Walt Disney tells the real story of the fighting families who won the West !
1956-12-20
N/A
90 min
The pioneering trail to Oregon was littered with constant danger. Yet, the hope of the "promised land" keeps American families westward bound despite overwhelming odds. A calm, clear-thinking pioneer attempts to lead a wagon train through territory occupied by Pawnees and Sioux. Along the way, the hardy settlers face horse thieves, kidnappers, and unpredictable Indian attacks in their push to establish a new life in the rugged West.
Simply boring.
<em>'Westward Ho, The Wagons!'</em> is a slow watch, despite a relatively low run time of 90 minutes. Fess Parker, who I enjoyed in fellow 1956 release <em>'The Great Locomotive Chase'</em>, and Jeff York, co-star in the latter, fail to entertain. Some of the music is catchy, namely the opening/closing theme, but that's about it.
The plot is as problematic as you'd expect. It basically splits itself in two in terms of its portrayal of Native Americans, one is exactly what you would unfortunately predict from a '56 release but the other part is actually, surprisingly, well intentioned. Even taking all the aforementioned out, it feels pretty disjointed and majorly uninteresting throughout.
I just found it all underwhelming, sure Disney have done much worse but that doesn't stop it leaving negative thoughts.
