The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

recommended

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Saw quite a few movies in early 1976 and two of them stand out even after all these years: one is Barry Lyndon and the other is The Man Who Would Be King. So many people haven't heard of these films and I always recommend them. John Huston had been wanting to make this movie for years but wasn't able to until the 1970s. I think it was worth it, because he picked a great cast.It takes a while to get into The Man Who Would Be King, but once you're in, you're hooked. Danny & Peachy (brilliantly portrayed by Sean Connery & Michael Caine) are a couple of hell-raisers, stationed in India as part of the Queen's forces. They've done everything imaginable and are longing for a new adventure. They hear about a remote land beyond the mountains where no white man has gone since Alexander the Great. After almost killing themselves getting to this little place, they finally arrive--and, through a series of coincidences, Danny is crowned king. Who is he to tell the natives that they made a mistake? Danny & Peachy have a great time as the king & his consort (so to speak) until the natives find out that they've been hoodwinked; Danny is a mere mortal like everyone else. And they aren't too happy.I had to purchase the DVD because TV hardly ever showed this movie. But it's worth the price. John Huston directs a wonderful adventure story that stands the test of time.

The Man Who Would Be King (1975)Plot In A Paragraph: Daniel Dravot (Connery) and Peachy Carnehan (Michael Caine) are two British soldiers in India. They decide to resign from the Army and set themselves up as deities in Kafiristan. A land where no white man has set foot since Alexander The Great.Hands down Sean Connery's best movie of the 1970's. It could be the best movie he had made at this point. An argument could even be made that it's his best movie EVER. It is certainly his best performance. He is simply superb. I think the Academy were blind not to nominate him. I'm not saying he should have won, as Jack Nicholson was superb in One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest. But he should have been nominated. Connery and Caine were a good double act as the inseparable rogues, who dabbled in blackmail and gunrunning, and were the best of friends, the type of mates, whom you'd go to your death, fighting beside. Caine dominates the first hour, Connery the second. If I have any complaints, it's that Caine hams it up a little too much early on. Connery hard the harder role of the two, especially when he became to believe his own myth, first as another Alexander The Great and then thinking he was a god. He truly was growing with every movie he made outside of Bond to become a brilliant actor.Christopher Plummer was great as Kipling, and I also enjoyed Saeed Jaffrey as Billy Fish too.If you have not seen this, I highly recommend it. The Man Who Would Be King only grossed $11 million at the domestic box office. A real shame as it is brilliant.

Films are meant to entertain. Not in a cheap sense, not in a higher sense. Everything else is welcomed, but that's what they should do first and foremost.And I can't really thing of a more entertaining film than this. I can't even think for the slightest of reasons why someone would walk out of a theater without satisfaction after watching this movie.An absolute 10/10. Both actors are excellent, John Houston is a legend, there's not even the slightest milli-second of tediousness in this film.Watching it, I was wishing it would never end.

The Man Who Would Be King is a great movie with a very well developed storyline and a terrific cast. It's a very entertaining adventure film that was made in a time when these type of films were rare, it was a risky at the time and required serious effort from the film makers, and it all shows here, it looks beautiful, the cinematography is stunning even for today's standards and it was clearly a very expensive production. The biggest flaw is that it's predictable, once the two main characters make it to India, everything from their can be told twenty minutes in advance, we knew what would end up happening to each character, there isn't any unexpected twist that takes the audience away, and it's predictability is the reason why I'm giving this an eight instead of a nine that it easily could have received. The cast is terrific, particularly Sean Connery and Michael Caine, of course, the chemistry between them is spectacular, they seemed very comfortable performing together and it's a pleasant experience to see these two movie icons in the same film. A swashbuckling adventure with stunning scenery and great acting, the Man Who Would Be King is worth the watch for anyone looking for a good adventure film. Two British soldiers in colonial India venture to uncharted realms in search of wealth and power. Best Performance: Michael Caine Worst Performance: Albert Moses