Gunga Din

Light hearted action adventure with some extremely well choreographed, if at times absurb, action scenes. The interplay between the main trio is often entertaining, but every scene with Gunga Din is cringingly unfunny. Culminates with a sappy ending that is fairly rammed down your throat.

A fun adventure, highlighted by the photography from Joe August. Stevens is particularly fond of wide shots incorporating the army--marches, drills, and battles. However, the climactic battle scene also presents one of the significant problems of the film for me--a blatant patriotism that ignores the harsh realities of battle. This becomes clear when the Brits mow down the Indians with a machine gun without apparent consequence. Compare a similar, more poetic scene in Ford's The Black Watch.

Entertaining somewhat cheesy 30s adventure film. It has a bit of everything and is fun to watch but the dynamic between the leads is more "these guys have fun together" than "it's fun to watch these guys together" and Gunga Din is not a character that works from a modern day perspective.

Glorious. Wonderfully entertaining. For me, the movie doesn't quite meet its potential, but I'm unsure why. Certainly the wide-open battle scenes do little for me. Perhaps it has to do with its incessant lightness, which, although part of its charm, prevents Ciannelli from realizing his full villainous gravity. He's a hair away from Harry Lime and Colonel Kurtz. I wonder how it would play, if these poles of slapstick bonhomie and cerebral malice were held just a bit further apart.

The one "P.C." thing I will mention that really stuck in my craw is that this is one of those movies that presents violent conflict as a rip-roarin' good time. But let's get to the real problem: this just isn't very entertaining. Even with Cary Grant in the cast, the comedy is rather unfunny. The action scenes are put together quite well, though... some clever moments and nicely photographed. But there's not enough action to make up for all lame humor, especially in the dull middle section.

Some amusing moments and some really crazy ones but I had a hard time keeping interested throughout the run time. Probably the worst collaboration with Hecht and Grant but still enjoyable at times. Ending is pretty corny.

Gayer and more racist than all the saunas in Malmö. Parts of it are charmingly idiotic and/or gung ho enough to be engaging and it clearly inspired The Temple of Doom, but all in all it's just big budget trash. Grants english accent is atrocious.

Good. Well done for the time.

Viewed December 9, 2020.

I'm aware that it's the late 30's, but the action scenes seemed a little half-assed. Besides that, decent.

The film is well made, but it separates Indians into two distinct groups--loyal wogs and murderous demons--and therefore strikes the modern viewer as either quaint, racist or unintentionally hilarious, depending on your point of view. There's a better film than you are, "Gunga Din"!

Daft comedy/actioner with crap jokes and tame action.

Fun early action / war / comedy with a super young Cary Grant.

Como se não bastasse ser pai do James Bond, Cary Grant também é pai do Indiana Jones.

Classic.

Early Cary Grant roles show him easily outshining the production values.

humor didn't really strike home with me, but its heart of adventure did. the scale of the climactic battle was impressive. alot of the detail in the action was unfortunately cartoonish, though. Eduardo Ciannelli's thuggee leader villian is great, and gets a few lines that make him much more than standard fare.

Decent little action flick

A desert trip with the boys! And why do I think making this movie was just as much fun watching it? They must have had a blast of a party! This was a mad adventure with the trio of Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. & Victor McLaglen clowning their way through! And we all know these are not the tamest boys in Tinseltown. I've waited a long while to see Gunga Din (1939) and it delivered! Almost more a spoof on the big epic then a epic itself.

#718

Stevens strives to generate a degree of thrill that's only effective in a few scenes. One nevertheless acclimatizes to the movie's qualitative footing in its own time, and we can give in in view of that. Grant is delightful and lively without the urge to bogart the spotlight, which he splits with his co-stars. McLaglen is a presence and Fairbanks Jr. hangs generally in the wings. The three work extremely well together, which provides a degree of brotherhood vital to their character arcs.