Review: John Wayne - American Icon Collection (C+)

John Wayne - An American Icon Collection (2006)
Starring John Wayne
Grade: C+

Review by Sebastian Francis Kenedy

While some American icons continue to shine (Marilyn, James Dean, etc) as rising stars co-opt and reinvent their looks, John Wayne has been left behind. And that's not surprising. He had rugged good looks and a macho swagger, but let's face it, to many young people, he reminds them of the grumpy old man living down the street. He was a little too macho, a little too angry and at times, strangely robotic.

So the American Icon Collection (a 5 movie set of some of John Wayne's overlooked films) comes at a great time. Re-examining Wayne's work shows that the man had a wider range as an actor than many remember. The collection contains the films Seven Sinners, The Shepherd of the Hills, Pittsburgh, The Conqueror and Jet Pilot. Obviously these aren't the finest John Wayne films (I prefer The Quiet Man) but for fans of the Oscar winning tough guy, these are nice additions.

People either love John Wayne or find him anciently irrelevant. I must admit that I am among the latter group. However if you are a fan of the legendary John Wayne, this is probably a must own.