Grade: B-
Synopsis: A rancher (John Wayne) is forced to hire a group of school children to help take his heard to market.
The Cowboys, on the surface, sounds like a bad idea of a movie. John Wayne and a group of kids? But surprisingly it works. The script does a good job of preventing the kids from becoming annoying and fits the aging Wayne rather well.
In fact, while The Cowboys is a western, it’s somewhat of a breath of fresh air for John Wayne. Director Mark Rydell, not one of Wayne’s usual directors, brings a fresh look, and Roscoe Lee Browne, also not one of Wayne’s regulars, keeps the movie from slowing when Wayne’s not on the screen.
While some will no doubt be put off by the third act, it’s just another change that ultimately works for the better.
Bottom Line: A good story and a breath of fresh air for John Wayne. Recommended.
