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Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

Comedy · Action · Drama · 1974

With the help of an irreverent young sidekick, a bank robber gets his old gang back together to organise a daring new heist.

Movie details

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

“Thunderbolt… the man with the reputation. Lightfoot… the kid who's about to make one!”

1974 Comedy · Action · Drama 1h 56m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.8 / 10

Community rating

With the help of an irreverent young sidekick, a bank robber gets his old gang back together to organise a daring new heist.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Thunderbolt and Lightfoot?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Two master thieves go at odds with one another as one sets the other up for a crime. The first, a suave pro who does his job and then hides in his own privacy, listening to old jazz records and caring for his ailing dog, Wally. The other is a local gangster with a taste for the finer life, who decides to eliminate the competition. This ignites a war between the two men and their aides. An angry mob boss and a female police officer try to sort the mess before things get too out of hand.

The Channel

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Play Dirty

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Michael Cimino

Written by

Michael Cimino

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood

Thunderbolt

Jeff Bridges

Jeff Bridges

Lightfoot

George Kennedy

George Kennedy

Red Leary

Geoffrey Lewis

Geoffrey Lewis

Eddie Goody

Catherine Bach

Catherine Bach

Melody

Gary Busey

Gary Busey

Curly

Roy Jenson

Roy Jenson

Dunlop

Court is in session

Put Thunderbolt and Lightfoot on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.