After killing an innocent man in self defence, Mexican-American lawman Bob Valdez(BURT LANCASTER)asks gunrunning rancher Frank Tanner(JON CYPHER),who instigated the chaos, to pay the dead man's wife compensation. Tanner rebuffs and humiliates Valdez twice, and the second time results in the latter being tortured. An angry Valdez has had enough, and is prompted to dust off his old army uniform, take up his musty Buffalo Rifle,his battered Shotgun and his haggard Winchester and raise Cain on Tanner and his men. The one man apocalypse that is Bob Valdez kidnaps Tanner's fiancée Gay Erin(SUSAN CLARK)and escapes deep into the mountains. Tanner and his men relentlessly pursue Valdez through the hazardous terrain.However,if Valdez has his way, it will not be long before the hunter becomes the hunted...VALDEZ IS COMING was a bit of a let-down for me.The region 2 DVD print spoiled the film, but I'll talk about that later. The film is bad, it's good and at times it's unintentionally funny so I got a good laugh out of it.Burt Lancaster was fantastic as always and although I did think his Mexican accent was very good, I couldn't help but chuckle each time he spoke. The dark makeup and eye shadow didn't help either and I couldn't take him seriously in some scenes, watching him charge about among the rocks with his rifle drawn was rather amusing, although these shots were excellent. Jon Cypher was good as Frank Tanner,but I couldn't take him seriously either and he wasn't as threatening as he should have been. Richard Jordan's character was annoying and behaved like an immature child, but Barton Heyman stood out as El Segundo. The script and storyline were great. It's a "straw that broke the camel's back" premise in which the wronged hero raises hell and kicks ass in truly epic fashion, which I find inspiring. The ending was terrible. It was so pathetic that it made me laugh out loud. It was extremely anti-climax as the film was good the whole way through, the suspense had been built up energetically for it to fizzle into nothing. This ruined the film, the characters are simply left in limbo and the film doesn't get the climatic final shootout it deserves. The characters just stand there and what follows is a stupid freeze-frame of them looking at each other. Although the final lines are morally relevant as they question the acts of both Valdez and Tanner and sum the film up. Valdez didn't want to kill, but through Tanner's ignorance and greed was forced to.The action scenes were taut, brisk and magnificently shot. They were abrupt, although still exciting and intense. Burt did his thing fantastically and the stunts were awesome. The shots of Valdez with his Buffalo Rifle shooting Tanner's men from nearly a thousand feet away were exhilarating and incredible. The shots of Valdez riding between the two horses whilst being shot at by El Segundo were amazing, but the adrenaline rush was unfortunately short lived as this scene was hacked to pieces. The BBFC are extremely strict when it comes to animal cruelty which called for the shots of the two horses being shot and tripping to be cut. This really disappointed me and because of this, I didn't enjoy the film as much as I should have. The brutal shot two horses crashing into each other and some shots of men being shot and falling with their horses were also cut, making the killcount seem smaller. I am just as disgusted by animal cruelty as everyone else and love animals,especially horses, as much as the next person, but I seethe with anger when westerns are cut to pieces because they have a few shots of falling horses. As the film was made in a time and a country where animals had no rights, the BBFC should have left the film alone.It completely destroyed my viewing experience and it's unfair on me as the viewer. When I buy the DVD I expect to get my money's worth. When I buy some cut version I feel as if I'm being cheated. Rant aside, the short horse chase in the canyon was brilliant. The scenes in which two of Tanner's men are shot by Valdez on two separate occasions and he sends them back to Tanner all shot up and in agony with a message that he will get Tanner sent a chill down by spine.The cinematography was terrific with superb shots of the rugged,rocky,barren Spanish landscape which only Spaghetti Western fans can truly appreciate. The script had quite a few plot holes and at times the dialogue was very dry, corny and boring which made the film drag. Some lines were so cheesy that I cringed. At times some scenes were packed with pointless screaming and swearing, but there were some clever and memorable lines too. The soundtrack wasn't bad. The quality of the region 2 DVD is below average with poor sound quality. It could do with a re-release from Pegasus. VALDEZ IS COMING is a slightly above average western drama, it's shot in a taut, fast paced way with some outstanding action scenes, all of which build up to nothing. The region 2 DVD didn't do the film justice and if you want to see it, buy the uncut region 1 print. It's the type of film you should enjoy with a couple of Beers on a dull Saturday afternoon.Although,even if the film isn't so good, the poster sure has one hell of a tagline.6/10.(After shooting a Mexican rider with his shotgun) Mexican Rider(dying):What you got in that thing. Valdez: I told you, it's for Rabbits.

Valdez is Coming is directed by Edward Sherin and adapted for the screen by Roland Kibbee and David Rayfiel from the novel of the same name written by Elmore Leonard. It stars Burt Lancaster, Susan Clark, Jon Cypher and Frank Silvera. Music is by Charles Gross and photography by Gábor Pogány. It's out of United Artists and shot in DeLuxe colour. Plot finds Lancaster as ageing town constable Bob Valdez, who after being forced into killing an innocent man, attempts to get compensation for the dead man's widow out of the townsfolk responsible for the events leading up to the shooting. This is met with a less than favourable response, particularly from crooked rancher Frank Tanner (Cypher), who although he is the most guilty party, takes umbrage to the suggestion and has Bob tied to a wooden cross and hounded out of town. But Bob will be back, he may be old and gentile in nature, but he's an experienced Indian fighter and a crack shot marksman. Watch out, Valdez is Coming.Solid if a little too ponderous at times, Valdez is Coming is sort of like an amalgamation of an American Oater and a Spaghetti Western. Filmed in southern Spain, at locations where master Italian director Sergio Leone shot many of his European Westerns, the film is the silver screen directing debut of Edward Sherin, who made his name as a director in American theatre and television. Whilst the direction is competent and the acting from Lancaster adds a complexity to the story, the picture almost seems to be trying too hard to make Leonard's source material work. The bigotry of men card is played very early on and from then on in everything is just too predictable, in fact were it not for Lancaster's screen presence the piece would fall well under average. The Christ-come-avenging angel motif is subtlety played by Lancaster, but tension is in short supply and action sequences few and far between. Somewhere in the cramped mix is a good film, one with something to say, a film desperately trying to make a dramatic thrust courtesy of a decent man on a mission narrative. Sadly it doesn't all come together, but thanks to Lancaster and a neat ending, it's not one to dismiss completely. 6/10Footnote: British cuts of the film offer a version missing some violent moments, suffice to say that if seeking the film out one should choose carefully.

While traveling protecting a stagecoach back to his town, the middle-aged Mexican-American Constable Bob Valdez (Burt Lancaster) witnesses a group of locals shooting on a cabin where a black man is trapped with his Indian pregnant wife, accused by the powerful Frank Tanner (Jon Cypher) of being the killer of the local Jim Erin. Valdez decides to talk to the man, and when he opens the door, the henchman R.L. Davis (Richard Jordan) shoots; the man believes it is a setup and shoots on Valdez, forcing the peace officer to kill him. Sooner they find that the victim was innocent and Valdez asks for one hundred dollars to Tanner to give to the widow. However, he is humiliated and nailed to a cross by Tanner's henchmen and sent back to the desert. He is miraculous saved by his Mexican friend Luis Diego (Frank Silvera) but recovers his health. Valdez retrieves his outfits and weapons from the time he was a professional shooter killing Apaches for the U.S. Cavalry and rides to Tanner's land. He hits one of his henchmen (Hector Elizondo) and sends him back to Tanner's farm with the advice that "Valdez is coming"."Valdez Is Coming" is an overrated western, with a good story of guilt and revenge, supported by magnificent performances. Unfortunately the last fifteen minutes and the open conclusion are absolutely disappointing, specially considering that R.L. Davis and El Segundo have burnt Luis Diego's house and hands and abused of his daughter. The make-up of American actors with blue eyes to become a cliché of Mexican people is quite ridiculous. The disrespect with the Catholic religion is quite out of the context of the plot. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "O Retorno de Valdez" ("The Return of Valdez")

I have watched this movie many times and enjoy it very much. It has great action, good acting, a superb plot, and a satisfying ending. Burt Lancaster is fantastic and show's why he is and was a superstar. This western is gritty, tough, bloody, and believable. Some movies should only be seen once, some such as this one, many times. This is not a spaghetti western!!! I think that spaghetti westerns have been way overrated. This western surpasses most if not all of the spaghetti's. Why you ask! I think Spaghetti westerns lack believability, you know the good guy is never gonna die, while in this show the good guy takes a beating and loses at the end but wins as well. Great unexpected ending!