Popular reviews

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  Review by Andy Summers 🤠 ★★★½ 3

  Destry is a remake of the 1939 film Destry Rides Again which starred James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich, and funnily enough directed by the same man who helmed the first film, George Marshall. Marshall's original is a very entertaining vehicle for both its stars, and this remake, although lacking some of the star wattage that Dietrich had brought to proceedings in 39', is still a decent version of a story that had little to do with Max Brand's novel from 1930, other than having similar names.

  Marshall must have liked his original film, because this one goes for an almost shot for shot remake, with very few differences from a film I watched just last October? Granted Audie Murphy isn't…

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  Review by Rick Burin ★★★

  This isn't special in the way that the '39 version is, but Murphy's baggage (as the most decorated soldier of World War Two) brings something new to the party, with Destry no longer succeeding because he's clever and wily, but because he's secretly incredibly fucking hard. That choice of star, which almost equates to stunt casting, adds a latent danger to the character, and the scene in which he finally straps on his guns is both morally questionable and quite absurdly exciting.

  Aside from that sequence, the film is mostly just solidly entertaining, with George Marshall (who also directed the Stewart/Dietrich version) acing the opening shot in the bar but then seriously bungling the catfight, through a poor choice of…

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  Review by Luke Thorne ★★★

  George Marshall’s western in which a small frontier town is being controlled by a ruthless mob boss and his cronies. Starring Audie Murphy, Mari Blanchard and Lyle Bettger.

  Destry is the third adaptation of the novel of the same name by Max Brand, with the original effort happening in 1932 and the second attempt done seven years later with James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich, with humour thrown into the mix.

  Destry is the last version of the novel by Max Brand – and the final product is a decent one.

  The story concerns deceitful mayor Hiram J. Sellers (Edgar Buchanan) and commanding criminal Phil Decker (Lyle Bettger) who rule a tiny western town.

  But when the town's sheriff perishes under…

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  Review by Timothy Evans ★★★½

  Of all the Audie Murphy I've watched thus far, no film better encapsulates the stone cold shooter hiding behind the baby face.

  There's great satisfaction to watching his outsider best people who think they've got his measure and openly mock him, while he never breaks a sweat, calmly waiting for his moment to flip the tables, catch them off guard and take them all down.

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  Review by Stein Rutledal ★★★½

  Aud-gust

  Casting Murphy as Destry is good stunt casting because of all the baggage he comes with. Remaking your own classic is a fool's errand because it can't compare to the original.

  Well shot, good climax.

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  Review by William Boyle ★★★★

  George Marshall’s nearly shot-for-shot remake of his own 1939 masterpiece DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (inspired by a Max Brand novel, which had also been adapted in 1930 starring Tom Mix—the Marshall versions stray from the source material). Yes, it seems like a wholly unnecessary remake on the surface. How do you top Jimmy Stewart and Marlene Dietrich? You don’t. But I can sure imagine why Marshall wanted to make it again. A hell of a lot happened in those 15 years and the film’s message certainly might’ve hit harder in ‘54 than it did in ‘39. And the casting of Audie Murphy resonates with a particular brand of American resilience. Jimmy Stewart is perfect in the original, but it’s really interesting…

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  Review by Jack_Davy ★★½

  A new sheriff rides into a cattle town where the old sheriff was gunned down by a land baron fencing off the territory. People laugh when Tony little Audie Murphy steps out of the carriage, wearing no gun, but they swiftly come to respect his fair and honest approach to policing, and his deadly aim when riled up.

  It’s a fairly pro forma film in the end from Murphy, despite to no guns conceit, which gets abandoned as soon as required - there’s a good blonde and a bad brunette, an apple cheeked kid dispensing truth bombs, and a lot of moustachioed villains ready to die for a fistful of dollars.

  Won’t be troubling my memory a week from now.

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  Review by RKO_Chester ★★½

  A remake of the 1930 movie Destry Rides again (with Jimmie Stewart) that is interesting for the fact that both movies were directed by George Marshall.

  They utilize about 85% of the same doings (with slight changes), the characters are all the same and some of the dialogue is exactly the same and despite having the same director these two productions are VERY different in terms of production quality and acting.

  Thomas Mitchell overplays his role in the first half and is a stark contrast to the 1939 version of this movie. It isn't the only example. There's believability in the 1939 version, thanks to the measured portrayals by the performers in that production. Herein in this remake, it seems like Marshall let performers have too much rein. Had he pulled them back more often (especially during the almost silly first half of this) the movie could have been an actual movie.

  5.75/10

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  Review by riley

  fun movie but i probably should have just watched the jimmy stewart one considering they're practically shot-for-shot. i like audie murphy, but he's not jimmy stewart! though he likely fits the role better

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  Review by 🇵🇱 Steve G 🐝 ★★★

  I've seen a few Audie Murphy westerns over the last few years but I've yet to really warm to his films.

  It's possible I've not seen the right ones yet and, in fairness to him, he's not the problem with Destry. Or Son of Destry, as it probably should have been called. The first problem with it is that having pushed Murphy's character forward as not being a believer in enforcing the law with gunfire, Destry just reverts to him ploughing through all the baddies with a gun at the end.

  The other problem is that it trots out the tired old western trope of the 'bad girl' (Mari Blanchard, in this case) turning good and inevitably getting shot at…

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  Review by RealJohnGrace ★★★½

  Now I know where Brisco County, Jr. stole its premise. The world's most dangerous man is actually perfectly cast as the goody 2-shoes hero.

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  Review by Filipe Furtado ★★★

  George Marshall remaking his own Destry Rides Again with Audie Murphy stepping in for James Stewart. Solid workman like work if lacking the early film inspiration (and really missing what Dietrich brought in to it). Murphy is far more intense and troubled than pre war Stewart was and their comparision is probably the more interesting thing about it.