the end even ties the kid brother to a tree. Oh, well, if Warren was going to steal, he at least knew to steal from Budd Boetticher! And Sturges does an outstanding job, really upping the antic energy and the tension with his taunts and hysterical outbursts.James Sikking's unhinged Confederate veteran Gunner presages Donald Sutherland's Oddball in KELLY'S HEROES. Sikking made the most of his few scenes and stood out from Hackett's otherwise forgettable gang. And speaking of forgettable, the exotic Ina Balin was cast in a thankless role with little to do but take a G-rated bath and look on the action with concern. Like Inger Stevens in Dean Martin's FIVE CARD STUD, she's the whorehouse madam with a heart of gold. Talk about your tired tropes! RAWHIDE alum Paul Brinegar gets a small role as town barber Opie Keetch. Lynn Kellogg as chorus girl Marcie appeared poised for a larger role that never developed.The story is engaging, fast moving, and exciting. The cannon-fired dynamite attack on the town was startling (I jumped when the godless heathen blasted off the church steeple!). The characters are ones you care about and learn details about as the story unfolds. Even the vile Vince Hackett has an inexplicable soft spot for his soft-headed brother, which gives him depth and hints at an unexplained and painful past. Sheriff Ramsey mentored the misguided Jess Wade and led him out of a life of crime, lending weight to their relationship, especially when Jess is sworn in as deputy. There's a sense throughout the film that we in the audience are only seeing the tip of the iceberg and that a lot has transpired in these characters' lives before Elvis crooned over the opening titles.Speaking of the rousing theme song, it was co-written by Billy Strange and Mac Davis who wrote several classic Elvis songs, including "Memories," and "A Little Less Conversation." (Davis alone wrote "In the Ghetto.")The Hugo Montenegro soundtrack is excellent and heightens the suspense. It could have been billed as its own character since it's almost overwhelmingly pronounced and loud (no complaints--I loved it!).Film critic Leonard Maltin dissed this flick with a no-star BOMB rating. Maltin writes, "Attempt to change Presley's image by casting him in a straight Western is a total failure. Elvis sings only one song." Wow! What this reveals is the fact Maltin doesn't know jack about Elvis. Elvis' first film, LOVE ME TENDER, was a straight Western, as was FLAMING STAR in 1960. Maltin fails to see that CHARRO was returning Elvis to his cinematic roots, reverting, not changing his image. That Maltin bemoans the fact there's only one song in the movie shows his standard for an "Elvis movie" is the musical comedies. I enjoy those too, but Elvis had long ago demonstrated his ability to play meatier roles. Maltin rejects CHARRO because it doesn't fit his preconceived expectation of what an Elvis movie should be. Okay, maybe CHARRO isn't CITIZEN KANE, but it definitely deserved better than the blithe dismissal of BOMB.I gave FLAMING STAR a 7-star rating and CHARRO an 8-star rating. Deep down, I know FLAMING STAR was a better produced and weightier movie and features a better Elvis performance, BUT... which movie will I want to rewatch again on a lazy, rainy Saturday afternoon? CHARRO!

Jay Raskin This was a pleasant surprise. It was made in 1969, the last year that Presley made movies. It is the only movie of his 31 where his character does not sing. Despite this, Presley is able to carry the movie on his acting ability. He is not quite as cool as Eastwood or Wayne at their best, but he does deliver a solid and reasonably intense performance.The first half of the movie is fine as it sets up a confrontation between ex-outlaw Jess Wade (Presley) and the gang that he rode with. Vince (Victor French) the head of the gang is vicious, especially to his own gang members, but he does care about protecting his idiot brother , Billy Roy (Solomon Sturges) so he is at least a two note character.In the second part of the movie, believability falls apart with the outlaws using a single cannon to threaten to blow up a town. Since artillery range for a cannon at that time was only about a mile, one wonders why the townspeople cannot just figure out which direction the cannon shots are coming from, ride one mile in that direction and arrest the outlaws. By this time outlaw Presley has been made sheriff of the town (apparently, a criminal history did not disqualify him on the job application). For some inexplicable reason, he chooses to hold Billy Ray prisoner for shooting the previous sheriff, but does not arrest his brother, gang leader Vince, for kidnapping, torture, and blowing up half the town, among other felony crimes. Jess might have thought to study some legal books before becoming sheriff.In the second half, the movie loses its lyrical quality and resembles an average ho-hum episode of "Gunsmoke" or "Bonanza." What this proves is that Presley had the ability to make quality movies, but he was not good in selecting his material. Still, for Western fans, it is reasonably entertaining, a grade "C" entertainment, made into a "B" one by Presley.

ThePhrozenPhoenix So I bought a new box set of Elvis movies. In it was "Charro." I thought it looked refreshing to see Elvis play a more serious role instead of the usual musical. I did some research and found this generally to be poorly received. Well I watched the film anyway. . .I honestly was expecting this to be utter garbage. The first five minutes went by. I thought it was pretty good so far - I was wondering when it would start to suck. 20 minutes go by. I was being drawn into the plot and finding the action riveting and exciting, with a nice musical score, too (Still isn't bad yet).Then I get to the climax - - - Original and intense. What was so bad about it? The acting was solid, it had a good script, and I found it a very pleasurable experience. Is it just the general bias towards any Elvis film after the '50s or is it because it's not some hoity toity British trash? I say, if you're a fan of westerns and/or Elvis. You should certainly give this movie a chance.*** / **** stars.