Common Sense Media Review
By Charles Cassady Jr.
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Potent Italian-Western shoot-'em up/war drama.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 17 parent reviews
Parents say this movie is a classic western that combines stunning visuals with several moments of violence and mild profanity. While it's suitable for older kids and teens, some find its pacing slow and recommend caution for children sensitive to violent content.
- classic western
- suitable for teens
- mild profanity
- slow pacing
- violence present
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 83 kid reviews
Kids say that this movie is a classic Western known for its memorable characters, great music, and impressive cinematography, with many reviewers suggesting that it should be more accessible for younger audiences, specifically those aged 11 and up. While it does contain violence, mild swearing, and themes related to drinking and war, most agree that the film isn't as inappropriate as its R rating would imply, making it a good introduction to the genre for mature kids and tweens.
- classic western
- great characters
- age-appropriate violence
- mild swearing
- enjoyable story
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY, Clint Eastwood's character is an opportunistic gunman in Civil War-era Texas who saves grubby bandit Tuco (Eli Wallach) from bounty-hunters -- only to turn Tuco in himself for the reward money, then rescue the condemned man over and over again, for further bounty. Tuco gets tired of this routine and almost kills his partner -- but then they each hear different clues to the hiding place of a fortune in Union Army gold. They must reluctantly keep each other safe while searching for the treasure, against the backdrop of ever-escalating bloodshed between North and South. Moreover, another outlaw, a vicious freelance murderer nicknamed Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef, who, rather confusingly, played an entirely different character in For a Few Dollars More), has already been looking for the gold, and he gains a sergeant's rank in the Union Army as he follows the other two men.
Is It Any Good?
Director Sergio Leone brilliantly displays his flamboyant, larger-than-life filmmaking style here. He puts an emphasis on long, tense close-ups of the actors' faces; widescreen camera compositions; wry humor; quick explosions of action; and surreal music by Ennio Morricone. He also tells a dense, multi-layered story that worked well for a lot of viewers in the Vietnam era as a statement on greed and violence; The treasure hunt between the three main characters gets overtaken by the greater menace, that of the Civil War that chews up so many young lives -- making even the hardened Man With No Name morally repulsed at the slaughter. But not so repulsed that he doesn't still have a plan to get the gold.
Reckoned by some fans as the best Western ever, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is the sweeping, stirring finale in a loose trilogy of trendsetting Italian-made horse operas starring Clint Eastwood as the Man With No Name (you actually were told his name in the previous For a Few Dollars More, but never mind). It's unnecessary to see the other movies to follow this one.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what makes The Good, the Bad and the Ugl a Western classic. You can compare it to countless other sagebrush tales in which the good guys and the bad guys were a lot more one dimensional.
How does the Man With No Name's feelings for Tuco (or other people) change throughout the story? Does it really seem to concern the Civil War, or do the battle scenes recall more recent military ops you can think of?
You might talk about "spaghetti Westerns" in general and the movies they influenced, right up to Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 29, 1967
- On DVD or streaming : January 28, 1998
- Cast : Clint Eastwood , Eli Wallach , Rada Rassimov
- Director : Sergio Leone
- Studio : MGM/UA
- Genre : Western
- Run time : 161 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : January 19, 2026
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