Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

On the lam and masquerading as a preacher in a desolate Far West town, a bank robber's (Clint Eastwood) past finally catches up with him in the form of assassins at which point he hitches a ride with a cocky young car thief (Jeff Bridges) and decides to get the old gang back together to pull one last score. Michael Cimino's directing debut (and audition for The Deer Hunter) which he also penned is a broad comedy with a pretty dumb ending that seems ripped off from Midnight Cowboy. However, the buddy movie aspects work surprisingly well with the two game stars (particularly a lively Bridges) and the picture features tremendous Western filming locations and cinematography. *** out of ****