A little-known but quite watchable western featuring Charlton Heston in his usual taciturn hero role and James Coburn against type as a very unpleasant villain. This one doesn't have a big budget, but it's directed with aplomb by veteran Andrew McLaglen who brings some Peckinpah-style moments of slow-motion and explicit violence into play; there's also a very unpleasant rape sequence which they make a meal of. The story is small scale and straightforward, but the characters have more depth than in many similar genre entries.

I have to side with the naysayers here, if you've seen enough Westerns, there's no escaping the fact that this one is nothing special. Perhaps notable for an early treatment of rape in cinema, even that theme gets botched by the overtly one track randiness of henchman Gant (John Quade). Once the attempt is made though, you have to wonder why Barbara Hershey's character doesn't seem the least bit traumatized, never mind the non response of her fiancée Brickman (Christopher Mitchum).

This could have been a taut psychological Western, what with the setup of the characters portrayed by Charlton Heston and James Coburn. Ultimately though, they seem to rather routinely go through their motions, former lawman Burgade (Heston) somewhat convincing as he reads Provo (Coburn) like a book, but as it turns out, Provo never even tries to throw him a curve. Say, how is it Burgade at one point has trouble getting up on his horse, but then winds up taking four bullets from Provo at point blank range and a nasty hard a-- bump off a rock ledge, and still manage to survive? I'd give him till the closing credits finish rolling.

At one point, as the hunt proceeds through Indian reservation territory, Heston's character remarks to his daughter's fiancée - "Everybody's gotta die, nobody's gotta give up". Sorry to say however, the film does both.

A gang of savage convicts led by vicious half-breed Zach Provo (a marvelously nasty portrayal by James Coburn) escape from custody. Provo plans on exacting revenge on crafty retired lawman Sam Burgade (an excellent performance by Charlton Heston),who's the man responsible for putting him in jail. Provo kidnaps Burgade's sweet and fetching daughter Susan (a charming turn by the lovely Barbara Hershey) in order to ensure that Burgade will come after him. Director Andrew V. McLaglen relates the engrossing story at a steady pace, stages the shoot-outs with skill and flair (the big climactic confrontation between Provo and Burgade is especially tense and exciting),maintains an appropriately gritty no-nonsense tone throughout, and doesn't hold back on the often jolting moments of bloody'n'brutal violence. Guerdon Trueblood's tough, yet thoughtful script uses the early 20th century period setting to offer some interesting commentary about changing times and the passing of the Old West. Moreover, the villains are a truly hateful and dangerous bunch, with Provo in particular standing out as a supremely cruel and cunning main villain. The sound acting from the capable cast rates as another substantial asset: Coburn and Heston both do sterling work in their meaty roles, with sturdy support from Jorge Rivero as Provo's loyal partner Menendez, Michael Parks as the laid-back and ineffectual Sheriff Noel Nye, Larry Wilcox as soft wimp Shelby, Christopher Mitchum as gutsy greenhorn Hal Brickman, John Quade as the vile Gant, and Robert Donner as ornery racist troublemaker Lee Roy. Duke Callaghan's handsome widescreen cinematography gives the picture a sumptuous look. Jerry Goldsmith's robust and flavorsome score hits the stirring spot. A worthwhile and satisfying sagebrush saga.