Wildly entertaining

Rating: 9/10 (1 April 2015)

"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" is such a memorable movie because it's the total package. Newman and Redford are one of the great movie pairings, there's a wonderful sense of fun with the whole thing, and it's got all the beats of a great western; one that's wholeheartedly a product of its time. You don't think that Burt Bacharach would make a good western score, but it just . . . it works here. It's spare, only crops up here and there, but the acapella singers fit the tone. And it's instantly recognizable. Hell, when you hear "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" in "Spider-Man 2", you know exactly what movie Raimi is referencing.
For me, what makes this movie is the writing. I mean the dialogue on this thing! It's what makes this such a subversive bit of enjoyment, a movie about gunslinging bank-robbers that's almost too hip for its own good. This is probably the mother of all buddy movies because of that, and most of the humor comes out in the Butch-and-Sundance bickering (their back-and-forth is hilarious). They're just such a likable duo. It brings out a smile so often that, even when things become dark for our heroes (in one hell of a shootout), you walk away with high spirits from such a great ride.
9/10