Educated in the Orient, peaceful pistol-packing Tom Laughlin (as Finley) is also a samurai swordsman. He shoots and slashes people who want to take land away from Native Americans and Mexicans. They've just stolen California from them. A US government shipment of two million dollars in gold is involved. "One Week Later," birds peck at what could be a carcass. Many shots of "The Birds" amount to what could be homage to director Alfred Hitchcock. An entire family is missing. Twitching the flesh around his left eye expertly, best friend or enemy Ron O'Neal (as Paulo) and others are led to believe Mr. Laughlin stole the gold. He's clearly full of himself. Helping pass many dull stretches is beautiful Barbara Carrera (as Eula).*** The Master Gunfighter (10/3/75) Tom Laughlin ~ Tom Laughlin, Ron O'Neal, Barbara Carrera, Lincoln Kilpatrick

The challenge is to stay awake! Tom Laughlin might have come across as more menacing if his voice was an octave or two lower. The script makes no sense! Laughlin doesn't want to kill anybody so he rides right into the mess, then acts shy like he doesn't really want to hurt anybody, yet winds up shooting, dicing and slicing folks to pieces! All of this in the name of peace! I liked his 1st two films: "The Born Losers," that 1st introduced his Billy-Jack character, as well as "Billy Jack." His 3rd film, "The Trial of Billy Jack," fell down a bit and I never bothered to watch his 4th film, "Billy Jack goes to Washington." Quite frankly I think the beard was a bit much, and the story line absolutely unbelievable!

This is not a good film, and much of the criticism of it is justified, but the comment that the use of the LeMat revolver is ahistorical may be mistaken. This film is set prior to the Civil War, and thus before 1861, but subsequent to California statehood, and thus after 1850. The LeMat was first manufactured and sold in 1856. If this is set between 1856 and 1861 the presence of the LeMat doesn't need to be a problem. The use of a katana, on the other hand, is a problem. Extremely few Japanese, or those familiar with the Japanese, arrived in the U.S. before the 1880s, and those who came then were almost exclusively farmers, rather than samurai: Katanas would be very unlikely to be found in antebellum California.

This film is set in southern California in the period shortly after California became part of the US. American settlers and the US government discriminated against the Mexican landowners and frequently took their land by force or legal skullduggery. This film focuses on wealthy Latino ranchers whose land and wealth are at risk. They decide to misdirect a US government ship carrying gold so that it will be wrecked and they can take the gold. To prevent themselves from being caught, they plan to massacre the local Chumash Indians. The hero is the now estranged adoptive son, a master swordsman (trained in Japan!) and gunfighter, who tries to prevent this while still saving his family. The plot reflects the sad history of double colonialism in California, the scenery is gorgeous (as is love-interest Barbara Carrera), and the action exciting.