I seldom read other reviewer's comments before I add my own two cents' worth, but I did for this one..don't know why. Anyway, it seems that this film is being judged against the films of today instead of with others from the early 70's. Much of what made the film a blockbuster then seems so dated now. Judged against other films of the day, Billy Jack was BIG and Billy Jack was IMPORTANT. The acting in this film is not great, but most of the cast is made up of relative unknowns. The story, as I said, is definitely passe (by today's standards). But Billy Jack was a "social consciousness" film, designed to put forward the cause of pacifism. The Vietnam war was still raging in 1971 and the antiwar juggernaut was steamrolling. This film, while not strictly an anti-war film, advocates peace, love and all that other hippie stuff. Oh, yeah...HIPPIES. When's the last time you saw a real, honest-to-God Hippie? The film is pretty much full of hippies. They espoused peace and love and sharing, a message that just wouldn't cut it today. But mixed in with the peace movement is the beginnings of the growing need to reconnect with one's ancestry. Billy Jack is an Indian. No, they don't call them Native Americans in this film, they call them Indians. Everything has changed in 30 years and that's why it's not fair to judge this film by today's standards. This film is very violent, has nudity in it and would certainly be rated "R" today. Billy Jack's martial arts sequences are actually realistic, with no one flying 20 feet through the air, turning a dozen back flips and then kicking 13 people in a quarter of a second. Somehow, it wound up with a PG rating. It's a 30+ year old film but one that deserves to be judged fairly, so judge it against other films of the time. I think you'll find it can stand on its own.
141 Reviews
A moment and an attitude captured in time...
AlsExGal28 March 2020
... and you have to love the anti-violence screeds followed by onscreen massacres.
The start of the film really has nothing to do with Billy Jack. It is a deputy in the town having his runaway teen daughter returned to him. She tells him she is pregnant and she has been with so many guys she doesn't even know the father's race. Dad explodes in anger and beats her. The deputy panics and dumps what may be her "body" for all he knows out in the wild. Billy Jack finds the girl and hides her at The Freedom School - a counterculture alternative school with mainly native students, but the school is open to any kid with problems.
So the rest of the movie is based on the deputy's lie that his daughter ran away again, that she is pregnant, and that a boy at the Freedom School is the father. And weirdly enough, deputy dad never recants this story, and seems to come to believe it himself.
Now things were never great between the counterculture pacifist school and the traditional townspeople, but the story of the deputy's daughter brings things to a boil.
And in the middle of all of this is Billy Jack, a half native American ex special forces vet who protects the school - as best as one guy can - with physical force when he has to, and plus he really seems to enjoy it too. And the film gives you two hissable villains, town political boss Posner and his bullying cowardly son Bernard, always retreating to the safety of dad's shadow when his misdeeds get him in bad with Billy Jack.
This film only cost 800K to make yet raked in 33 million with largely wooden acting, a script that meanders and often contradicts itself, and lots of on location shooting so that expensive sets were not needed. So why did people flock to this little indie in droves? Because if you want to understand the Vietnam era and counterculture movement of the late 60s/early 70s I would say watch this film rather than the more famous and acclaimed "All In the Family". The hypocritical and racist townsfolk - often to the point of being cartoonish - actually symbolize how the oldest crop of the boomers saw the establishment. Billy Jack really did symbolize a hero as he had to be, where Jean was a hero/heroine the way people would have liked to be. And it had much to say about the ugliness of racism practiced by everyday people.
For film history buffs, I would say this film is worthwhile. It also has many quotable quotes, and if you look carefully you'll see Howard Hesseman (Doctor Johnny Fever of WKRP in Cincinnati) in a very small and early role as a drama teacher at the school who shows up at a hearing about closing the school and recites a speech that he at first claims is by George Washington, and then reveals it was written by Adolph himself. Not that this speech had anything to do with what the hearing was about, and such is the disorganized symbol of an era that this film became.
The start of the film really has nothing to do with Billy Jack. It is a deputy in the town having his runaway teen daughter returned to him. She tells him she is pregnant and she has been with so many guys she doesn't even know the father's race. Dad explodes in anger and beats her. The deputy panics and dumps what may be her "body" for all he knows out in the wild. Billy Jack finds the girl and hides her at The Freedom School - a counterculture alternative school with mainly native students, but the school is open to any kid with problems.
So the rest of the movie is based on the deputy's lie that his daughter ran away again, that she is pregnant, and that a boy at the Freedom School is the father. And weirdly enough, deputy dad never recants this story, and seems to come to believe it himself.
Now things were never great between the counterculture pacifist school and the traditional townspeople, but the story of the deputy's daughter brings things to a boil.
And in the middle of all of this is Billy Jack, a half native American ex special forces vet who protects the school - as best as one guy can - with physical force when he has to, and plus he really seems to enjoy it too. And the film gives you two hissable villains, town political boss Posner and his bullying cowardly son Bernard, always retreating to the safety of dad's shadow when his misdeeds get him in bad with Billy Jack.
This film only cost 800K to make yet raked in 33 million with largely wooden acting, a script that meanders and often contradicts itself, and lots of on location shooting so that expensive sets were not needed. So why did people flock to this little indie in droves? Because if you want to understand the Vietnam era and counterculture movement of the late 60s/early 70s I would say watch this film rather than the more famous and acclaimed "All In the Family". The hypocritical and racist townsfolk - often to the point of being cartoonish - actually symbolize how the oldest crop of the boomers saw the establishment. Billy Jack really did symbolize a hero as he had to be, where Jean was a hero/heroine the way people would have liked to be. And it had much to say about the ugliness of racism practiced by everyday people.
For film history buffs, I would say this film is worthwhile. It also has many quotable quotes, and if you look carefully you'll see Howard Hesseman (Doctor Johnny Fever of WKRP in Cincinnati) in a very small and early role as a drama teacher at the school who shows up at a hearing about closing the school and recites a speech that he at first claims is by George Washington, and then reveals it was written by Adolph himself. Not that this speech had anything to do with what the hearing was about, and such is the disorganized symbol of an era that this film became.
A True Classic
hacness18 January 2006
Well, Billy Jack was not at all what I had expected. I had heard of the movie and thought it was some kind of kung fu cult movie, but really didn't know what to expect. The movie blew me away! OK, so the acting can be a little cheesy at times, but how many movies from that era are not cheesy in some way? At any rate, Billy Jack is a true American hero. What I love about the movie is that it is focused on very important subject matter, but portrays it in such an unconventional and unique way. Billy Jack is a character of all characters. His mannerisms are hysterical. He shows such intense frustration when he knows he's going to have to kick someone's butt, and that makes his character what it is. He's an ex-green beret and he can surely kick some serious bad guy butt if he has to, but he is also a man with a big heart and his life's mission is to protect the native Americans and hippies who are either too weak or too peaceful to fight for themselves. And he loves Jean, loves her with all his heart and knows that he is the only one who can protect her and protect what is important to her. His character is portrayed in such a way that you can see the internal struggle in his eyes and hear it in his voice when he is faced with a situation where some biggot butts need kickin'. Billy Jack is a true classic and a movie that will stick with me for the rest of my life.
An occasionally dopey cult hit that could have used a bit of editing.
planktonrules16 March 2006
This is a watchable movie that was a hit when it debuted--simply because it was the right type of film at the right time. If it had come out only a few years later, it no doubt would have bombed--like what happened to its sequel, THE TRIAL OF BILLY JACK.
BILLY JACK came out during the absolute height of discontent about the Vietnam War. The sequel, out in 1974, was after the war officially ended. At this point, the thrill of the hippie movement had lost some of its appeal and the anti-establishment hero, Billy Jack, was passé. Plus, the sequel was terribly written and incredibly over the top when it came to sentiment and melodrama.
This film is itself a sequel to the film THE BORN LOSERS--a movie about an evil biker gang that terrorizes a small town. Now, instead of fighting evil bikers, our peace-loving hero (who always seems to spend half the movie beating the crap out of everyone) is defending the residents of a combination Indian school and hippie commune. In fact, it's amazing that for a pacifist, Billy kicks the crap out of an awful lot of people. As far as the plot goes, it's really predictable and the dialog is sometimes terrible, but if you've always wanted to see what it would be like to graft a Steven Segal movie onto a hippie flick, then this is YOUR film. All others should beware! It is chock full of hippie and faux American Indian mumbo-jumbo and is, alternatively, unintentionally funny AND poignant!
BILLY JACK came out during the absolute height of discontent about the Vietnam War. The sequel, out in 1974, was after the war officially ended. At this point, the thrill of the hippie movement had lost some of its appeal and the anti-establishment hero, Billy Jack, was passé. Plus, the sequel was terribly written and incredibly over the top when it came to sentiment and melodrama.
This film is itself a sequel to the film THE BORN LOSERS--a movie about an evil biker gang that terrorizes a small town. Now, instead of fighting evil bikers, our peace-loving hero (who always seems to spend half the movie beating the crap out of everyone) is defending the residents of a combination Indian school and hippie commune. In fact, it's amazing that for a pacifist, Billy kicks the crap out of an awful lot of people. As far as the plot goes, it's really predictable and the dialog is sometimes terrible, but if you've always wanted to see what it would be like to graft a Steven Segal movie onto a hippie flick, then this is YOUR film. All others should beware! It is chock full of hippie and faux American Indian mumbo-jumbo and is, alternatively, unintentionally funny AND poignant!
One of the best
Dismenot2 August 2003
A movie I think almost everyone should see. Billy Jack epitomizes the senselessness of blind hatred and bigotry, and, it was one of the best "B" movies ever made. I myself, went to a type of "freedom school" when I was a kid, and the song, "One Tin Soldier" almost became our school anthem. I love this movie and always will, but a word of warning, the younger generation wont find any "star-wars" special effect's, it was produced on a rather small budget, and anyone can find a filming flaw, in any movie, but if you take it at face value, and just enjoy the "John Wayne cleaning up the town(only moved into the 1970's instead of the 1870's)" and the message it convey's. then I think you will like this film.
Everything you hated about 1970 rolled into a ball
LCShackley12 May 2013
I was a high school sophomore when this movie came out. It was one of the iconic movies of the period, but I managed to miss it until 2013 when I caught it on cable TV. All I knew about its content was what I learned from the Paul Simon SNL parody "Billy Paul" which ran a few years after the film's release. I had the impression that it was a sort of violent revenge film along the lines of "Death Wish."
Instead, it's a 2-hour reminder of how truly awful the hippie era was, full of pretension, naiveté, new-ageism, and horrid folk songs that make you want to pull a Belushi with the guitar player. The plot itself takes about 60 minutes to unravel; the rest is filler, featuring "music" or improvised comedy by the 60s troupe "The Committee" (including Howard Hesseman under a stage name). The clichés flow freely, and the characters are all cardboard cutouts, but at least things are livened up by a few good fight scenes featuring the "pacifist" Billy Jack. It's the kind of movie you'd expect when a husband/wife team writes a script, then give themselves the starring roles and the director's chair. With any luck, this film will cure any nostalgia you may still have for the late 60s/early 70s.
Instead, it's a 2-hour reminder of how truly awful the hippie era was, full of pretension, naiveté, new-ageism, and horrid folk songs that make you want to pull a Belushi with the guitar player. The plot itself takes about 60 minutes to unravel; the rest is filler, featuring "music" or improvised comedy by the 60s troupe "The Committee" (including Howard Hesseman under a stage name). The clichés flow freely, and the characters are all cardboard cutouts, but at least things are livened up by a few good fight scenes featuring the "pacifist" Billy Jack. It's the kind of movie you'd expect when a husband/wife team writes a script, then give themselves the starring roles and the director's chair. With any luck, this film will cure any nostalgia you may still have for the late 60s/early 70s.
Tedious and bizarre hippie-message film-cum-action pic
Groverdox14 May 2019
I never thought I'd see the day that I'd watch a hippie inflected action movie, but here we are. "Billy Jack" basically assembles a small town with young hippie kids, black people and Native Americans, and of course puts them at odds with corrupt cops and evil rich kid types. Luckily for them, the titular Billy Jack is on their side, and he is a martial arts expert and action hero.
It's handy, being a pacifist with a prolifically violent friend. You don't have to get your hands dirty yourself.
I don't know what to say about "Billy Jack". It doesn't work as a movie. Scenes and characters totally fail to build. I guess it does get its message across, if that message is that the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. But it's completely forgettable. And boring.
It's handy, being a pacifist with a prolifically violent friend. You don't have to get your hands dirty yourself.
I don't know what to say about "Billy Jack". It doesn't work as a movie. Scenes and characters totally fail to build. I guess it does get its message across, if that message is that the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. But it's completely forgettable. And boring.
Too long, too preachy
jellopuke14 September 2019
What you have here is a revenge movie with pretensions. About 30 minutes needed to be cut out as this drags heavily in places, particularly any scene where Billy Jack is not on camera. He's great, everything else is like amateur hour. Why did we need to see so much of the lame skits? Ugh, for a classic, this was tough to watch.That said, the character was great, he just needed a better movie that wasn't so high on itself.
Incredibly Pretentious
gftbiloxi3 June 2005
I was twelve years old when I saw this on the big screen and loved every minute of it. Today I feel a trickle of cold sweat whenever the movie is mentioned, and when I recently had occasion to see the film again I cringed to think that I had ever been enthusiastic about it in my childhood.
It isn't so much that BILLY JACK is a bad movie as it is an awesomely pretentious one rife with glaring bouts of hypocrisy. The story of non-violent native Americans and flower children saved from hysterical cowboys by Billy Jack (who wants to be non-violent but always has to kick butt) is well-intended, but from a modern standpoint it is acutely embarrassing. The production values are so-so, and the cast is merely adequate at best. If you have fond memories of this film, keep them by leaving BILLY JACK in the past: don't see it again. And if you have never seen it... leave well enough alone.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
It isn't so much that BILLY JACK is a bad movie as it is an awesomely pretentious one rife with glaring bouts of hypocrisy. The story of non-violent native Americans and flower children saved from hysterical cowboys by Billy Jack (who wants to be non-violent but always has to kick butt) is well-intended, but from a modern standpoint it is acutely embarrassing. The production values are so-so, and the cast is merely adequate at best. If you have fond memories of this film, keep them by leaving BILLY JACK in the past: don't see it again. And if you have never seen it... leave well enough alone.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
70's Counterculture Schlock
t_k_matthews13 March 2012
I don't know what made me think of Billy Jack and look it up on IMDb. Maybe in old age I'm looking back with fondness on the things of my youth that I despised. It's been forty years since I saw "Billy Jack," so be kind if I get a detail or two wrong.
A girl dragged me to see Billy Jack in a second-run theater. It'd been around the block once. (The movie, not the girl, who'd been around the block several times.) I think my female friend sensed that I was a little too conservative and judgmental and this was a movie I *needed* to see. In the end she was disappointed it had no discernible salutary effect on me other than to harden my stance against idiotic peace-and-love schlock.
Billy Jack fights violence by beating up people. Not exactly what Mr. Gandhi and Dr. King had in mind. We cheer for Billy (or Jack) while he lands crushing martial arts blows to (if memory serves) Republicans, rednecks, law enforcement officers, greedy land speculators, the anti-child lobby, and people who like their cars. Mr. Jack loves children, but probably not in an icky way, and is full of woo-woo mysticism which, as I recall, was often in those days linked to the use of pharmaceuticals. The Man, of course, is always trying to keep him down.
One previous review said the movie leans to the left. This movie leans to the left like the sun leans to hot. This movie is so socialist that by comparison it makes Obama's preacher look like Rick Santorum.
If pretentiousness and smug piety count against a movie at all (and they should, even making allowances for a film from the counterculture years), this is one of the worst ever. As I think about it, I'd kind of like to see it again, just for laughs.
To those who love "Billy Jack" and its message of peace, love, and harmony: If this review angers you, please don't beat me up. To misquote the song: Peace on earth/Is all I say.
A girl dragged me to see Billy Jack in a second-run theater. It'd been around the block once. (The movie, not the girl, who'd been around the block several times.) I think my female friend sensed that I was a little too conservative and judgmental and this was a movie I *needed* to see. In the end she was disappointed it had no discernible salutary effect on me other than to harden my stance against idiotic peace-and-love schlock.
Billy Jack fights violence by beating up people. Not exactly what Mr. Gandhi and Dr. King had in mind. We cheer for Billy (or Jack) while he lands crushing martial arts blows to (if memory serves) Republicans, rednecks, law enforcement officers, greedy land speculators, the anti-child lobby, and people who like their cars. Mr. Jack loves children, but probably not in an icky way, and is full of woo-woo mysticism which, as I recall, was often in those days linked to the use of pharmaceuticals. The Man, of course, is always trying to keep him down.
One previous review said the movie leans to the left. This movie leans to the left like the sun leans to hot. This movie is so socialist that by comparison it makes Obama's preacher look like Rick Santorum.
If pretentiousness and smug piety count against a movie at all (and they should, even making allowances for a film from the counterculture years), this is one of the worst ever. As I think about it, I'd kind of like to see it again, just for laughs.
To those who love "Billy Jack" and its message of peace, love, and harmony: If this review angers you, please don't beat me up. To misquote the song: Peace on earth/Is all I say.
Time has not been kind to this movie.
Nat-218 October 1999
I recall seeing this movie at the theater. At the time I was a teenager ripe for the anti-establishment theme (and thrilled with the "cool " violence in the movie). I thought it was the greatest movie ever made. On re-viewing it recently, I couldn't believe how stupid I was. This movie is so bad it is laughable. You can almost feel the characters straining to get their point across. The plot is simplistic and the acting is. Of course, things have changed in nearly 30 years. My taste in movies is one of them.
An under-appreciated masterwork
WeepingGodFilms26 August 2001
Warning: Spoilers
It is true that Tom Laughlin does not look like an Indian, half-breed or otherwise. It is true that some of the scenes, particularly the scenes improvised by the committee, are unnecessary (though extremely funny) and the film itself is too long. It is true that the martial arts scenes in this film are few and far between. However: The film is not a martial arts film and it deals more with the spirit of being an Indian, a true American, than it is about the looks of one. Often dismissed as a cheesy karate movie, BILLY JACK is in fact an excellent study of conflicting idealogies, of violence as a quick but by no means correct solution, and of the different varieties of love. Though it is much too long a film, the sheer enthusiasm and love for the children that Jean (Dolores Taylor) expresses gets the viewer involved on an emotional level. While we cannot justify Billy Jack's (Tom Laughlin) actions, we know he is doing it out of love for Jean. We feel the rage he feels towards Bernard, a character that is surprisingly deftly acted. At the start of the film, we sympathize with him; by the time he has raped Jean we, like Billy, want to rip him a couple of new orifices. His well-deserved death is quick and pathetic, like the shooting of the dog. Billy Jack himself is an American icon, the true definition of a hero, presented in such a way that the audience questions their own ideas about heroism. The characters are well-drawn, the cinematography breath-taking, the improvised scenes much funnier than anything to hit SNL in a long time. So why is it that this film, the most financially-successful independent film to EVER exist, is so often dismissed as nothing more than a bad karate movie? Because of bad marketing, for one thing; the other is the way it's often described: "A half-breed Indian Vietnam Vet played by a white guy protects a 'hippie' school from bigotry." Much like the Freedom School that Billy seeks to protect, the film itself is marred by such bigotry and misconceptions.
late 60s fun and social consciousness
drguitar2078316 November 2005
This movie takes me back to 1969 (when it was first started) Also: note the high school football schedule for 1969 on the ice cream shop door with the school name marked out to preserve its anonymity). You really had to live through these days to appreciate the fact that some people really did think and act like the actors in this film.While all hippies were certainly NOT non-violent, this film earnestly tries to present an enlightened message to an adult audience that at that time was not the most socially aware in the world. =)And yes, people really did say things like: "Damn hippies! They oughtta get their hair cut! they're ruining the country!!"
The New Left movement which really became influential around 1972 and years following was the hippie fringe in 69.
This movie is simply a lot of fun. To insist it be more than that is unrealistic. It was independently produced by a guy (Laughlin) who believed in his message, wrote it and called all the shots himself. Its really not bad taken in that context. The little blonde girl singing the anti-war song is Tom and Delores' real life daughter Theresa. The comedy troupes used to appear on shows like the Smothers Brothers and were considered "way out". =) (amazing how cynical we've become isn't it??) While most of America in those days was more like the townspeople than the school people, it is still very very entertaining to see those days played out again.
The New Left movement which really became influential around 1972 and years following was the hippie fringe in 69.
This movie is simply a lot of fun. To insist it be more than that is unrealistic. It was independently produced by a guy (Laughlin) who believed in his message, wrote it and called all the shots himself. Its really not bad taken in that context. The little blonde girl singing the anti-war song is Tom and Delores' real life daughter Theresa. The comedy troupes used to appear on shows like the Smothers Brothers and were considered "way out". =) (amazing how cynical we've become isn't it??) While most of America in those days was more like the townspeople than the school people, it is still very very entertaining to see those days played out again.
Oh Gawd!
geoaar-111 June 2006
This is easily one of the worst films ever made.
I remember when it first came out I took a date to see it, but the lines were too long and we decided to do something else.
For years after that, I wanted to see this film. I heard such great things about it. How Billy Jack was the coolest anti-hero ever, and how he stuck it to "The Man" and all that sort of blather.
Finally, one day I happened to see that it was going to be on cable in the near future. I planned everything around being home that day so I could finally see this cinematic Classic.
Lord have mercy, but "disappointed" doesn't begin to say it. The film is just atrocious! Not enough that the writing is juvenile and sappy, the acting non-existent, the editing and production values in general being about par with an eight-grade film project, but then top it off with a preachy, condescending, self-righteousness that would make Jerry Falwell blush and you have the recipe for the "treasure" that "Billy Jack" is. Oh lordy...
The only reason I can think of for anyone to watch this, is if they want to have a laugh at how pretentious and fatuous it's possible to get. Oh gawd, it's awful. It really is...
I remember when it first came out I took a date to see it, but the lines were too long and we decided to do something else.
For years after that, I wanted to see this film. I heard such great things about it. How Billy Jack was the coolest anti-hero ever, and how he stuck it to "The Man" and all that sort of blather.
Finally, one day I happened to see that it was going to be on cable in the near future. I planned everything around being home that day so I could finally see this cinematic Classic.
Lord have mercy, but "disappointed" doesn't begin to say it. The film is just atrocious! Not enough that the writing is juvenile and sappy, the acting non-existent, the editing and production values in general being about par with an eight-grade film project, but then top it off with a preachy, condescending, self-righteousness that would make Jerry Falwell blush and you have the recipe for the "treasure" that "Billy Jack" is. Oh lordy...
The only reason I can think of for anyone to watch this, is if they want to have a laugh at how pretentious and fatuous it's possible to get. Oh gawd, it's awful. It really is...
White Man Plays Indian. White Man Lectures Indians.
quitwastingmytime15 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
That's about the whole film. Playing Indian by a pale blue eyed Great White Savior. Who thinks looking like an Indian...means wearing a cowboy hat!
Because the Great White Savior didn't beat up the bad guys. His obvious two shades darker and a whole foot shorter Asian stunt double did.
So ask yourself why did so many white hippies love this? They wanted to play Indian too. They wanted to be the Great White Savior and have Natives tell them, "Yes, White Man. Whatever you say, White Man."
If you don't see the racism in this fantasy, that it's mostly different from redneck racism in having a different violent target, you need to take a look in the mirror.
And don't get me started on the awful soundtrack. Couldn't they have hired a Native band like XIT or Redbone? Nope. We get an irritating white Canadian folk group instead.
As for Tom Laughlin, his career bombed after this. He turned to conspiracy theories and selling New Age ceremonies that were phony imitations of Native beliefs, just like his films.
He and his films are examples of everything wrong with hippie counterculture. Hippies didn't stop Vietnam or segregation. They'd rather get high and play at being rebels.
Because the Great White Savior didn't beat up the bad guys. His obvious two shades darker and a whole foot shorter Asian stunt double did.
So ask yourself why did so many white hippies love this? They wanted to play Indian too. They wanted to be the Great White Savior and have Natives tell them, "Yes, White Man. Whatever you say, White Man."
If you don't see the racism in this fantasy, that it's mostly different from redneck racism in having a different violent target, you need to take a look in the mirror.
And don't get me started on the awful soundtrack. Couldn't they have hired a Native band like XIT or Redbone? Nope. We get an irritating white Canadian folk group instead.
As for Tom Laughlin, his career bombed after this. He turned to conspiracy theories and selling New Age ceremonies that were phony imitations of Native beliefs, just like his films.
He and his films are examples of everything wrong with hippie counterculture. Hippies didn't stop Vietnam or segregation. They'd rather get high and play at being rebels.
This movie makes Public Access Television look appealing.
john_q_public_696 October 2000
What good things can I say about this movie. At least I didn't pay the rental fee; someone else did and that's bad enough. This movie is film making at its absolute worst. The acting is terrible and the script is about as well thought out as an 8th Grade research paper. The picture quality is horrid not to mention you can't hear some of the dialogue in "potentially key" scenes. This film looks like a 8mm home movie of a hippie commune in Oregon. I don't know how this movie got any financing whatsoever let alone the revenue it brought in. Just let me some up this movie in one word. . . DUMB!!!!!
One of the worst movies ever made
thomas-korn11 March 2021
But I sat through the whole thing. Mind you, it's living proof why the hippy movement of the 1960s lost.. they had no clue what they were really fighting then.. or now. But Tom Laughlin and his downer of a wife honestly thought they were "exposing" the "truth" up till their dying day.. that's what makes this movie almost watchable..just to see how absurd their stance on life actually was.
Sorry, but it's an exercise in pretentious futility
biker457 July 2002
BILLY JACK is one of those unfortunate films from the "counterculture" era which preaches its message so strongly that it becomes a self-parody. It is a poorly acted, one-dimensional film that might have made an interesting half hour quasi-documentary on Native American culture if all the unnecessary, pretentious improvisational "comedy" (term used very loosely), singing by untalented and overzealous performers, and leftist propaganda were removed. As it stands, it is a boring, self conscious exercise in futility. It might have had some relevance to youthful audiences in the early 1970's, but it's just a waste of time in the present day.
"Hate your neighbor
cheat your friend"
romanorum12 December 2013
The movie's theme song "One Tin Soldier" was covered by Coven from the original 1970 tune by Original Caste. In it, the valley people covet supposed riches of the mountain kingdom. The latter wish to share, but the valley people, wanting it all, attack and slay their neighbors. But they find no riches. One tin soldier rides away, the legend of Billy Jack.
Billy Jack (Tom McLaughlin) martial arts expert and ex-Green Beret, is a "half-breed" who has authority to uphold the law on an Indian reservation in Arizona or New Mexico. Billy Jack's girl is a strong- willed woman, a pacifist, Jean Roberts (Delores Taylor, his wife in real life) who runs the Freedom School. This progressive reservation school for troubled young folks welcomes all youth regardless of ethnicity; it is a rainbow. There are three main rules: (1) no drugs, (2) everyone must pull his/her own weight, and (3) a student must create something, like a painting about his/her heritage, weaving a blanket, creating a film, etc. One may surmise that the Indian reservation and school represent the mountain people of the song.
In contrast to the school is the nearby town outside the reservation. The folks who live and work there are hostile to the reservation school as they cannot relate to its unorthodox teaching methods. As they consider the kids to be outcasts, they make no attempt to hide their various prejudices. In reality the deck is stacked: all of the virtues belong to the school population with the exception of one or two oddballs. By contrast, all of the negative qualities are possessed by the narrow-minded townsfolk nearly without exception. They do not like "long-haired weirdos." Chief among the town-folk are the Posners, businessman father and purposeless son. The former, Stuart Posner (Bert Freed), is plain rotten; the latter, Bernard (David Roya), is a disdainful rich kid. At the beginning Stuart Posner thinks there is nothing wrong about illegally rounding up wild mustangs on Indian land and slaughtering them for profit. Although Bernard initially seems to stand up to his father, he later shows his vile side as he degenerates into murder, rape, and even near-pedophilia. Although Sheriff Cole (Clark Howat) is decent enough, his deputy Mike (Ken Tobey) is a snake. One may surmise that the town represents the valley people of the song.
As pacifist Jean tells Billy, he needs to control his violent temper. In turn, Billy feels he needs to use violence to get justice for his people. An example relates to a group of Freedom School teens who take the school bus to town for shopping. At an ice cream store they suffer an intolerable injustice that goes beyond the owner not serving them. By the way, if a store-owner wants to make money, why does he not sell to everybody? This attitude has always seemed self-defeating. Anyway Billy Jack throws the biggest bully ("Dinosaur") through a plate glass window. Pow! The store owner merely stands by and watches. After that someone tampers with Billy's jeep. Then Billy Jack is outnumbered 12 to one in fight with some townsmen. In the course of the film, tensions will escalate until the inevitable conclusion of the struggle between the townsfolk and the school (Billy Jack).
Although Tom McLaughlin is heavy-handed, his screen presence is huge. Reserved and athletic, he represents the ideal Caucasian-Indian hero: tough, unshakable, and aware of his Indian roots. He is at ease whether on horseback or motorcycle. Delores Taylor, slender and with long hair, but also sad-eyed and plain-faced, is appropriate as the school administrator. Although her acting is uneven, she is a central figure of the story in many ways. For it is she who began the school and both encourages and relates to the young people. It is she who helps Billy Jack come to his senses at the end. The independent film could have used experienced editing, especially for the school skits, and the script could have been tighter. The singing and guitar-playing are sometimes difficult to take. And it is understandable that Stan Rice, the actor who plays the Indian Martin, has no other silver screen credits. The movie running time is too long, and some of the dialogue and attitudes are outlandish. For instance, at the board meeting the young girl credits the "law and order" quote to Adolf Hitler. Thus the inferred message is that anyone who supports upholding our laws extols that dictator. Despite amateurish acting, the film does display a charm of its own. White-booted Susan Foster (Cindy/"Up Yours") is very attractive. Always beautiful are southwestern USA shots. The Paiute Wovoka friendship dance is colorful, while the Shoshone Indian snake ceremony is most unusual. The Billy Jack story line does maintain interest and the theme song is well done.
By the way, note the yellow-colored Dr. Pepper poster advertisement on the ice cream store door when Billy Jack enters. It illustrates the upcoming school football schedule for 1969, the year when filming began. "Billy Jack" was released in 1971 and again in 1973. A movie costing under a million dollars to create grossed many times that number. This popular cult film even resulted in two sequels; its predecessor was "Born Losers" (1967).
Billy Jack (Tom McLaughlin) martial arts expert and ex-Green Beret, is a "half-breed" who has authority to uphold the law on an Indian reservation in Arizona or New Mexico. Billy Jack's girl is a strong- willed woman, a pacifist, Jean Roberts (Delores Taylor, his wife in real life) who runs the Freedom School. This progressive reservation school for troubled young folks welcomes all youth regardless of ethnicity; it is a rainbow. There are three main rules: (1) no drugs, (2) everyone must pull his/her own weight, and (3) a student must create something, like a painting about his/her heritage, weaving a blanket, creating a film, etc. One may surmise that the Indian reservation and school represent the mountain people of the song.
In contrast to the school is the nearby town outside the reservation. The folks who live and work there are hostile to the reservation school as they cannot relate to its unorthodox teaching methods. As they consider the kids to be outcasts, they make no attempt to hide their various prejudices. In reality the deck is stacked: all of the virtues belong to the school population with the exception of one or two oddballs. By contrast, all of the negative qualities are possessed by the narrow-minded townsfolk nearly without exception. They do not like "long-haired weirdos." Chief among the town-folk are the Posners, businessman father and purposeless son. The former, Stuart Posner (Bert Freed), is plain rotten; the latter, Bernard (David Roya), is a disdainful rich kid. At the beginning Stuart Posner thinks there is nothing wrong about illegally rounding up wild mustangs on Indian land and slaughtering them for profit. Although Bernard initially seems to stand up to his father, he later shows his vile side as he degenerates into murder, rape, and even near-pedophilia. Although Sheriff Cole (Clark Howat) is decent enough, his deputy Mike (Ken Tobey) is a snake. One may surmise that the town represents the valley people of the song.
As pacifist Jean tells Billy, he needs to control his violent temper. In turn, Billy feels he needs to use violence to get justice for his people. An example relates to a group of Freedom School teens who take the school bus to town for shopping. At an ice cream store they suffer an intolerable injustice that goes beyond the owner not serving them. By the way, if a store-owner wants to make money, why does he not sell to everybody? This attitude has always seemed self-defeating. Anyway Billy Jack throws the biggest bully ("Dinosaur") through a plate glass window. Pow! The store owner merely stands by and watches. After that someone tampers with Billy's jeep. Then Billy Jack is outnumbered 12 to one in fight with some townsmen. In the course of the film, tensions will escalate until the inevitable conclusion of the struggle between the townsfolk and the school (Billy Jack).
Although Tom McLaughlin is heavy-handed, his screen presence is huge. Reserved and athletic, he represents the ideal Caucasian-Indian hero: tough, unshakable, and aware of his Indian roots. He is at ease whether on horseback or motorcycle. Delores Taylor, slender and with long hair, but also sad-eyed and plain-faced, is appropriate as the school administrator. Although her acting is uneven, she is a central figure of the story in many ways. For it is she who began the school and both encourages and relates to the young people. It is she who helps Billy Jack come to his senses at the end. The independent film could have used experienced editing, especially for the school skits, and the script could have been tighter. The singing and guitar-playing are sometimes difficult to take. And it is understandable that Stan Rice, the actor who plays the Indian Martin, has no other silver screen credits. The movie running time is too long, and some of the dialogue and attitudes are outlandish. For instance, at the board meeting the young girl credits the "law and order" quote to Adolf Hitler. Thus the inferred message is that anyone who supports upholding our laws extols that dictator. Despite amateurish acting, the film does display a charm of its own. White-booted Susan Foster (Cindy/"Up Yours") is very attractive. Always beautiful are southwestern USA shots. The Paiute Wovoka friendship dance is colorful, while the Shoshone Indian snake ceremony is most unusual. The Billy Jack story line does maintain interest and the theme song is well done.
By the way, note the yellow-colored Dr. Pepper poster advertisement on the ice cream store door when Billy Jack enters. It illustrates the upcoming school football schedule for 1969, the year when filming began. "Billy Jack" was released in 1971 and again in 1973. A movie costing under a million dollars to create grossed many times that number. This popular cult film even resulted in two sequels; its predecessor was "Born Losers" (1967).
This movie just makes me go berserk
garybny5 August 2010
First, I just want to mention that I used to like Billy Jack. Then something strange happened....I grew up. Where should I start. Maybe with the main reason that I used to be a fan, the martial arts action. Never mind that taken through a hindsight perspective, the action is quite limited. Also Tom Laughlin has no martial arts training at all (unknown to me during my ignorance at the time) and all of his karate scenes were performed by a Asian karate master stunt double. Also, I believe that one of the main reasons that no major studio would touch this, was Laughlin's insistence that Delores Taylor (his wife)play the female lead. Not only was she far from attractive, she was devoid of any acting ability whatsoever. If anyone doubts this, please name a non-Billy Jack film that she has appeared in. I must also mention the complete hypocrisy of the whole hippie, non-violence premise of the film. You see Billy Jack preaches pacifism and non-violence, while busting heads. I guess violence is only justifiable when it is considered "righteous liberal rage". Let this one tin soldier ride away.
Pure 70's drivel - One Tin Solder Rides Away
TBoldOne28 November 2009
This movie is so bad on many levels. My biggest gripe. The hero preaches non-violence throughout the movie and then....
Kicks everyones you know what.
I wish I had rode away before I saw this movie. Just Listen to my review, that was told long ago. Bout a kingdom on a mountain and a valley far away....
Seriously, If you want to see an example of 70's movie making and the belief that we have to pound the message home over and over and over again then rent this movie.
HIYA - I'm running away.
Kicks everyones you know what.
I wish I had rode away before I saw this movie. Just Listen to my review, that was told long ago. Bout a kingdom on a mountain and a valley far away....
Seriously, If you want to see an example of 70's movie making and the belief that we have to pound the message home over and over and over again then rent this movie.
HIYA - I'm running away.
Good movie with strong messages for its time.
gozor21 July 1999
Generation Xters will not have a chance at understanding this to the magnitude planned. Keeping things in proper perspective requires consideration of the time frame of this movie. In the real world we were still "in country"/Nam and getting very fed up with the associated atrocities both there and here. The differences between liberals and conservatives were at an all-time-high. This movie definitely leans to the left on many issues but only really to point out how important it is to not lose our humanity. It was really about a man who, disillusioned by what he saw his own country do overseas, came home to find the same thing. The fighting scenes were excellent for their time. The use of a hard style of martial arts was different and very impressive. Tom's execution of moves were both well done and in most cases reasonably realistic (maybe a few too many karate chops). The acting was anywhere between good to just adequate,,, which in some cases gave it a more realistic feel (less hollywoodlike).
Ratings seem age based
cppguy3 March 2014
I've given this a low rating for one good reason: I did what someone else suggested I do and that's not compare "Billy Jack" to films of today but compare it to the films of 1971. Gosh... lessee... OK, compare it to "Fiddler on the Roof," "A Clockwork Orange," "The French Connection," "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." Should I go on? Those of you who were 14-21 back in 1971 need to face a simple fact and that is "Billy Jack" was a low-budget "message" film that managed to resonate with your age group. My sons stumbled on me watching this today and one remarked "the acting and dialog are terrible." They are majoring in media in college and know the difference between good and bad film-making.
I was 9 when "Billy Jack" came out and the whole hippie thing was already becoming nostalgia by the time I was old enough to have been a part. Consequently, the movie felt more like watching old clichés come to life than anything either nostalgic or inspiring.
That said, the movie isn't really a train wreck. I thought it was worth watching to see the sketches done by Howard Hesseman (Johnny Fever from "WKRP") and his friends from the Committee. The hold-up scene felt like "who's on first?" collided with the Monty Python crew.
I was 9 when "Billy Jack" came out and the whole hippie thing was already becoming nostalgia by the time I was old enough to have been a part. Consequently, the movie felt more like watching old clichés come to life than anything either nostalgic or inspiring.
That said, the movie isn't really a train wreck. I thought it was worth watching to see the sketches done by Howard Hesseman (Johnny Fever from "WKRP") and his friends from the Committee. The hold-up scene felt like "who's on first?" collided with the Monty Python crew.
A VERY important film to the products of the 60/70s.
shakeyjim9 July 2003
Seeing this film back in '71 when it first came out did very much to change my attitudes and commentaries. Only in the old days would a movie like this create such a great change in a persons psyche. I'm very glad I discovered this film when I did and even though the production and acting qualities are pretty 'low' this movie definitely is a 'must see' for everyone. Enjoy.
A Strange Classic
gavin69429 September 2017
Ex-Green Beret hapkido expert saves wild horses from being slaughtered for dog food and helps protect a desert "freedom school" for runaways.
Why this movie matters: Before "Billy Jack", movies contained at most brief references to martial arts, with fights portrayed by actors who had little training. With "Billy Jack", Han Bong Soo introduced authentic hapkido techniques to Western audiences. So there's that.
But the film is bogged down by a weird hippie school and politics that nobody seems to understand (what is "violent pacifism"?). Interestingly, Delores Taylor received a Golden Globe nomination as Most Promising Newcoming Actress. And yet, aside from the "Billy Jack" films, that promise was not followed through on.
Why this movie matters: Before "Billy Jack", movies contained at most brief references to martial arts, with fights portrayed by actors who had little training. With "Billy Jack", Han Bong Soo introduced authentic hapkido techniques to Western audiences. So there's that.
But the film is bogged down by a weird hippie school and politics that nobody seems to understand (what is "violent pacifism"?). Interestingly, Delores Taylor received a Golden Globe nomination as Most Promising Newcoming Actress. And yet, aside from the "Billy Jack" films, that promise was not followed through on.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews