Or ol'Sergio goes Hollywood, baby. Big and sprawling and dusty, this screaming Western-epic-western nearly looks as epic as it wants to be. And the stars are out for this too, like peanut shells under yer feet at a carnival, ready for their "Ima be famous!" trademark Leone close-up, only the rationale for the gist of this over long thing seems to be the least of Leone's worries, and that's too bad because by the ending, the bodies stacking up don't seem to matter much as we never really knew them much anyway. Why is everyone here on Rotten Tomatoes so enamored of this lesser Leone? Star power is my dubious answer.

Sergio Leone goes a long way with Once Upon a Time in the West. Perhaps too long.

Once Upon a Time in the West isn't exactly a race down the track and running 2 hours and 45 minutes doesn't help its cause. There are a lot of scenes that are drawn out, especially in the beginning, that do not need to be. Granted, the cinematography is solid, but story-wise it hurts. The film is nearly an hour in before it even feels like it starts to go somewhere.

The action is far and few in between. Sure, a Western, or any film for that matter, can live without bullets flying, but this picture needs it. The buildup is there; however, when the guns start shooting it is over as quickly as a bullet reaches its target.

The mystery and confidence behind Charles Bronson is fascinating, which leads to a fantastic character. Henry Fonda and Jason Robards do a good job of rounding out the trio of expert gunmen. Claudia Cardinale is a stunning presence that just grabs the eyes every minute she is on screen.

Once Upon a Time in the West has its moments and influences, but it also has its flaws. Watchable, if only once.