Very disappointed :(

Truly Dreadful Film

i know i wasted 90 mins of my life.

Expected more

Are you looking for sophisticated humor? Subtlety? Nuance?I didn't think so.If what you desire is an outrageous Western spoof made in the mold of Road Runner / Wile E. Coyote cartoons, then "The Villain" is certain to tickle your funny bone.Kirk Douglas is top billed as the title character, alias Cactus Jack Slade, an outlaw who screws up time and time again. He's determined but incompetent. He really is like that famous cartoon canine, what with his spectacular lack of success.Cactus Jack is hired by crooked banker Avery Simpson (Jack Elam) for the purpose of screwing over a miner named Parody Jones (Strother Martin). Parody isn't dumb, though, utilizing his sexpot daughter Charming (Ann-Margret) and the ramrod straight Handsome Stranger (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to make sure that a critical payment reaches its destination.All you really need to know about "The Villain" is this: special guest star Paul Lynde plays an Indian chief named Nervous Elk. And that's what you can expect in this gleefully goofy, comically sadistic, politically incorrect comedy with gags-a-plenty. Other guest stars include Foster Brooks as a drunken bank clerk, Ruth Buzzi as a damsel in no distress, Robert Tessier as an Indian sidekick, "Mashing Finger", and singer Mel Tillis as a stuttering telegraph agent (Mel also sings the three theme songs).Kirk is hilarious as a bumbling bad guy, for whom you do feel rather sorry. Ann-Margret is tantalizing as the decidedly horny Charming, who lusts after Handsome Stranger. Arnold is appropriately sincere, and dense, as the supposed hero. Some of the supporting roles are really rather brief (you don't see Martin for long). The ones that tend to steal the show are Lynde, and a horse named Ott as Cactus Jacks' not so loyal steed, Whiskey."The Villain" is not always terribly funny, but when it works, it's a riot. There's even a classic "painted tunnel" gag in the Wile E. Coyote tradition!Directed in style by Hal Needham of "Smokey and the Bandit" and "The Cannonball Run" fame.Seven out of 10.

The worst thing in this entire movie is how bad of an actor Arnold was. First movie I ever saw him in was Predator, and that role he did well enough that 6 or 8 year old me liked it.Maybe if I saw this movie when I was 2, back in 79, and my standards were not yet developed, maybe then I could give this movie more than a 1. But considering its movie with Kirk Douglas, who happens to be excellent grade A actor (watch "There was a crooked man" to see him shine), I feel its criminal how much his talents were underused in this film.Only possibly reason I can see for this movie even being made is that Arnold polished somebody's pole really well and they gave him this as reward. There is no way any sane person would have hired him as actor with that bad of English to star in same movie as Kirk Douglas if there was not more to it.

I remember seeing this movie when I was a young boy back in the 80's sometime, and I happened to came across it by sheer luck on Amazon, and of course I just had to add it to my DVD collection, because I had nothing but fond memories of this western comedy.So it was with a great sense of nostalgia that I sat down to watch "Cactus Jack" again once the DVD dropped in from Amazon. And it was just every bit as much fun as I remembered it to be back in my youth.The story in "Cactus Jack" is fairly simple, Cactus Jack Slade (played by Kirk Douglas) is chasing after the money, hoping to get it from Charming Jones (played by Ann-Margret) and Handsome Stranger (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Imagine this being a live-action version of the classic Roadrunner cartoon, and you know what you are in for here. And it actually works out well enough.There is a lot of funny moments and situations throughout the movie, lots of slapstick humor here.It was sort of surreal to see Schwarzenegger in that sky-blue outfit though, however, it just added to the comedy and spoof.All in all, "Cactus Jack" is a good comedy, and it is really a treat to see Schwarzenegger in a role like this.

I'm not quite sure why Kirk Douglas took the part of a live Wile E. Coyote in the film villain other than to say that he had now tried the slapstick comedy genre. But in this case the frustrated coyote is not matched up with the beeping road runner. His adversary is Dudley DooRight in the person of Arnold Schwarzneggar, the Handsome Stranger. Yes folks, that's his character name.We've got a third cartoon character in the mix, Ann-Margret doing a prototype of Jessica Rabbit. Annie's really showing off the stuff today with bosoms akimbo, she's got every member of the cast panting after her with the exceptions of Strother Martin who is her father and still sees Daddy's little girl and Arnie whom she pants after, but who doesn't show the slightest interest.The bulk of the film is taken up with Kirk as villainous Cactus Jack and his horse Whiskey, doing their best to stop Arnie and Ann and rob them of a large sum of money from banker Jack Elam to Strother Martin. It's here where all the comparisons to the road runner cartoons take place.I'm sure Kirk Douglas liked the change of pace, burlesquing his own western image. And he had a tough assignment because the majority of his scenes are alone and the dialog was spoken to his horse. Maybe Mr. Ed should have been cast in the role. If anybody noticed the name of the horse Whiskey is the same name that Kirk Douglas used for his horse in his acclaimed Lonely Are The Brave.Lest you think that because this is a road runner film the ending is a road runner ending. Let's just say that Jessica Rabbit has her needs and priorities as well.