In full Rat Pack splendor, Sergeants 3 is a remake of Gunga Din, set in the Wild West. As of yet, I haven't seen the original, so my review will solely focus on this version.
Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Peter Lawford are the title characters, but the first two seem to tussle in barroom and brothel brawls more often than they successfully keep the peace. Pete is the straight-and-narrow one of the trio, and he's anxiously awaiting the end of his enlistment so he can marry his sweetheart and retire to a more peaceful life. Frankie and Dean don't want to lose their buddy, especially since his replacement is the stuffy Joey Bishop, so they try to entice him to reenlist. Meanwhile, Sammy Davis Jr. keeps tagging along with the regiment and trying to prove his worth as a soldier, even though the others don't really want him around.
The film is mostly a Cowboys vs. Indians movie, with all the familiar faces in cowboy hats and constantly getting into fistfights with various bad guys. Similar to the Frankie and Dean movie Four for Texas, the story feels like it was originally thought of as a comedy, but ended up as a light drama. There's nothing really spectacular about this one, although it's infinitely better than the Texas western, but if you're looking for a comedy or musical, keep looking. Usually, westerns are either tense or a spoof, and this is neither. If you absolutely love the Rat Pack, go ahead and rent it. But, for a Frankie western, I prefer Johnny Concho, and for a Frankie and Dean pair-up, I love Marriage on the Rocks.
Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Peter Lawford are the title characters, but the first two seem to tussle in barroom and brothel brawls more often than they successfully keep the peace. Pete is the straight-and-narrow one of the trio, and he's anxiously awaiting the end of his enlistment so he can marry his sweetheart and retire to a more peaceful life. Frankie and Dean don't want to lose their buddy, especially since his replacement is the stuffy Joey Bishop, so they try to entice him to reenlist. Meanwhile, Sammy Davis Jr. keeps tagging along with the regiment and trying to prove his worth as a soldier, even though the others don't really want him around.
The film is mostly a Cowboys vs. Indians movie, with all the familiar faces in cowboy hats and constantly getting into fistfights with various bad guys. Similar to the Frankie and Dean movie Four for Texas, the story feels like it was originally thought of as a comedy, but ended up as a light drama. There's nothing really spectacular about this one, although it's infinitely better than the Texas western, but if you're looking for a comedy or musical, keep looking. Usually, westerns are either tense or a spoof, and this is neither. If you absolutely love the Rat Pack, go ahead and rent it. But, for a Frankie western, I prefer Johnny Concho, and for a Frankie and Dean pair-up, I love Marriage on the Rocks.