Duck, You Sucker! Unexpectedly Great (But Maybe Not for Little Ears)

Okay, folks, I just finished watching "Duck, You Sucker" (also known as "A Fistful of Dynamite") and wow. I went in expecting a kinda cheesy western, and while it definitely had some of that, it was also surprisingly… poignant? Like, it actually made me think a bit, which is not always what I'm looking for on a Friday night, lol. It's set during the Mexican Revolution and follows Juan, a bandit, and John, an Irish explosives expert, as they get caught up in things. James Coburn is great as John, all brooding and mysterious. Rod Steiger as Juan can get a little over-the-top, but honestly, it kinda works for the character. There's some seriously intense stuff in it, though. Explosions galore, obviously, and some pretty brutal violence. I definitely wouldn't recommend this for younger kids, and even older ones, you might want to pre-screen it first. The themes are definitely mature, touching on revolution, sacrifice, and even a bit about PTSD. One scene that really stuck with me was when John is telling Juan about his past in Ireland – it's heavy stuff! But the film does have some lighter moments too, mostly from Juan's antics. He's got like, a million kids, and his motivations are pretty much all about money and providing for his family. Which, I guess, as a mom, I can kinda relate to, haha! Honestly, this one kinda surprised me. It's definitely not a perfect movie. Some of the editing felt a little choppy and the pacing gets wonky in the middle, but overall, I really enjoyed it. It's definitely going on the "movies that made me think" list. I feel like it would be good for discussion with older teens about motivations and conflict. Just, uh, maybe turn down the volume for some of the language. There's a lot of, uh, *colorful* words being yelled in Spanish and Italian. Has anyone else seen this one? What did you think? Am I totally off base here, or is this a hidden gem?