Incannerax What a waste of my time!!!

Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Softwing Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Alex da Silva In the C18th, during the Colonial Wars, Robert Taylor (Langdon) would, quite rightly, rather be a painter than a soldier. However, he is a rather foolish loudmouth of a drunk and just manages to avoid getting press-ganged before he goes on the run with Walter Brennan (Hunk). They come across Spencer Tracy (Rogers) in the wilderness and get drunk on rum. The next morning, they awake and they have been press-ganged into Rogers' Rangers. It's an army outfit that is embarking on a mission to wipe out an Indian village. We follow the troops across harsh terrain as they reach their destination and then make their escape.The film goes on for too long. Once it has finished and you ask yourself what happened, well…….. not very much. The landscapes and technicolour are the best thing about the film, and Tracy is very good as the self-styled leader who promotes a focus on the end result. Although, given his previous harsh decisions, decisions made for survival of the overall unit, it's a bit unrealistic how he helps the injured Taylor. No way, I'm afraid.It's a shame that more wasn't made of actually seeing the enemy. We get a tense moment at the beginning when enemy boats drift past the troops hiding on the shore, and there is a nice (all too short) sequence as the Rangers canoe past the enemy camp at night with a fire burning in the background. Another standout is the crossing of some rapids as the soldiers form a human chain. We needed more tension and a feeling that the enemy are there right behind them, and we needed this by actually seeing the enemy. As it is, we are just told that they are undoubtedly somewhere looking for them. At over two hours, the film needed more than just the one battle sequence.There are some unrealistic characters, eg, the soldier who keeps and feeds off something rather strange after the massacre and God knows why Ruth Hussey is given such high billing. She's not in the goddam film long enough to even justify a credit! The best line is dished out by Tracy to Brennan as he tells him that he looks better at the end than when he joined. And it's true. Overall, the nice locations and colour don't make up for lack of action.

Boba_Fett1138 This movie is definitely a good watch but it's also definitely not a movie that is without its disappointments. You can't really blame anyone involved with this movie for that, since this movie was a troubled production from pretty much the start on already, which is also the reason why the initially planned sequel never got made.It's a movie with an adventurous story but yet at the same time there is also very little interesting, action- and entertaining-wise happening. It's mostly being a traveling movie, in which there is lots of talking but just too little action and else to enjoy and to consider this an entertaining movie to watch. They should had really attempted to spice up things a bit more, by perhaps putting in stronger characters and tell the story from some more different perspectives. That way the story would at least had been more lively and interesting to watch. The movie now mostly feels like a very long sit, even though the movie is just over 2 hours long.But all these complaints don't mean that it's an horrible movie, by any means. It's still a good movie for what is is and you also have to keep in mind that this was an early '40's movie. Movies back in those days just weren't as fast paced and action packed as movies now days. They also certainly don't feature so much corny dialog as this movie does. It was quite laughable at times really and it made me cringe more than once.It's great that this movie got shot in full color. They make the wooded environments more vivid and also help the story to get more alive and involving to follow. Also definitely great to see Spencer Tracy in color, at a still relatively young age. Most big Hollywood leads from the good old days, like for instance Humphrey Bogart, never looked too well in color but Spencer Tracy is definitely an exception to this.Under the circumstances, it's not really a movie that did an awful lot wrong but it also at the same time didn't do much original or specular with its story either. This movie is definitely a good watch but it's just not a movie that I want to watch again, any time soon.7/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

sscalici A bit overdone, but nonetheless very entertaining historical biography of Ranger Robert Rogers, a colonial-born British loyalist who fought the upstate NY-Montreal Indians. The movie is set way before the Revolutionay War. The movie is a rather brutal depiction of the climatic battle with the St. Francis Indian village, where no prisoners were taken. This is Spencer Tracy at the beginning of his stardom, and a young Robert Young as his prissy-cum-fighter first aide. As far as I've researched, the movie was historically correct, although the title, Northwest Passage, has nothing to do with the movie plot itself...it refers to where Roger's Rangers go at the END of the flick.

Graham Watson Northwest passage is one of those films that your parents probably watched when they were growing up. Despite having seen it or parts of it many times over the years its still very entertaining. Like other classics of it's times, DODGE CITY, ROBIN HOOD etc that has been given the Technicolor Hollywood treatment of the late 1930's, for what ever reason Northwest passage stands out as being the best. Watching it in 2006 almost 60 years after it was made on a digital plasma wide-screen one can really appreciate the efforts that went into filming this back in the 1930's as well as the work gone into keeping it restored.As for the movie, some of the rangers looked to be a bit long in the tooth to be credible rangers, a bit old, scrawny and tired looking but perhaps it only enhanced the disheveled appearance that you might expect after such a long treks. Ironically, it's the tension throughout the movie keeps you on your toes because it's really not that violent. There is one major battle and that's it, for a move that is well over two hours long it's not really that much, but it's worth watching it for the cinema photography, the atmosphere as well as the scenery alone. However, if that's not going to keep your attention you'll find Spencer Tracy at his finest. Although Robert Young and Walter Brennan are fine in support, Tracy just steals the show as the enthusiastic tough as nails ranger ready to conquer North America.I say conquer, he's not a raving maniac that is just out to kill, he'll fight if he has too, but its' discovering routs and new territory that's important to him. He commands respect not through fear but through admiration. There is nothing he asks his men to do that he is not prepared to do himself. If it's not going without food, or hauling a boat over a mountain he's the first link in a human chain trying to cross a swollen river riddled with rapids. He shows no fear but he's not reckless and is not looking to kill the enemy just for the sake of it. Discipline is important but the safety of the expedition as a whole is paramount, he wont slow down his troop and endanger it by carrying a wounded man.(Interesting thought, no medivac helicopter ready to swoop in and take out a casualty).He has courage demands loyalty but is prepared to listen to his junior officers when they want to split up despite his reservations(which apparently they are entitled to do)he acquiesces. He rallied his command to go on at every opportunity and encourages them when in doubt with resolve as well as humor. He certainly understands his responsibility as leader. At the end of the movie when he is addressing the new expedition he delivers it with humor that clearly motivates the men into relishing the challenge, I was almost sorry I couldn't go along as well! (Note:one of these days I'll have to try drinking rum and hot water with brown sugar and butter added!)