Review of For a Few Dollars More (1965) by John M — 14 Aug 2018

Bounty hunting has never been so badass. So this is about a pair of bounty hunters (Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef) out in the West. The reward for the capture of notorious outlaw Indio (Gian Maria Volontè) is plentiful, but can they work together when they are so used to operating solo? If you've been following me for the past few years, you know that the genre that I geek out hardest about is the Western.

If you've been following me most recently, you've noticed that I've been watching some of my favorite films in my rotation, popping in movies simply because I feel like it instead of my usual high intake of current movies.

Well, now the two have met, and I'm reviewing one of the best Westerns out there, For a Few Dollars More. This is the middle segment of what I believe to be the best trilogy of all time from a consistency basis.

The Dark Knight is great, and Indiana Jones is fun (I don't know about this fourth movie you speak of), but they both have a movie that is noticeably lesser in quality. You can even say the same thing with Return of the Jedi, for that matter.

The only other properties that I think you can make a valid argument for the best trilogy of all time are Toy Story and the Lord of the Rings, but for me, personally, I will take a Western any day of the week.

There is no decline in quality, and I really get into these movies whenever I watch them, so much so that time fades away as I become indescribably absorbed with the story that I am taking in. One of my favorite high points about For a Few Dollars More is even though Eastwood gets the lion's share of the credit due to his clout, this is actually Lee Van Cleef's movie; he may be best known for being the antagonist from the unparalleled the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, but he can lead a movie, and does exactly that here.

This is a trilogy that constantly fires on all cylinders. It is a team effort, as the iconic music from Morricone is just as important as Eastwood and director Sergio Leone. It is filled with these memorable showdowns, and you hold on to every single one of them.

From the hat shooting scene to the match striking scene, from the heist itself to the final showdown that features a locket that plays music that will haunt your dreams, everything fits together in fantastic fashion.

The Dollars trilogy boasts some of the best Westerns you will every witness, and I recommend all of them the same.