Valdez is Coming (DVD, 2009)

Burt Lancaster plays a Mexican Sheriff with a credible accent who is manipulated into a position where, in the line of duty, he kills the wrong man. Bob Valdez, (Burt Lancaster,) tries to reason with the rich rancher who caused the situation, asking the man to pay the dead man's widow reparations. When the rancher refuses, Valdez becomes obsessed with the widow's cause and pushes the matter to the limit. Based on quirky western and action writer Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name, and featuring a small part by Hector Elizondo,m the movie is entertaining with a twist as all of Leonard's novels and screenplays are. Lancaster simply makes it work. A western fan's must, and an unavoidable treat for the crime and action novels of Leonard. As Lancaster tells El Segundo, the foreman of the rich rancher who asks if he counted the number of the men Valdez had killed, "You better." You better see this one.

A classic Western starring Burt Lancaster as a Mexican-American sheriff
that begins the movie as a soft spoken man. When a man is killed by a
lynch-mob, Valdez (lancaster) trys to collect money from those responsible
to give to the mans wife. He runs into one of the rich leaders of the mob
who places a cross on him and has him set off into the desert. Valdez
escapes the cross and seeks revenge. Now, the dark side of Valdez emerges
and we find he has been a scout for the Calvery and fought the Apaches. He
is a master of all weapons and uses just about everything possible at the
time to kill the rich mans men-as he trys to collect $100 to give to the
mistakenly killed mans wife. A great movie for western lovers.

Bob Valdez seems like a quiet, harmless deputy. Then the bad guys push him too far, and everyone finds out about his training and capabilities. "Intellectual" ending leaves you a little stunned for a moment.Southern Spain locations look alot like American Southwest.Fun hearing Burt Lancaster speak with a Spanish accent.

A first rate western, life depicted as tough, gritty, no nonsense in a hardscrabble land, Valdez is not a heroic type, he is a capable man with a lifetimes experience in the Apache campaigns, in which he now regrets some of his actions, he has now been provoked into being an intelligent and formidable foe, I purchased a region one dvd on USA ebay to avoid the cuts which I reckon the UK censors would make on the scene involving horses falling,therby spoiling authenticity and continuity.

If you like Burt Lancaster, and you like stories about the old west, this story is worth a look. Burt Lancaster plays the role of an aged Mexican American who is a former cavalry soldier. When the going gets tough, the bad guys learn what this old war hero is capable of doing. I like this story for seeing Burt Lancaster in a much different role than some of his other more well known movies. I purchased this movie for my father who waited more than three decades to see it. He was thrilled when I gave it to him.