Rating summary
| Movie |  | 3.5 |
| Video |  | 3.0 |
| Audio | | 3.5 |
| Extras |  | 2.5 |
| Overall | | 3.0 |
100 Rifles Blu-ray Movie Review
Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 10, 2016
Bringing the lively Spaghetti Western mood to Hollywood, 1969’s “100 Rifles” doesn’t follow through with its initial Sergio Leone admiration, soon settling into a story about passion and political defiance that tends to drain away the pure escapism the feature initially seems intent on delivering. Co-writer/director Tom Gries doesn’t have an easy job, managing three intense personalities in lead actors Burt Reynolds, Jim Brown, and Raquel Welch, but he periodically commits to large-scale action and cultural interests, keeping “100 Rifles” a stylish, spur-jangling cartoon.
Leone touches emerge right away, through animated opening titles and a rousing score by the great Jerry Goldsmith, launching “100 Rifles” in grand fashion. However, the movie doesn’t always match its decoration, evolving into a story of Mexican hostilities between Native Americans and military oppression, which allows for more tentative characterizations with knotted motivations. Gries doesn’t skimp on the action, delivering plenty of stunt work as the adventure races through towns and boards trains, giving the cast something physical to play between dramatic efforts that are mostly successful, with Reynolds easily stealing the picture through sheer screen charisma. Gries doesn’t make a dull film, but “100 Rifles” isn’t the snowballing cowboy romp it promises in its opening act.
100 Rifles Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation isn't refreshed for this Blu-ray release, but it's a serviceable effort, offering a reasonable amount of detail with period cinematographic technology. Slight softness is apparent, but textures on costuming are open for study, along with facial particulars and the feature's mischievous sense of sexuality. Colors keep to western standards with slight fade, exploring desert landscapes and brown fabrics, while skintones are stable. Delineation is acceptable. There's plenty of wear and tear on the source, which encounters scratches and speckling throughout.
100 Rifles Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix isn't big on true definition, but carries more bluntly, with Jerry Goldsmith's boisterous score leading the charge, coming through with supportive volume and adequate instrumentation. Dialogue exchanges are thick, with plenty of ADR work provided, but clarity is acceptable, including various accents. Sound effects retain power, with snappy gunfire and booming explosions. Atmospherics handle crowd scenes and outdoor environments to satisfaction. Mild hiss is detected.
100 Rifles Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
- Commentary features publisher Lee Pfeiffer and film historians Eddy Friedfeld and Paul Scrabo.
- Image Montage (2:20) offers publicity pictures from the film.
- And a Theatrical Trailer (2:55, SD) is included.
100 Rifles Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
Gries knows his audience with "100 Rifles," keeping Brown shirtless, Welch wet, and Reynolds smiling. It's an amusing picture initially released during a time when more respect was being paid to Native American interests, but it still retains broader antics and doses of silliness, and sexuality has potency, delivering an interracial coupling between Brown and Welch that helped to smash taboos of the era. "100 Rifles" has issues with dramatic urgency, but it's engaging, best served with a full gallop and sense of playfulness.
