Expected more

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Though it's not a masterwork like "The General", "Go West" perhaps has more heart than any other Keaton film. "Friendless" Buster, after being literally downtrodden in the big city, heads West, where he finds friendship in the most unlikely of leading ladies: an equally forsaken little cow named Brown Eyes. Keaton manages to make this implausible relationship believable, which it has to be, since the logic of the film hinges on it. Pulling off this cinematic magic displays a new and surprising side of Keaton's virtuosity as an actor and director.I'd not recommend "Go West" as a starter film for those not already familiar with Buster Keaton, but it's a delightful, poignant and funny piece of work.

While most of the things said above are true, don't let them stop you from enjoying this wonderful piece of film. If you love trains, or just Keaton's incomparable train gags, you'll be enthralled. If you really like Keaton, you'll appreciate the inside joke on his shtick (a rare indulgence on his part). If you think about the stampede scene while watching it, and consider how impossible it is to remake in this day and age, you'll appreciate it more. If you enjoy running gags, you'll find several strings through it. While I admit there are better Keaton efforts, and while I admit I'm very partial, I still say that if you appreciate Keaton at all you'll like this one, too.Let the comments above warn you that "The General" it isn't, realize that they can't all be five-star classics, and enjoy this really nice film! Not his best, but not bad at all. There's certainly no sense in waiting for his next one (unfortunately). Jackie Chan may still be at it, but all the Keaton we have is all we have--and thank goodness for that much!

I have to say I really like this movie because my recently deceased Grandfather had this movie on VHS tape and when I watched it I was able to get a huge amount of laughs out of it because of what Buster Keaton did when he dressed up in the DEVIL costume to get those cows to chase him to the Livestock yard. That was one good movie that should be available for everyone to watch. I just love how it shows that chase down the streets of that one city when those cows are all stampeding after the man in the costume because of how cows chase red things. I just wish that TV stations like AMC and Turner Classic Movies would show this film over and over again because this is a whole lot better than the films that are released today.

I suppose Go West is an uplifting story-a young, goodhearted working man makes a living in the west-and I like the comparison between city and country life, but there is no heart in this film. It is stiff and cold. Even Buster Keaton himself (as the cowboy) lacks his earnestness and lack of confidence. Or maybe he doesn't-it's hard to tell since we rarely get to see clear shots of his face. This is a shame since what makes Keaton so good is not his visual grace so much as his nervous facial expressions while pulling off his stunts. Here we have action but no reaction. Even the action isn't very good; the only scene of real physical mastery is one where Keaton is tumbling around in a boxcar full of barrels; once again, the scene stinks because we never get to see his face. Even the attempt at adding a romance to the film is downright awful because it feels stapled on. One somewhat funny scene involves a crazed gunman trying to get Keaton to smile (you can imagine how reluctant he is) but the scene is a blatantly annoying wink to Keaton's persona and feels like a commercial for Keaton's work rather than a good old-fashion silent comedy riff. Buster Keaton is one my favorite comedians (probably my favorite silent comedian) but he has a handful of incomprehensibly popular trash such as Steamboat Bill Jr., Seven Chances, and-I would hate to have to add it too the list but-Go West.