The Villain (Cactus Jack) (1979)

0% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
41% of users liked it
(5,303 ratings)

The presence of Paul Lynde, in a small role, reveals more about the quality and tone of this film than the three top names. A farce with plenty of slapstick, it offers Kirk Douglas as a road agent dealing with a naive hero (a young Arnold Schwarzenegger) who is seemingly out of western serials in… More The presence of Paul Lynde, in a small role, reveals more about the quality and tone of this film than the three top names. A farce with plenty of slapstick, it offers Kirk Douglas as a road agent dealing with a naive hero (a young Arnold Schwarzenegger) who is seemingly out of western serials in the '40s and a beautiful, sexy saloon girl (Ann-Margret). The silly jokes are the point, not the plot, though Needham includes some impressive stunts. Some of the most notable draw blatantly on Warner Brothers roadrunner and Daffy Duck cartoons; notably, the film came from Columbia, not Warner. The film's attempt at satire is too heavy-handed to have bite. ~ Bill Wu, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 28 min.
Directed By: Hal Needham
Genres: Western, Comedy

In Theaters: Jul 20, 1979 Wide
On DVD: May 21, 2002

Critic Reviews

Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Reclicando as velhas e mais do que conhecidas gags do Papa-Léguas, este desastre vale apenas pela linda Ann-Margret e pela agilidade impressionante de Douglas aos 63 anos de idade.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Dean M

This is supposed to be like a live-action Road Runner cartoon as Kirk Douglas' character is a version of Wile E. Coyote. Good funny comedy-western that brings good laughs.
xGary X

Called "Cactus Jack" in the UK. Absolutely bizarre comic western, shot in a loony tunes style. Arnie is even more wooden than usual, and I couldn't quite believe Kirk Douglas got involved with this. Ann Margret looks nice though, and kids will probably get some… More
Called "Cactus Jack" in the UK. Absolutely bizarre comic western, shot in a loony tunes style. Arnie is even more wooden than usual, and I couldn't quite believe Kirk Douglas got involved with this. Ann Margret looks nice though, and kids will probably get some enjoyment out of it.
Barry L

Oh my god why didnt he have that dress off sooner. Good to see the mighty Douglas dumbing down to some slap stick here. Great film.