The 5 Man Army

This was one of my favorite Westerns as a kid, and it still is in the Sphagetti Western genre. Set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution, the movie revolves around 5 men, hired to rob a train carrying 500,000$ worth gold, by the rebels.

The leader of the group is simply known as Dutchman, who hires the other members, played by Peter Graves more known for his role in Mission Impossible TV series.

Bud Spencer is Mesito aka The Animal, a strong man, known for his brute strength, the kind of role he usually revels in.

Italian actor Nino Castelnuovo is Luis Dominguez, a former circus acrobat turned outlaw, known for his lethal sling shot.

James Daly known for his role in the TV series Medical Center is Capt Augustus Bennet, aka the Gambler, who had served earlier in the same unit as The Dutchman, and is an explosives expert.

Japanese actor Tetsuro Tamba is Samurai, who earns a living in sideshows with his samurai skills.

The movie is basically on the lines of 5 guys getting together on a crazy mission, which is trying to pull off a gold heist on a heavily guarded train. Needless to say the entire train robbery sequence is brilliantly shot, you feel the edge of seat excitement, as the 5 men, attempt to pull it off, stumbling at places, but do manage it.

The train sequence apart, there are a lot of good action scenes too, especially the cat and mouse game between the Mexican military and the 5 guys, the near misses.

The movie has some pretty poignant scenes too, one being where the residents of a village, migrate en masse, to escape the wrath of the military for sheltering the 5 guys. As also some scenes showing the atrocities inflicted by the military on the prisoners and peasants.

The sequences and bonding between the 5 guys, is well depicted too, as you keep rooting for them to pull off the mission.

Ennio Morricone's music is perfect for the movie, especially the opening credits with montages of the Mexican revolution shown.

This is the kind of fun movie, perfect for the weekend, to relax with, as you get drawn into a crazy ride of adventure and action.