Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

1974Movie115 minEnglish

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

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Insights

IMDb6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes81%
Metacritic70/100
Google Users86%
Director: Michael CiminoGenres: Crime, Drama, Comedy

Plot Summary

A veteran bank robber known as 'The Komodo' is tracked down by a younger, more reckless thief who idolizes him. The two form an unlikely partnership, along with two older associates, to pull off one last big heist. Their journey is fraught with tension, loyalty tests, and the looming threat of past enemies.

Critical Reception

Critically acclaimed for its unique blend of buddy-cop dynamics, dark humor, and poignant exploration of aging criminals, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot was praised for its performances and Michael Cimino's assured direction. Jeff Bridges earned an Oscar nomination for his role, and the film is considered a significant work in the crime genre.

What Reviewers Say

  • The film excels in its character development and the compelling chemistry between its leads.
  • Praised for its stylish direction and a script that balances gritty crime with unexpected humor.
  • Jeff Bridges' performance as Lightfoot was particularly lauded, earning him critical acclaim.

Google audience: Audiences appreciate the film's blend of action and character study, highlighting the performances of Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges. Many enjoy the unexpected turns in the plot and the satisfying, albeit bittersweet, conclusion.

Awards & Accolades

Jeff Bridges was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Fun Fact

The film was Michael Cimino's directorial debut, and he was initially chosen by Clint Eastwood after Eastwood was impressed by Cimino's script for 'The Junkyard'.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

3 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

"Thunderbolt" (Clint Eastwood) makes a living posing as a priest in backwater chapels when he is rumbled by a man who knows who he really is. By pure chance, he makes good his escape by climbing into the car of a passing motorist, whom he q...
r96sk

r96sk

A hit-and-miss, if still probably good, 1974 film. <em>'Thunderbolt and Lightfoot'</em> fails as a comedy but actually does work as a road trip/heist movie, even with a surprisingly sombre ending. To further the mixed bag feeling, I foun...
Wuchak

Wuchak

***A Tarantino flick two decades before they existed*** A preacher (Clint Eastwood) with a past to hide is chased by a lunatic gunman (George Kennedy) in northern Montana. He inadvertently teams-up with a young scalawag (Jeff Daniels) an...