User reviews

This is a light weight movie but really quite entertaining and better than many recent offering at the theater. It could have been better in many ways. A few cast changes and a little more over the top release of the talent and you have a Rustler's Rhapsody level comedy.

The play off of corporate corruption is quite relevant to current issues and provides a nice opportunity to display the use of the military in the service of corruption.

The film is good for popcorn.

Why they restrained such talent as Candy and Lewis is confusing. Why get them if you're not going to let them play. Too much focus on the script and not enough play of the characters.

It seems perfectly obvious that any number of folks who took Horace Greeley's advice about going west had second thoughts. A lot just weren't cut out for the frontier and I don't doubt many returned east.

It is to those wise souls who knew when to quit that Wagons East is dedicated to. In one of our small western bergs a group makes a collective decision to form a Wagon Train and they hire the inebriated John Candy as their wagonmaster to travel east. Candy himself at first can't quite acclimate to this new thinking but eventually does.

But the notion of heading back east violates the thinking of the establishment and those making a living on the pioneer spirit. At the same time the Indians see this as a good thing. Makes for some strange alliances.

This was John Candy's last film and lucky we got it completed as he died during the making. I'm sure he had hopes of this turning into another Blazing Saddles. That would have taken Mel Brooks's zaniness.

My favorite in the film is the gay bookseller John C. McGinley who went west for the men, but found them a bit rough for his taste. His scene with the naive and hunky Lochlyn Munro is priceless.

Not a comedy masterpiece, Wagons East is still good fun and viewing.

Released around the same time as The Cowboy Way, Lightning Jack, and City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold, Wagons East! was another attempt to recapture City Slickers success to diminishing returns. The film follows a group of misfits including tightly wound bank manager Ben(Star Trek Voyagaer's Robert Picardo), effeminate and very heavily implied to be homosexual bookshop owner Julian(played thanklessly by John C. McGinley), and former doctor turned flailing cattle rancher Phil(played by Richard Lewis at his most Richard Lewis) who are all sick of life in the west and hire alcoholic wagonmaster James Harlowe(John Candy in his final role) to bring them back to St. Louis. The movie's setup is nowhere near strong enough to sustain this 107 minute movie as most of it can be boiled down to "the West sucks" which serves as the crux for the humor in the films strongest point in the first 10 minutes, afterwards however the movie doesn't really do much with its core premise other than periodically reminding us of it as the catalyst for the film. Sprinkled throughout the journey are Wile. E. Coyote esque gags involving a hired gun named John Slade(complete with backfiring traps), Indians with names like Big Snake that makes women faint, and lowest common denominator gags galore including a piss drinking scene. There's nothing wrong with these gags IF they're done well, but the movie's pacing is so slow and poorly paced that there's no surprise factor to the gags and everyone feels overly telegraphed and lacking in punch. The fact that they had to restructure the movie around Candy's death must've been no small task for the crew to deliver a finished project and it definitely explains why Candy disappears for long sections of the movie with focus shifting to Lewis and Picardo with some rather telling ADR conversations between them over wagon B-roll footage used to link scenes together. I can say that Wagons East is in fact a movie, but it's not a good one.

the movie says on the box, and at the beggining of the credits, "Dedicated to the memory of John Candy". I must say John Candy was probably my favorite comedian, and still is. This movie was a little under rated, but it was still one of his lesser films. Sadly he passed away during filming, you see he was in it until the end of the film, his character was not just dropped, I think they probably were going to do some more editing to the film to make it better, but he passed away so they had to produce what they had, a somewhat unfinished film. Towards the end of his career his comedies really started going downhill. Although I liked Canadian Bacon, Harry Crumb, Wagons East, and films like these were just a bit, well stupid. Like I said Wagons East wasn't all that bad, but it's nothing compared to his best-planes trains and automobiles, or Uncle Buck(I've commented on both of those as well). I just wish when planes and trains 20th anniversary finally comes up, they'll re-release it on DVD with forgotten scenes, and a special dedication video to John Candy, same with Uncle Buck. John Candy was a great and it's too bad this was dedicated to his memory, because I think if he's watching down on us, he's as sad as I am. Anyway, the plot of the movie is After a town by the name of Prosperity, decides the west isn't what it's cracked up to be, they decide to move back east. They find a Wagon master named Harlow(Candy) to lead them back. They must survive Indians, starvation/no water,hired guns, and more,as the comedy builds up to an okay climax. 2 and a half stars out of 5, it's a good movie to rent out, but while you're at it, rent out some of Candy's best films too. I also dedicate this comment,to the memory of John Candy

"Wagons East" was a big disappointment for me. But the saddest thing about this movie is that it turned out to be John Candy's last film role (he died just before shooting was completed on this). There are only a few laughs throughout this western spoof, and for a comedy that doesn't cut it. If you want to see a uproarious spoof of western movies, the answer is obvious. See Mel Brooks' classic "Blazing Saddles". Or if you want to see Candy in much better material, see "Summer Rental", "Spaceballs", or "Uncle Buck" (just to name a few). These three movies (as well as others) shows us what a great comic actor he was. Unfortuneately, "Wagons East" does not. What a shame!

* (out of four)

John Candy is on record as saying he feared something bad was going to happen if he went to Mexico to make this film. Well, two bad things happened. John Candy died, and this film was made. How's that for bad karma? Wagons East is a stupendously bad film on just about every level. A scarce chuckle or two in almost two hours is about all you can expect. Only a few scenes with Candy are rewarding, mostly because they will remind you of how funny he had been in the past. With this film, we see perhaps an interesting idea for an SNL sketch stretched into an insufferably long film. We see some decent character actors wasted, while the wrong ones get most of the screen time. And worse than anything, we see a John Candy that is painful to watch. He was heavier than ever, and just looks like he'd rather be any place else. How in the world did they find a horse strong enough to carry him?

The story deals with a handful of people ready to give up on life in the old west and start a wagon train heading back to St. Louis where they can give city life another try. There are a couple of cute early gags involving the oft-robbed town banker and a gay bookstore proprietor selling a cowboy a copy of Pride and Prejudice so he can use it for toilet paper. These are interesting observations, but again they cannot be the basis for a feature length film. Once the train gets rolling east, what little laugh well we had dries up rather quickly. How long did they milk the Donner Party angle? This might have been good as a throw-away gag later in the film, but the fact that Candy's character was their wagon master too is brought up again and again and again. Any of the half-dozen subplots involving people on this journey could have been cut and actually would have improved the picture. We just don't care about these people. What has Richard Lewis ever done to be the star of a theoretically mainstream comedy? The guy isn't funny. At all. Never was. Too bad the last film Candy ever did turned out this bad. Its doubtful that Canadian Bacon would be much better, so I just won't even watch that one. 3 of 10 stars.

The Hound.

Not only is it John Candy last movie (He passed away whilst filming) it's also one of his worst. Through no fault of his own, it just doesn't work, which is ridiculous seeing as there's a load of comedians in it. Maybe it's because I'm not American but I found absolutely no worth in the movie whatsoever. Nothing. So God bless John Candy. Shame on the rest of you for such a dud movie.

My wife and I actually quite enjoyed this movie. It was by no means John Candy's best but it was certainly better than we expected. Perhaps that's why I disagree with what most critics say.

Perhaps I love it for sentimental reasons knowing that Candy died just before the movie was completed. Nonetheless we had a good laugh and I do recommend this as a good pop corn movie.

The main premise of the movie is that there are a group of individuals in a small western town that have had it with "The Code" of the west. They hire a drunken guide (Candy) to take them back east and thus starts the comedy of errors as they go against the grain.

Admittedly the acting is only fair at best, but then again most of these characters are comedians do a pretty good job of playing off each other.

John Candy was very much a hit-or-miss comic actor. His death was a tragedy and we all miss him a lot, but WAGONS EAST, in which he plays a bumbling wagonmaster who agrees to take a group of pioneers out of the wild west, is even sadder. I don't understand why it was even released. The story is pointless and weak, and the jokes aren't there. It saddens me even further that Candy's last film would be his all-time worst movie. So let's forget all about this one and remember him in his better films such as SUMMER RENTAL, PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES and UNCLE BUCK.

0 out of 5

A lady enters a bar somewhere in the wild west. She looks very refined and is, in fact, seeking the man who bought her as a mail-order bride. When she learns a group of men pooled their monies together, she sits down at the bar and orders whiskey. Chalk up one more disillusioned traveler to the land beyond the Mississippi. Phil (Richard Lewis) and others are also fed up with the harsh living conditions. Why don't they all get a wagon train to go back to civilization? They find a wagon train leader (John Candy) who says he's the man to take them across the mountains, prairies and whatever other terrain is necessary to see the good life again. But, he is harboring a big secret. Also, once news goes to St. Louis that people are heading in the wrong direction, an army officer vows to keep these people from telling others how bad it really is. The Indians, however, may be happy indeed that settlers are leaving their territories! From bathroom stops in the bushes to campfire revelations between the manly men, this journey has it all. Can it succeed? This movie is fun, fun, fun, as the Beach Boys say. There is so much to spoof about the rough and tumble western frontier that the humor is never forced and gives way to many a giggle. The scenery is quite beautiful and the film sports an authentic look. Most of the actors are fine but Candy, who died during the filming and whose part was digitally completed, never seems like himself. His usual go-for-broke spirit is just not present. That said, the film still works beautifully and is a great view for any Saturday night of fun. If you love Candy, however, be prepared to cry a few tears for his loss from the world which dearly loved him.

This movie is silly and very short of being a funny movie. Unhappy 'easterners' are not pleased with being out west; so they hire a drunk wagon master(John Candy)to lead them back east. Sight gags were just not funny enough to carry this one. And Richard Lewis gets on your nerves very quickly; but then I honestly don't like him at anything he does. Ed Lauter is hilarious as the bumbling villain.

The movie was dedicated to Candy. He died from a massive heart attack ten days before the movie was completed. A stand in and digital enhancement enabled Candy's character to be seen in the final scenes. Candy was a very good comedian and gave us some real good knee slapping, belly laughs in his career. This movie was just not the caliber of his best.

Also in the film, you will recognize: William Sanderson, Gailard Sartain, Ethan Phillips, Ellen Greene and Rodney A. Grant.

This film is better then one thinks. Some of it is slapstick, some dry humor, and some just plain old physical comedy. Charles Rocket is hilarious in his brief moments on the screen, and Richard Lewis has never been funnier. John Candy will be missed, and it is sad that this was his last film, but at least he gave us one great laugh. All in all, I think this is an 8, reason being is that I don't see this being a great film, but it is sure entertaining.

Wagons East was a fun movie. I love the premise of settlers going "back east", principally, because I'm Native American. It was almost like watching a Mel Brooks' movie, not one stereotype was left untouched. John McGinley, who played Julian, is one of my favorite actors. He has an amazing range. However, it's too bad that this was John Candy's last film. You can that he didn't enjoy the shoot and that he wasn't feeling well. I recommend it.

Fed up with the tough life in the West, a group of settlers, decide to resettle in the East, with the help of wagon master Candy.

Whilst this is not without its charms and a few genuinely funny scenes, there are way to many misses than hits within this lazily scripted comedy. Candy, in his last film, has little to do and considering it's a comedy, most of the time seems devoted to very little happening. Real shame, there is real talent here which is wasted.

It's not a brilliant film, certainly not John Candy's best work, but I would like to commend the editors. John Candy died during production of this movie, and just under half the scenes were recorded using another actor in John Candy's place. Candy's face was then added using computers. And it's an almost perfect job.

We just watched Wagons East for a first time, as we are fans of John Candy and his silly comedies. I gotta say, I don't understand why people dislike it so much. I've definitely seen worse than this... I get it, because Candy died before finishing, that it impacted the whole movie. I get it that it's not the best script or story out there. But it's just a silly comedy and people should not expect miracles from it. In fact, it reminded me a lot of Men in tights, as it had the same dry scratching humor and awkward situations. Candy is wonderful as always, and the other cast is quite good as well. All in all, I don't think the movie deserves the negativity it got.

"Wagons East" is widely known as John Candy's last movie, as he died on the set. That's just what makes it so sad: not simply that Candy suffered a fatal heart attack, but that it was on the set of such a crummy movie. Seriously, I don't know what they were thinking when they came up with this piece of crap, but the flick has NO redeeming qualities. It's as if they took every unused script for stupid westerns and just mixed them together and filmed it. No wonder John Candy didn't want to make the movie; maybe his contractual participation was what did him in.

Anyway, the point is that Candy did much better than this throughout his career. To be certain, he had already completed Michael Moore's "Canadian Bacon", in which the United States declares war on Canada. Just stick with that one and you can say that Candy ended his career honorably. As for Richard Lewis - who previous had co-starred with Candy in Eugene Levy's absurd but hilarious "Once Upon a Crime" - he made up for this piece of crap by frequently guest appearing on "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" in later years.

I was expecting this to be a great western spoof. There were some signs early on but seeing the doctor from Voyager and some other significant faces I decided to go on with watching it. The amount of crude humor and violence played off as being funny was appalling, not to mention Candy playing the role of a dark depressing wagon master. If you want a better western spoof, watch The Villain instead.

This is like Half Baked, funny, but hard to give a high ranking. The story was OK, the jokes were funny, the acting was good. There are some really stupid scenes but if you have the mindset that you are not watching a masterpiece, that didn't bother me at all. There are many funny parts, and it's a silly enough movie that you can forget about reality and enjoy.

Wagons East isn't the worst comedy I've seen, but it's definitely not a trailblazer. The script feels like it was cobbled together by amateurs, with actors mostly winging it during each scene. The jokes are half-baked and delivered half-heartedly by a seemingly disinterested cast. The basic concept of people going back east because they didn't like the west is amusing, but I don't think this movie knew what to do with it. And it's sad that this is film is part of John Candy's final legacy. I kept waiting for one good laugh as I watched Wagons East, but the best it got out of me was an occasional smirk.

A hand full of citizens of various occupations and orientations realize the west is not all it is cracked up to be. They decide to go back east, but to do this they will need a skilled and knowledgeable wagon master. Who should stumble in? But the best wagon master in the west, James H. Harlow (John Candy). Naturally, there is a money-grubbing cabal opposed to this move and they will stop at nothing to throat the "Wagons East" plan.

Well designed with a select group of actors that never overplayed their parts. The consumes and scenes here are exceptionally good for the comedy. The Indians look like Indians and the floozies look, well, floozy. The film is jam-packed with one-liners.

Sometimes you watch a movie that has potential to be a fun little movie for everyone but Wagon East misses the mark so often it almost feels intentional. There's too many characters for one-off, tired jokes that it can't allow for any real characters and not being able to give comedians like John Candy and Richard Lewis room to do their thing is a crime. The concept is pretty funny: "what if a group of settlers are sick of the West and wanna move back". The antagonists are poorly defined. A C plot of the Donner party that goes nowhere; missed opportunity. You could've cut half of this cast and it wouldn't have mattered. It pulled a couple chuckles out of me but this could've been so much better.