His final movie was The Hunter in 1980 and if doesn't quite match the standard of some of his best movies it's still a very competent thriller that marked the abrupt end of Steve McQueen's career on a high note. Steve is Ralph "Papa" Thorson - a bounty hunter and the last one of his kind who spends his days hunting down bail jumpers and crooks. He attitudes doesn't fit in today's world - he drives an old convertible, collects old toys & in his own words "new things are no good". If life wasn't hard enough he also has a young wife at home to contend with and a baby on the way. Plus there's the small matter of a pyscho on the loose and he's after the man who put him away - guess who??

Steve plays Ralph to perfection and this role is perhaps the closest audiences ever got to seeing the real McQueen on screen. The action scenes are superbly executed with two chase sequences of note. The first involving McQueen in a combine harvester chasing two thieves in a stolen Pontiac Firebird(reminscient of a scene in the Lee Marvin gangster movie Prime Cut). The second involving a long chase which sees McQueen chase a criminal on board a train and then into a multi storey car park. If McQueen was suffering with cancer he certainly doesn't look it and seems almost athletic in many of chase sequences. When watching this movie you can't help but feel sadness and regret that the world was robbed of such a great actor and one wonders the sort of roles Steve would have played in later life but we will never know.

Verdict

An enjoyable chase thriller and worth a look- McQueen signed off to the big castle in the sky on a high note.


New Things are no good....   March 9, 2004
 7 out of 8 found this review helpful

For those thinking of getting this movie don't be put off what you may have read elsewhere it is a good film...agreed it is not as good as some of his earlier efforts but defenetly not the shambles some have it to be.
It is sad to watch as it gives an insight to the kind of films McQueen might of made had he survived his cancer(if indeed he decided to continue to make movies),seeing the older McQueen with the lines on his face certainly adds to the experience the Ralph"Papa"Thorsen has,as indeed it did when watching Tom Horn.
The direction is handelled well,ok it some scenes could have been better but overall it is handled well & confidently giving plently of space to his characters.
The action scenes are handled very well particually the scene when Thorson is chasing his latest bounty over Chicago...
When watching the film you do wonder how much of McQueen is in the character he plays as from what we have read about him it does appear to show up in this role more than any other.
The ending is nice for McQueen's fans as his last moments on screen show the character finally at peace & happy & which seem to reflect what was happening in his own life.
A very good buy & a must for all McQueen fans or lovers of classic action movies.