Westworld (1973)
81%RT Audience Score: 70%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Yul Brynner gives a memorable performance as a robotic cowboy in this amusing sci-fi/western hybrid
Westworld is a sci-fi classic that’s equal parts thrilling and cheesy. It’s like a 70s Western with a futuristic twist, and Yul Brynner’s monotone maniac is a memorable villain. The central conceit is a bit flimsy, but it’s still a fun scare flick that puts its clever gimmicks to imaginative use. Plus, who doesn’t love the idea of a theme park where you can live out your wildest fantasies? Just be careful not to become prey to the machines. Overall, Westworld is well-acted, well-written, well-directed, and well-worth your attention.
Production Company(ies)
Pathé Renn Productions, France 3 Cinéma
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
TV-MA
Year of Release
1973
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 28m
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 21, 1973 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 3, 2001
Genre(s)
Sci-fi
Keyword(s)
starring Yul Brynner, Richard Benjamin, James Brolin, Norman Bartold, Dick Van Patten, Linda Gaye Scott, directed by Michael Crichton, written by Michael Crichton, sci-fi, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Gavin Bainbridge, J.R Jones, David Nusair, Jennie Kermode, Alan Jones, Steph Cozza, Dick Lochte, Mikel Zorrilla, James Plath, Tim Brayton, Renee Schonfeld, PG, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, produced by Paul N Lazarus III, roids, futuristic theme park, gunslingers, robot gunslinger, Wild West, artificial, system goes haywire, duel, escapist fantasy, grim reality, Terminator, Jurassic Park, Predator, medieval Europe, ancient Rome, virtual reality, horror, thriller, adventure, action, suspense, drama, classic, memorable performance, monotone maniac, classic premise, sharp, far-reaching, amusing, fun, thrilling, imaginative, chilling, clever gimmicks, well-acted, well-written, well-directed, well-worth your attention, flimsy, silly, cheesy, lame, ridiculous, corny, light, violent, dark, gritty, tension, satire, metaphor, pleasurable, horrific, inventive, fun venture, 1970s sci-fi
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Richard Benjamin – Peter Martin
James Brolin – John Blane
Norman Bartold – Medieval Knight
Dick Van Patten – Banker
Linda Gaye Scott – Arlette
Director(s)
Michael Crichton
Writer(s)
Michael Crichton
Producer(s)
Paul N. Lazarus III
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (41) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (35) | Rotten (6)
A sharp, far-reaching sci-fi that will be remembered for Brynner’s monotone maniac and a classic premise; Westworld is a thrilling What If?
March 13, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Gavin Bainbridge
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Priceless sci-fi schlock.
June 5, 2007
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
…a missed opportunity that generally feels as though it should be much, much better.
July 27, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
Sometimes fantasy and science fiction films provide more telling portraits of the times in which they were created than their realist counterparts do.
March 13, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Jennie Kermode
Eye for Film
A fun scare flick that puts its clever gimmicks to imaginative use, with extra resonance coming from the inspired casting of chilling Brynner…
March 13, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Alan Jones
Radio Times
It just felt like a cheesy 70s Western with like a sci-fi twist, but it was enjoyable, it was fun to see where the show originated.
March 30, 2020
Steph Cozza
Aggressive Comix
It is never pretentious and concentrates more on its visceral than sociological effect. It is well-acted, wellwritten, well-directed and wellworth your attention.
December 31, 2019
Dick Lochte
Los Angeles Free Press
An interesting sci-fi movie that does a great job with the approach proposed by Crichton and has Yul Brynner as a memorable villain. [Full review in Spanish]
October 3, 2016
Mikel Zorrilla
Espinof
Some cheesy moments (is there a ’70s movie that escaped them?) date the film, but Westworld is a fun futuristic thriller.
March 29, 2016 | Rating: B
James Plath
Family Home Theater
The central conceit is so flimsy that it’s only possible to take it seriously at all by treating it as a metaphor. Which, fortunately, can be done pretty easily,
June 20, 2015 | Rating: 6/10
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy
Classic Man versus Machine adventure is funny but violent.
March 25, 2015 | Rating: 3/5
Renee Schonfeld
Common Sense Media
There is some satire here – the devouring tourist becoming prey – but Crichton just lets the joke sit there, heavy on the screen.
July 17, 2013 | Rating: 2/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm…
Plot
This science-fiction Western series from Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy was inspired by Michael Crichton’s Westworld (1973) and is set at a Wild-West theme park created by Dr. Robert Ford (Sir Anthony Hopkins) with human-like androids, where guests are encouraged to indulge their fantasies and desires.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Yul Brynner gives a memorable performance as a robotic cowboy in this amusing sci-fi/western hybrid.
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