The 5-Man Army Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

The 5-Man Army Blu-ray Movie Review

Only five? Still magnificent.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III August 7, 2026

A wildly entertaining Spaghetti Western directed by Don Taylor, The 5-Man Army features a screenplay co-written by none other than Dario Argento, who also reportedly served as an uncredited second-unit director one year before his 1970 debut film The Bird With the Crystal Plumage. This sleek cinematic hybrid also incorporates heist elements and keeps things moving as quickly as the target location: a Mexican train carrying $500,000 in gold. Newly restored by Warner Archive, it's now available on Blu-ray for seasoned fans and genre newcomers to (re)discover.

Opening with a crisply-edited montage of images set to terrific music by Ennio Morricone, The 5-Man Army wastes absolutely no time with its rapid-fire setup. An unnamed man, who we soon learn is wanted fugitive Luis Dominguez (Nino Castelnuovo), has been recruited by "The Dutchman" (Peter Graves) to assemble a small team whose members will be paid $1,000 each for an as-yet-unknown job. Luis himself is the first recruit and, as a thief and former acrobat, will have little trouble getting out of tough situations. He tracks down the next hand-picked candidate in massive Mesito (Bud Spencer), a strongman whose brute strength is matched by unwavering loyalty and a huge appetite. Next comes Augustus (James Daly), an explosives expert and former military friend of the Dutchman whose skill with dynamite will be vital to the operation. Last but not least is the enigmatic Samurai (Tetsurō Tanba), a quiet Japanese swordsman who earns a meager living as a sideshow act that's far beneath his combat abilities. Each man has different motivations for accepting the assignment, but the promise of payment and adventure persuade them to join forces.

The 5-Man Army assembles its team in less than 20 minutes of screen time and, after a detour to free Mexican rebel leader Manuel Esteban (Claudio Gora) from death by firing squad, the train-robbing plan is revealed... yet Esteban's rescue, which has inspired local villagers to fight back against authority, has made their mission harder since it's also drawn the attention of the Mexican military. Knowing that brutal reprisals are inevitable, the villagers abandon their homes and flee with the rebels... but for now, it's time for our five heroes to plan the brazen robbery.

The Dutchman has already devised a multi-point plan which includes studying the train's route as well as potential military checkpoints, troop strength, and security procedures while assigning each of the other four members a specific role to carry out. Augustus develops explosive strategies to stop or divert the train, Luis practices reconnaissance and infiltration techniques, Mesito prepares to take on any physically demanding tasks that might arise, and the Samurai quietly demonstrates the discipline and precision that make him such a dangerous fighter. As their plan comes together, mutual respect gradually develops as each member recognizes one another's talents and commitment, not to mention the rebels' own sacrifices for their more noble cause. But along the way, their planned robbery is soon revealed to be about more than just money... but regardless of intent, the time finally arrives and our heroes are soon in position to carry out their plan. It won't be an all-out assault due to the numerous military checkpoints, which makes The 5-Man Army's central "train job" an exercise in patience, precision, and improvisation rather than brute force.

From start to finish, this brisk and crowd-pleasing film is not only a fun time at the movies but a potent gateway drug to Spaghetti Westerns, as its variety of main cast members, layers of intrigue, and kinetic action give it multiple entry points for those less familiar with the genre. Well-staged and featuring great location footage of *ahem* Mexico (it's actually Spain), The 5-Man Army also features solid performances and, of course, that massively memorable original score by Morricone that operates in tandem with several key plot developments. Warner Archive's new Blu-ray -- which, like their older DVD edition, runs about five minutes longer than the film's original theatrical release -- is sourced from the original camera negative and this provides ample A/V support that helps bring this underrated genre entry back to life nearly six full decades after its debut. In more ways than one, The 5-Man Army still stands strong.

The 5-Man Army Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sourced from a recent 4K scan of the original camera negative, The 5-Man Army looks as flawless as you'd expect on Warner Archive's Blu-ray edition. The film's no-nonsense cinematography is largely shot outdoors in rocky, sun-baked landscapes so viewers can expect a strong amount of fine detail and textures that are supported by a natural layer of film grain that seems accurate for the era. The color palette is obviously dominated by earth tones and vivid blues in mostly cloudless skies, while costumes and other stray elements. such as bright red blood, break up some of the more dominant hues and create a lot of visual interest. As usual, the encoding on this 50GB disc is excellent with no obvious compression-related issues and the picture looks very clean from start to finish. It's yet another perfect presentation from Warner Archive, who continue to push the limits of how good catalog titles can look on Blu-ray.

The 5-Man Army Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix is similarly impressive, serving up a deceptively strong and forceful dynamic range for Ennio Morricone's exceptional score as well as the films (occasionally surprisingly quiet) action sequences, where the heavy chugs and whistles of the train drown out a series of discrete killings. Dialogue is otherwise given top priority here and it's easy to follow, even with regional accents in mind, although some viewers may want to make use of the optional English (SDH) subtitles just to be sure. While it won't be confused with the more immersive audio mix of your average modern action movie, it's very impressive given the film's era and, without question, gets the job done.

The 5-Man Army Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with vintage poster-themed cover artwork. Only the original theatrical trailer is included as an extra... which makes sense, since Warner Archive typically adds in pre-show entertainment for Golden Age catalog titles and such things were rarely still part of the theatrical experience by 1969.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:06) - This vintage promotional piece can also be seen here.

The 5-Man Army Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Don Taylor's lightweight Spaghetti Western The 5-Man Army isn't quite The Dirty Dozen and could've benefitted from deeper characters, but it's a wildly entertaining film that still packs a punch nearly 60 years after its theatrical debut. Warner Archive's Blu-ray helps it look and sound like new on this lovingly restored Blu-ray, which should already be in the collection of die-hard fans but certainly on the radar of curious newcomers. Firmly Recommended.