Take a Hard Ride (1975)

Director: Antonio Margheriti
Starring: Jim Brown, Lee Van Cleef, Fred Williamson

Synopsis:
A trail boss travels to deliver the payroll for his murdered employer while being pursued by all manner of crooked characters looking to steal it from him.

Impressions:
What happens when you mix blaxploitation and spaghetti Westerns? This movie. You've got Jim Brown, Fred Williamson and Jim Kelly reuniting in a Three the Hard Way reunion. Kelly's karate kicks may seem out of place for his character (a mute Indian), but, hey, who's gonna complain about Jim Kelly kicking people around? This would be a fairly standard Western were it not for the racial bent. The uneasy alliance between Fred Williamson and Jim Brown's characters is interesting. Lee Van Cleef is a little underutilized, but without him, the pursuers wouldn't have much weight behind them at all. There are some decent action scenes and all around, it's an okay film. If the premise doesn't appeal to you that much, you'll probably want to pass on it, but it's decent enough viewing.

Rating:
50/50