Decrepit Old Fool

Back in 1968 when I first saw John Wayne’s Hellfighters in the theater,  I really liked it.  My enjoyment was piqued by the fact that the movie is more or less factual, based on the life of legendary oil-well fighter Red Adair (who was a technical consultant on the movie.)  The story was exciting and fun and I never forgot it.  A few years ago I tried to rent a copy to show my own kids, but none of the video stores had it.

Then last week I saw a copy on my boss’ desk and asked to borrow it.  I do believe I actually enjoyed it more the second time than the first.  Here’s a few points from the movie…

• How the hell did they make the movie?  All the oil-well fires look absolutely realistic

• Putting out oil well fires is not a do-it-yourself proposition
• Katharine Ross is really easy to look at
• Jets were a lot clunkier-looking back in the ‘60’s than they are today
• John Wayne is great at playing tough men who do expert work under dangerous conditions.  Unfortunately we didn’t find out until The Shootist that he was also capable of playing complex, conflicted characters as well
• Car phones didn’t work nearly as well in 1968 as cell phones do today
• When you are soaked in flammable oil, it’s best if people aren’t shooting at you
• A movie need not be an art masterpiece to be enjoyable.

What I just don’t understand, however, is this review on Rotten Tomatoes…

Synopsis:  In one of Wayne’s less spectacular later dramas from 1968, he plays real-life character Red Adair, owner of a Texas company which puts out oil well fires. Ross, fresh from earning an Academy Award nomination for The Graduate in ‘67 plays his feisty daughter. Available in letterbox….

Less spectacular?  What the hell are they talking about?  Four men die in a firey explosion in the first thirty seconds of the movie, the characters keep jetting all over the world, dodging falling steel, poison gas, and bullets to put out giant fires with explosions and it all looks totally realistic.  (The obligatory fight scene in a bar isn’t too realistic but we can forgive them that.  After all, it wouldn’t be a John Wayne movie without a fight scene in a bar.)

There’s a hilarious scene where Wayne has quit fighting oil well fires and finds himself on the executive board of his friend’s oil company.  They’re in a meeting talking about what color scheme they should use in the restrooms of the company’s gas stations, and it reminded me of that scene in The Incredibles where Mr. Incredible is sitting in a cubicle at an insurance company.  Of course, you know how that turned out.  You don’t?  Then you should go see The Incredibles,.

Well, if you’re one of those people who just can’t enjoy a g-rated movie, pass it by, but Hellfighters is one of my favorite action movies.  I suppose it’s because I have a strong preference for characters like the one played by Wayne in this movie – guts and expertise.  It still holds up even today.

(For a review that is more to my liking, see Tom Keogh’s take on Amazon.com.)