Lightning Jack (DVD, 2000)

I'm sure everybody is familiar with Paul Hogan from his "Crocodile Dundee" films & perhaps a few others like "Flipper", but I'll bet a lot of you never knew he made a western. This is that oft overlooked western, "Lightning Jack." I'll admit that this did not win much critical acclaim, but it's one of my favorites & I ask that you give it a chance. You will be pleasantly surprised!

"Lightning Jack" is the tale of an immigrant Australian turned outlaw gunfighter. Lightning Jack Kane (Hogan) is the Rodney Dangerfield of his age in that he gets no respect. Everybody has heard of him, but he gets pushed aside by more infamous outlaws & is seen as just dimwitted muscle for the main gang leaders. Jack desperately wants to make a name for himself & decides to go off on his own to seek fame & fortune to impress "the mates back home." Unfortunately, Jack's ego & advancing age get the better of him in his quest.

In case you haven't guessed yet, this is a comedy more than a serious western as Jack goes through many trials & tribulations during his goal for infamy. Jack is joined in his quest by a mute Ben Doyle, played wonderfully by Cuba Gooding Jr. Gooding does such a good job & his expressions are so fantastic, I felt his performance was Oscar worthy! Ben joins Jack after a botched robbery attempt. He attempts to teach Ben to shoot, but it is hopeless so he supplies him with a sawed off shotgun. Jack regales Ben continuously with explanations of the many talismans he wears, supposedly from a variety of Indian Medicine Men & also tries to hide the fact that he needs to wear glasses to read in their quest to gain Jack his immortality.

Hogan is great as the sometimes bumbling dead eye shooting outlaw & Gooding is fantastic as his side kick. Other names of note include Beverly D'Angelo as Jack's love interest, Roger Daltrey as rival gunfighter John T. Cole & Pat Hingle as the mayor of a vigilante town where Jack hopes to finally gain the fame he so desperately wants. It's a comedic romp all the way to the end! Goodings exaggerated expressions & mugging are worth watching this film for! It's a hard film to come by, but well worth the search!