American Experience (TV Series) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (2014) User Reviews

Just okay....

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 11 May 2015]

I am perhaps not the best person to review this one, as I have always been annoyed at films and documentaries glorifying criminals from the old west. Some of my irritation is because these folks were real jerks--not heroes. But my biggest problem with most of these programs is that these criminals were minor annoyances--not big-time crooks. So, as I sat and watched the show, I just didn't care anything about Butch and Sundance. They weren't important characters to our real history and they were bad...not Robin Hood wannabes!

This being said, the show is well made and pretty much what you'd expect from any episode of "The American Experiences"--nice production values and the like. So, if you are dying to see a documentary on these folks, this one is probably the best. However, it isn't very interesting nor memorable and I had a much harder time focusing on this one.

If You Like a Good Story That's True

[larrys3 · 9/10 · 9 January 2015]

I obtained this DVD from the library, but it's actually part of the PBS American Experience series. At just a little over 53 minutes long, it's an extremely well researched and fascinating docudrama, as it looks at the lives of the famous outlaws Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, along with their gang The Wild Bunch. Of course, in more modern times they've been immortalized in the acclaimed film starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman.

This movie is greatly enhanced by striking photographs and some vivid recreations of the events as they occurred back in the late 1800's and the early 1900's. As mentioned, the facts appear to be meticulously researched, and the pacing of the film is quite good.

All in all, this movie written and directed by John Maggio, was quite absorbing and interesting and I would highly recommend it to anyone that likes history and a good true story.

Revealing the true story of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a PBS program.

[TxMike · 11 September 2019]

I watched this at home on DVD from my public library. I actually thought I had requested the 1969 movie with Redford and Newman, I was anxious to see it again after 14 years and was surprised when this came on. As it turns out pleasantly surprised.

The program takes us first to Butch Cassidy's (not his real name) strict religious childhood. When he got older he traveled into the Wild West and experienced the "other side" of life. He was influenced by a Cassidy who was a cowboy adept at skimming cows and horses off large herds, to that is attributed his decision that robbing banks and trains was a much easier way to make a living. And taking on the name Butch Cassidy.

He later met up with the Sundance Kid (not his real name either) and they added many others to form what became of their notorious gang. They were pretty successful until the railroad hired the Pinkertons ("We never sleep") to put a stop to it. Systematically they were all tracked down until Butch and Sundance skipped out to Argentina on a ship sailing from New York. They might have made it OK there if their money had not run out but they met their end in Bolivia.

A really well made documentary with many interviews of historical experts plus good, old photos. Now I will see the Newman and Redford movie again, this time with the real history in mind.