SnoopyStyle Half-breed Vietnam-vet Billy Jack (Tom Laughlin) lives on a Reservation protecting the natives, wild horses, and the peace-loving people. He confronts Posner and his men poaching wild mustangs for dog meat. Sheriff Cole brings back Barbara from Haight-Ashbury to her deputy father. She is beaten for getting pregnant from the free love. Cole asks Billy Jack to protect her at the native school from his deputy and the big man Posner. The school is home to every race run by Jean Roberts. The tension between the school and the locals grow until it boils over.In 'The Born Losers', Billy Jack is interesting but it's Elizabeth James who plays Vicky Barrington in her white bikini that is truly memorable. I don't know where she went although I doubt they could have worked the bikini into this movie. There is a lot of hippie ethics and a sympathetic depiction of native plight. Although for a hippie movie, there is plenty of violence. The philosophizing can be conflicting. The dialog is often rambling. The acting is terribly amateurish. Its heart is mostly in the right place but it's a bit of a mess.

Leofwine_draca BILLY JACK is the quintessential '70s film detailing the hippie movement and depicting their struggles against small-town narrow mindedness and bigotry in the American south. Tom Laughlin, who directs as well as stars as the eponymous hero (he's playing the character in the second of five films here, although the last remains unreleased), is in many ways an early version of Rambo in FIRST BLOOD, a highly skilled loner who just wants to be left alone. Unfortunately, as in FIRST BLOOD, the corrupt authorities have other ideas, and that's where the film comes in.I'm no fan of political polemics in films. I believe they have their place, and that place is not being thrust down your throat in a piece of entertainment. Sadly, a lot of the running time of this overlong film is spent in depicting the hippie movement in a positive light, which in essence means lots of preaching, lots of happy-clappy nonsense and plenty of amateur theatre. BILLY JACK is in reality a didactic film that aims to educate its audience rather than entertain, which is a shame, as all of the subtext stuff is rather dull. Remove all of the 'messages' and you'd have an hour-long film.Still, the thriller aspects are well-handled even if they're overshadowed by the rest of the film, and it's fun to see a hero using martial arts before Bruce Lee hit the scene in ENTER THE DRAGON. There are the standard elements of many a '70s thriller, including rape scenes, humiliation, ass-kicking, car chases and a siege that doesn't disappointment. Laughlin is excellent in the titular role and his supporting cast, especially the Native Americans, are very good too, but it's just hard to get worked up about a film so intent on spreading the message that it loses focus of what it's all about.

spaz47 Okay, here we go. In this film Billy gets bitten by a rattlesnake a half dozen times and lives. He kicks the bad rich dude upside his head, makes the rich dude's kid drive a fancy Corvette into a lake, later killing him and two LEOs and goes to jail for it. He is driven off in a squad car with people standing along both sides of the road holding their arms up in the "power" salute while we hear the band "Coven" sing "One Tin Soldier," which is really catchy. We are still informed that Billy is an ex-Green Beret. I also liked this movie as Billy was a very charismatic character. However many things are left unexplained. Why is Billy now in Arizona, not California? Whatever happened to Vickie from "The Born Losers?" How does Billy figure out that Jean was raped by Benard? Why did Delores Taylor strip naked in the film? Was that really needed? Stay tuned, the best is yet to come. (Continued on "The Trial of Billy Jack.")

Xjayhawker I doubt anyone born in the 80's and 90's could appreciate this "message" movie made in 1969 and released 2 years later..when Billy Jack came out, I had already been to war in Vietnam..and I didn't understand the Hippie movement or the peace movement and it took quite some time for me to come to grips with the other opinions that began to pervade American culture..I eventually realized that for a lot of US or American involvement in other countries' affairs has been going on for longer than anyone can remember..most of our wars are unnecessary..with that said..Billy Jack had studio financing problems..and Jean was not the first one cast to play that part..however..a lot of people complain that it looks cheap or amateurish..you have to realize..$800,000 doesn't go very far..and still made $65 million at the box office and $ 32 million in rentals..but back to Billy Jack..a guy who would much rather just live his life in peace..but the bigots just won't live and let live..and he is faced with a few situations where his training takes over..instinct..self preservation..he does his best to no avail..there are some classic scenes and memorable dialogue..one which has been quoted..when the deputy holds a gun to the girl's head and Billy levels his Winchester at the deputy.."you mean you'd kill her, just like that?" Billy replies.."You"ll kill her..then I"ll kill you..just like that.."..anyone who lived through that time will see similarities to events around them growing up as depicted in the movie..anyone looking for a CGI special effects..30 explosions per half hour will not find them here..but what they do find here will be thought-provoking and sincere..the characters are NOT stereotypes..I have known folks JUST LIKE THESE ..and hopefully you'll enjoy this minor classic..JUST LIKE THAT..