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18 out of 21 people found the following review useful:
Lightweight, but Overlooked Western, 11 March 2004
Author: kellyadmirer from New York City/Colorado Springs

"The Undefeated" got lost in the shuffle when it was released during a terrific year for Westerns. Competing against "Butch Cassidy," "The Wild Bunch" and John Wayne's other little Western that year, "True Grit," who was going to remember "The Undefeated"?

Well, not too many moviegoers. However, this is a nice production of a clever script that features several acting legends. With all of the (justifiable) attention on the Civil War in film, concurrent events in Mexico that were just as far-reaching for that country (and, in some ways, for the US) have largely been forgotten, or at least overlooked. Sure, people remember the Alamo from twenty years before the Civil War, and many recall Pancho Villa from 50 years after, but how much recognition has there been of France's blatant violation of the Monroe doctrine with its bid for dominance south of the US border while Grant and Lee were going at it? Clearly, not a lot.

So, this film serves as a nice history lesson. France tried to install its own emperor, Maximilian, on the throne of Mexico while the US was preoccupied with its Civil War. Unfortunately for the French, many Mexicans were not too thrilled with this idea. "Undefeated" takes Maximilian's struggle for survival and combines it with a tale of disaffected US and Confederate soldiers. What results is a very involving story set shortly after the Civil War in which former US soldiers on a cattle (horse) drive encounter former Confederate soldiers, along with their families, who aren't quite ready yet to give up their military trade and are on their way to serve as mercenaries for Emperor Maximilian.

So, with that as the backdrop, the film essentially becomes a character study. Wayne plays Wayne at his most iconic. Perhaps you can tell from time to time that he is not taking the whole thing very seriously, but he lends the film whatever air of gravity it possesses. Football legend Merlin Olsen surprisingly turns in a fine performance, Melissa Newman is very attractive as Hudson's flirty daughter, and quarterback Roman Gabriel of all people provides the romantic conflict. You aren't going to see most of these folks elsewhere, and they give it their all here in unique performances. Ben Johnson and some others of Wayne's traveling troupe of movie cowboys are along to give some down-home flavor, though they aren't called on to do much.

There are lots of chances for Wayne and his buddies to act tough and weathered. The main flaw to me is that the Rock Hudson character, leader of the Confederate force, comes across as too exuberant, a touch too "I'm so happy to be here in a Wayne film." For a man who has lost everything including his fancy mansion and property, his character comes across as a bit too happy-go-lucky. His character also is undercut several times as being naive, such as when Wayne's character has to come and warn him that his party is being tracked by bandits. Wouldn't a formed military body of battle-hardened soldiers know enough to maintain scouts in hostile territory? I thought Hudson rocked in "Ice Station Zebra" from the year before, but coming in to this role at the last minute to replace another actor probably didn't give him enough time to think the role through and maybe make a few script suggestions.

A confrontation between Wayne's small force and formed Mexican troops also is disappointing in how it is staged, making it seem perfunctory. Since this is the main "suspense" at the film's conclusion, the ending is kind of a let-down. Also, the fact that most of the film takes place in the middle of nowhere, with no contact with the world at large, gives the film an artificial feel, as if this were a laboratory experiment about post-war relations. At times like this, the story seems to go through the motions and almost plays like a made-for-TV film.

However, these are not fatal flaws. The heart of the film lies in the interaction of the characters and how they come to terms with how the world has changed since Appomattox. Hudson and his boys appear to learn that it is one thing to fight for your home and hearth against invaders, but war on foreign soil for ephemeral benefits is Hell indeed. There are echoes of modern times with the observation of the Wayne character that "It seems we've gotten ourselves involved in someone else's war." Note the year the film was released.

Recommended for fans of Westerns or the stars. Not a top Wayne film, but an interesting plot with fine performances by an eclectic cast.

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13 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
The conversation sorta dried up, 11 February 2006
8/10
Author: estabansmythe from Temple City, CA

"The Undefeated" is perhaps the finest of John Wayne's later westerns, "True Grit" excepted and taking into consideration that "Big Jake" is nothing to slouch at.

"The Undefeated" is the Duke's biggest large-scale epic since "The Alamo" a decade earlier. The battle scenes and the shots of the horse drive are stirring and impressive.

Another thing that separates this film from other post-1965 Wayne westerns (except for "The Cowboys") is the dialog. It's sharp, crisp, witty and often fun.

Here's a good example of that sharp, wityt & pointed dialogue: John Wayne and Rock Hudson had just returned to their camp after being forced to kill a Mexican bandit leader, who with his gang wanted Rock & Duke's valuables, their horses and their women. When one of the women asks the Duke why he had to kill him, he replied matter of factly, "The conversation dorta dried up." Classic stuff!

And Hugo Montenegro's memorable score is terrific. It helps perpetuate the whole notion that this is indeed an epic western.

"The Undefeated" is long on length and even longer on entertainment. This is a grand western.

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13 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
Duke Yank and Rock Reb, 13 January 2006
7/10
Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

The Civil War is over and it's been pretty costly to both sides. John Wayne has lost nearly every man who volunteered to serve with him and is broke. Rock Hudson who was also a Colonel on the other side went broke financing a regiment of his own and the Yankee carpetbaggers are ready to take over his plantation.

Wayne leads the remainder of his men to capture and tame wild horses to sell. Hudson gets an offer from Emperor Maximilian of Mexico to bring his people and resettle there. He needs all the help he can get to prop up his unpopular government. Hudson is certainly bringing a better quality of Anglo than Burt Lancaster did in Vera Cruz.

When Wayne feels a rip off coming from some middlemen horsetraders, he settles it in the usual Duke fashion and heads to Mexico himself. There the parties of Wayne and Hudson meet and their stories are entwined from then on.

With Wayne and Hudson co-starring, The Undefeated was led by two men who between them were number one at the box office for about a dozen years combined. Wayne was coming off his Oscar winning performance in True Grit. This film was definitely guaranteed an audience.

The story is both men are decent fellows and born leaders. Each is trying to pick up the pieces of civilian life and each is the leader of a party looking to them for leadership. A healthy and mutual respect develops between them despite previous political differences.

Wayne gets a whole load of players who worked with him before for this part. As he grew older he liked to have familiar faces around him. He had the star clout to insure it as well. Ben Johnson, Bruce Cabot, Edward Faulkner, Harry Carey, Jr., are some of the Wayne film veterans here.

Dub Taylor in his only film with the Duke does a very entertaining job as McCartney the cook. Dub did so many westerns when he wasn't doing hillbillies it's amazing that his and Wayne's path crossed only once.

This was also an early film for Jan Michael Vincent who went on to a star career of his own. Two members of the Los Angeles Rams, Roman Gabriel and Merlin Olsen were in this as well. Gabriel played a surrogate son to Wayne and rival for the hand of Melissa Newman to Vincent. Merlin Olsen is also here as a Confederate aide to Hudson. Gabriel decided movies wasn't his thing, but Olsen certainly had a substantial career after football.

The Undefeated has a nice, easy and charming flow to it, just like The Comancheros. Wayne and Hudson work well together in their only joint outing. Less action than you normally have in a Wayne film, but it's mixed in well with some good comic moments.

As Duke said parodying one of his one lines from a previous hit film of his, "Let's Take 'Em to Mexico." You'll like the ride.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Duke and his Yankees bail out Hudson and his rebels., 10 November 1999
Author: yenlo from Auburn, Me

The Civil War is over but certain Confederate units refuse to call it quits. Colonel John Henry Thomas (played by The Duke)and his gang encounters one such band of rebels at the start of this film. Then there is the unit led by Colonel James Langdon played by Rock Hudson. They accept the fact the war is over but decide rather than live under the stars and stripes head out lock stock and barrel for Mexico women and children included. Wayne and his men bid farewell to the Army and set out to make a buck or two rounding up and selling wild horses. Wayne and his men cross paths along the way with Hudson and his refugees which make up the bulk of the story.

It's a little easy to understand Thomas and his men but not so easy to understand the Langdon group. When they encounter trouble it's almost hard as a viewer to have any pity for them.

Wayne gets support from a number of actors who co-starred with him in several of his films. Veteran character actor Dub Taylor is along as a nasty Chuck Wagon driver. Former Los Angeles Rams Quarterback Roman Gabriel is cast as a native American who served for Wayne during the war and is now his main man when it comes to tracking, scouting etc. Gabriels Ram teammate Merlin Olsen is also featured as a Confederate soldier who hates to fist fight but is called upon to do so. Decent western John Wayne film all in all. The Confederates may have lost the war but in this film they certainly ate better than the Yankees do.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Good enough to be likeable, likeable enough to be good, 25 September 2003
7/10
Author: Vladimir from Sydney, Australia

The Undefeated is a pretty good Western flick. It's light-hearted (for the most part), solid entertainment. John Wayne plays a Yankee soldier who forms an unlikely friendship with a Confederate, played by Rock Hudson, very shortly after the end of the Civil War. The two are both leading men south of the border for various reasons, and as the film progresses, the two help each other, rescue each other, and share a few drinks a number of times.

That's why it's light-hearted, there's a lot of smiles from both lead actors, all the supporting cast and, I dare say, the majority of the audience. There are very few unlikeable parts to this movie. That's not to say it's outrageously good; some of the supporting cast look amateurish at times, and the music occasionally stifles the action on screen, but aside from that, it's fine. John Wayne and Rock Hudson were two of those rare actor types who can't put in a bad performance if they try, but I don't think I need to tell you that.

It's a good package. Perfect for evening viewing, I'd recommend, as I just spent a very profitable evening in front of it. Some short but sweet action scenes, some just plain sweet romance subplots and a good and happy ending makes for one satisfied viewer. Far from perfect but great all the same. *** / *****

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11 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
Not perfect, but exceptionally watchable, 15 June 2000
10/10
Author: Pro Jury



John Wayne and Rock Hudson play off each other with confidence and style in this fine movie western.

THE UNDEFEATED endlessly frames its two super-popular movie stars from low camera angles and often adds perfect blue skies above and picturesque western vistas in deep focus behind. Both in full command of the camera, regal, standing straight and tall -- here John Wayne and Rock Hudson live forever larger than life. THE UNDEFEATED is pure hero worship eye candy!

Although the story is rather flawed, everything else is A+. The music is among the best of bold western movie scores. The direction as noted above is respectful to the picture's two great American icons. It is not perfect, but THE UNDEFEATED is an exceptionally fun movie to watch.

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4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Two mighty stars, Wayne and Hudson, in a Mexican adventure during the Maximilian-Juarez war, 18 January 2009
6/10
Author: ma-cortes from Santander Spain

This moving western has Yankee colonel(John Wayne) joining forces with Confederate official(Rock Hudson), during the post-Civil War and in Mexican territory. Wayne tries to sell wild horses to the French in Mexico and Hudson along with wagons road to Durango.Both colonels battling it out toe to toe and side by side across 2000 miles of thundering adventure. They feared no one, Juarista rebels, cut-throat bandits, the armies of Maximilian, as they challenged an angry land and each other.The two big men with reckless courage clash and nothing can match them,the big men ride and nothing can stop them.Through a thousand dangers and a thousand thrills they fight their glorious way to destiny , conquering desert,risks, savage outlaws, and enemies soldiers.

This agreeable Western packs adventures, silly romance, action, shootouts and historical events about American Civil War and Mexican war between Emperor Maxilimilian and Juaristas.Casting is frankly good, the legendary John Wayne, Rock Hudson and a magnificent plethora of secondaries. As usual John Ford's actors, Ben Johnson, Bruce Cabot, John Agar,Harry Carey, among others.Furthermore usual cameraman William H Clothier(Cheyemne Autumm, Man who shot Liberty Valance, Horse soldiers)who creates a luminous and colorful cinematography.Lively and evocative musical score by Hugo Montenegro. The motion picture is well directed by Andrew V. McLagen, a known Ford's disciple.He's a Western expert(McLintock,Shenandoah,Bandolero,Chisum,Cahill,Way west) and warlike genre craftsman(Return to Kai,Wild Geese,Sea Wolves). Rating: acceptable and passable. The movie will like to Wayne and Hudson die-hard fans.

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2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
The Undefeated- A Big Loser *1/2, 3 November 2008
3/10
Author: edwagreen from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Rock Hudson goes way overboard with his southern accent in this confusing 1969 film. Rather, it is John Wayne who carries the film because he allows himself to be John Wayne.

The film is muddled as the Reb and Yankee join forces to eventually get guns to those opposing Emperor Maximilian.

The violent scenes that you would normally expect really don't occur in this rather awkward production.

We really only get a glimpse of the Wayne character prior to the war. Did Hudson really have to set fire to his home before he would allow others to get it at bargain prices?

There are far too many unanswered questions in this film. A more appropriate title would have been "The Unanswered."

A very disappointing film.

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3 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Underrated and watchable western with some originality., 23 December 2007
8/10
Author: carlwilcox from Dorset, UK

Saw this film around 30 years ago. At that time I thought it just a fairly formulaic star vehicle, bringing together the grizzled, typical Wayne cowboy character with someone who was a newer and - at the time -a really big name in Rock Hudson. Seeing it anew in 2007, I realise my earlier estimate was too dismissive by far. It has a good plot with many original aspects, well described already on the web-site by earlier reviewers, especially the linkage of US civil war with events happening at the same time in Mexico. Not being a huge fan, ordinarily, of either of the main stars, it has to be said they both turn in good performances and are fully believable as leaders whom other men would naturally follow, and who inspire fierce loyalties. The dialogue has a few unexpectedly good lines and is generally above average standard. The stars play it light-heartedly, and this gives the film warmth, colour and humour. Some aspects of the film, admittedly, conform to the hackneyed Wayne cowboy film recipe, such as the free-for-all fist fight, but in general the film stands up well nearly 40 years after it was made, and it has held on to a much more modern feel than other Wayne westerns. The musical score just about carries enough grandeur to match the action and the occasionally majestic cinematography, especially the scenes involving the drive across country of a few thousand horses. Any film-lover who enjoys the more upmarket western should give this film a try. The nearly two hours pass quickly, and it's a film to make you think (about the nature of war against your fellow countrymen, about loyalty, friendship and heroism) and escapist enough to make you smile.

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4 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Diverting, though not compelling, 31 August 2000
Author: Val68

The Undefeated is fun to watch, but most of the cast--especially John Wayne--could have phoned in their performances. If you've watched westerns, you've seen most of this before, aside from a somewhat ambiguous ending that suggests a definition for heroism at odds with more typical John Wayne fare. But everyone on screen seems to be having fun, approaching the movie more as a lark than a challenge, which rubs off on the audience. Don't hold your expectations too high, and you'll pass a pleasant hour or two.

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