3/5 Solid Suspense Western with some problems
  by F. Hughes (Irvine, CA)
In the twilight of his career, John Wayne experimented with mixing other genres into the Western. "The War Wagon" was his 'caper' film, and this one, "Big Jake", was an attempt to incorporate elements of the suspense film, mixing dark violence and an extended, suspenseful climax with the usual John Wayne elements. The result is mixed at times, particularly Christopher Mitchum's "acting", but the film is well-paced and crisply edited. Richard Boone steals the film as the scary, very believable villain. His weary, frustrated delivery of the line "Who are you?" near the end of the film shows what a great actor can do with a simple line. The Elmer Bernstein score is one of his best Western efforts (and finally available on CD in a limited edition). A couple of notable 'flubs'. According to the plot, Wayne has been estranged from his family over ten years, away for so long he is unaware that he has a ten year old grandson. Yet, when told that a ranch employee and his family have been killed by the kidnappers, he asks "the little boy, too?" We've already seen this boy killed and he cannot be ten years old yet. So Jake knows the servant had a child, but not his own son? Later in the film Wayne punches Christopher Mitchum and, as Mitchum falls, the sound of an SLR with a speedwinder taking pictures can clearly be heard on the soundtrack. Finally, the Bergman 1911 pistol used by Patrick Wayne is a complete fiction, and is a Walther P-38 doctored to look vaguely like an earlier Bergman pistol design.

3/5 Big Jake
  by William E. Tucker
This is one of those John Wayne movies in which he takes that strong edge with his character at the beginning and never lets up until the final scene. Unlike most of his movies which give him a likeable trait, he carries this tough guy at a high level and never lets down. None of the characters, either friend or foe, can put a dent in his armor. He shows more of an actor ability in this movie than he does in most of his westerns. It is definitely different but I really liked it.

5/5 JACOB MCCANDLES GOES AFTER HIS KIDNAPPED GRANDSON!
  by Teresa (NORTH CAROLINA, USA)
I love John Wayne movies, he is a cowboy legend, no one does it better than John Wayne! In this movie Jacob McCandles(John Wayne), is the owner of a vast ranching empire, along with his wife Martha(Maureen O'Hara), and their sons, eventhough Jacob and Martha still loved each other, Jacob left the ranch ten years ago, he preferred living on the range, and he was not about to change, even with the changing times of the West.

Jacob, and Martha always knew how to find each other, when the other one needed help! Martha asked for Jacob's help, when a band of outlaws, seriously wounded their oldest son Jeff McCandles, and killed alot of people and their families, that worked on the McCandles ranch, and kidnapped, Jacob and Martha's grandson (Ethan Wayne), and helded him for ransom. Jacob came back home to help his family, and along with his other two sons James(Patrick Wayne), and Michael(played by Robert Mitchums son)they went after the kidnappers.

At first James, resented his father Jacob for staying gone for ten years, but after James and Michael, and their father Jacob, got to know each another again, they earned each others respect. I just loved Patrick Wayne who played James, he is so handsome! WOW! This is a very good western movie, and I have always loved the awesome chemisty ,between John Wayne, and Maureen O'Hara!

3/5 "No matter what else happens, no matter who gets killed I'm gonna blow your head off."
  by Roberto Frangie (Leon, Gto. Mexico)
There has been no tougher or more formidable Western heavy than Richard Boone... He has occasionally depicted hard-bitten nobility, as his portrayal of General Sam Houston in "The Alamo" or the ageing cavalry officer in "A Thunder of Drums"--but more often his grim, craggy features have led him to villainy...

He was Randolph Scott's intelligent, embittered adversary, smooth as a rattlesnake and twice as treacherous, in the Tall T; he wrapped non-conforming farmers in barbed wire in Man Without a Star; as mean, sadistic Major Salinas, he persecuted Rory Calhoun in Way of a Gaucho; and he gave Paul Newman a rough ride in Hombre. In "Big Jake," he was--as always--a powerful presence and one of the screen's most efficient scene-stealer...

George Sherman's "Big Jake" was the Duke fifth and final film played opposite the lovely redheaded Maureen O'Hara who plays, here, his wife Martha McCandles...

The movie opens in 1909 where nine men crossing the Rio Bravo into Texas... Their leader--a sadistic gunrunner--John Fain (Richard Boone) is ready for his bloody McCandles' raid where ten people were slaughtered and Big Jakes's grandson, the 8-year-old Little Jacob (Ethan Wayne) is kidnapped, and a ransom note is left demanding one million dollars in $20 Bills for Jacob's safe return...

Martha--quite sure that this job requires an extremely harsh and special kind of man to attend it-- called back her husband, absent for many years, to pay the ransom, and take back home the little boy alive...

Jacob McCandles (Wayne)--who has never seen his grandson--responds to his wife's call and organizes a hunting party to track down the dangerous and violent men...

With his two sons, his faithful Indian scout (Bruce Cabot), his loyal dog, and with a large red strongbox packed to the back of a good mule, McCandles initiates his very daring hunt...

There are some hard feelings among Wayne's resentful boys, and as the film progresses, Wayne's blue eyes were gentle and revealing a wonderful caring father but also his eyes turn to blue steel as he took that decision to get alive his grandson... The heart of the film is Wayne interacting with his wife and what he has in store for his sons next...

Patrick Wayne plays Wayne's older son who is short on ears and long on mouth... Christopher Mitchum rides a 'crazy bicycle,' carries a Bergman 1911, and a rifle with one fancy new telescope...

With great action scenes, great photography and with a terrific Elmer Bernstein musical score, "Big Jake" is one of Wayne best Westerns...

4/5 Great John Wayne, Great Supporting Roles
  by BJD (Washington state)
As usual it is a typical great John Wayne movie. (I'm partial to any of his movies.) A good portrayal of a time when horseless carriages were joining horse and wagon. The supporting roles are well played. His son, Patrick Wayne along with Christopher Mitchum do a very good job of portraying two dissimilar sons that have not seen their dad in a long while. Richard Boone adds to the character of the film and of course Maureen O'Hara is as natural as ever as an actress. Bruce Cabot is a long standing support actor for John Wayne and is just as good!

I can't give it 5 stars because of the violence. I don't watch it as much as all of his others because of it. The opening scenses and two other particular scenes, that are not boldly shown but the viewer knows exactly what is happening, some children and sensitive viewers might not be able to handle. I recommend viewing at 13+.

Good enough to add to a John Wayne movie collection.