The gimmick in "The Fastest Guitar Alive" director Michael D. Moore's western "An Eye for an Eye" is that the two protagonists must adapt to the tragic misfortunes that crippled them after they attempted to kill a notorious outlaw. The older protagonist is injured by gunfire and cannot use his gun hand to draw his revolver, while the younger protagonist has blinded and cannot see where to shoot. The combine their talents to thwart the villain. This off-beat tale of vengeance turns on the fact that the hero is searching for the villain who raped and murdered his wife as well as his son in retaliation for the hero who killed the outlaw's brother. American westerns were experiencing changes during the middle of the 1960s as a consequence of the Spaghetti western. Although this morality yarn about two bounty hunters competing for the same outlaw is a traditional western, the problems that they encounter and the way that they resolve their problem makes for a predictable but interesting sagebrusher. Undoubtedly, freshman scenarists Bing Russell and Sumner Williams must have either seen or heard of the crippled Japanese swordsman "Zatôichi" (1962) when they sat down to pin this melodrama. Actually, a fluke of fate pulls the rug out from under our two heroes and the villain emerges as even more antagonistic before this 92 minute oater concludes with an equally unfortunate ending. Lucien Ballard's color cinematography and the backdrop of the rugged Sierras as well as the dusty terrain make this frontier western look rather authentic. Indeed, this is a down-to-earth western about men who are given a second chance to achieve their objective under the worst circumstances.

Veteran second-unit helmer Moore puts a solid cast headlined by "12 O'Clock High" television actor Robert Lansing and John Wayne's son Patrick through the paces and "An Eye for an Eye" doesn't wear out its welcome. Nevertheless, the ending remains pretty downbeat. Not even the use of a young boy (can we say "Shane") to appeal to the hero's sense of responsibility can change his decision to ride clear of relationships. Slim Pickens has been ideally cast as a no-account, low-down, dastard. Typically, Pickens appears as comic relief in most westerns, but after "One-Eyed Jacks" the former rodeo clown received some straight-up villain roles that differed entirely from his comedic roles. Later, American actor Tony Anthony adapted the "Zatôichi" narrative for a western entitled "Blindman." This Spanish-lensed Spaghetti western is a man without sight who decimates the bad guys after have stolen the mail-order brides that the workers paid him to deliver. Before this western came out, nobody had made a dust-raiser like "An Eye for an Eye." "An Eye for an Eye" opens with desperado Ike Slant (Slim Pickens of "One-Eyed Jacks") tucking in his shirt as he leaves a room where a couple of people are screaming. Basically, Ike has just raped a married woman and he is annoyed by their crying. He smashes a lamp on the wooden floorboards and sets the house ablaze as Jonas (one-time only actor Jerry Gatling) and Charley Beetson (Henry Wills of "The Sons of Katie Elder") scramble outside. Before he leaves, Ike shoots the woman once and the little boy second. Retired bounty hunter Talion (Robert Lansing of "A Gathering of Eagles") rides home to find his shack wreathed in flames. He can do nothing to either stop the blaze or save his wife and son. Trumbull (Strother Martin of "Slap Shot") sneaks up behind Talion and informs him that he knows who burned down his house. When he begs for money in exchange for his information, Talion disarms him and holds him at bay with his own revolver. Afterward, Talion wanders into a camp on the trail. He meets another bounty hunter Benny Wallace (Patrick Wayne of "The Alamo"), and they strike up an uneasy friendship that suffers from the strain put on it because they both are searching for the same dastard, Ike Slant. Our heroes begin their search for Slant, and they descend into an area where an older man, Brian Quince (Paul Fix of "Nevada Smith"), mistakes them for lawman and allows them to sample the food that his daughter, Bri Quince (Gloria Talbott of "Daughter of Dr. Jekyll"), serves them. Bri's little boy, Jo-Hi (Clint Howard of "The Courtship of Eddie's Father"), takes a shine to Talion and they become friends. Meanwhile, Brian labors under the impression that Talion and Benny are lawmen, not bounty hunters. Later, after he learns that our heroes are bounty hunters, Brian forbids them to enter their property. Moreover, Brian sets out to discourage his daughter, Bri Quince, from having anything to do with him. Talion and Benny ride out and catch the Beetson brothers and Ike in the open. A brief gunfight erupts. Talion loses the use of his right hand when Ike knocks the six-gun out of his fist. Benny blasts the two Beetson brothers as they try to escape on horseback.

Some days pass before Talion admits to himself that he can no longer wield his revolver in his right hand. Ironically, Benny observes that Talion, who struggled to take care of him, cannot take care of himself. Meantime, Benny's head gash has affected his vision so that he is practically blind. Talion breaks down and explains to Benny that their only hope for survival is to challenge Ike to a duel but they will stand alongside each other. Talion has established a system for Benny. They set up a target practice range, and Talion calls out a number that indicates where Benny will shoot. While all of this is transpiring, Talion and Bri become romantically linked. Unfortunately, neither is allowed to wed each other. Ike Slant meets Talion and Benny in the street and Benny drops him. The treacherous Turnball makes an unscheduled appearance again and he guns down Benny moments after Benny drops Ike.

"An Eye for an Eye" qualifies an entertaining, off-beat, violent western.

I've seen Chill Wills as a villain before, but Man, he really takes it to the limit here as outlaw Ike Slant. In an opening scene, not only does he torch a rancher's home, but shoots a woman and a crying child (off screen) before his crew makes a getaway. That was cold.

Seeking revenge for the murder of his family, former bounty hunter Talion (Robert Lansing) teams up with young gunslinger Benny Wallace (Patrick Wayne) to track the killers and bring them to justice. Talion makes no pretense of what he really feels - "I just want to make sure they all die, son". This is the first time I've seen Lansing in a lead role and I thought he had the perfect look for other Western portrayals, though I don't think I've caught him in any before. As other reviewers have noted, he has that Steve McQueen look going for him, the first thing I thought of when he showed up in the picture.

The story pretty much plays out by the book, with a nominal love interest for Talion in the person of Gloria Talbott's character, Bri Quince. It seems to me the writers miscalculated with the tease because at the end of the story, Talion rode off into the proverbial sunset leaving the disappointed girl behind. There was really no reason why the picture couldn't have pulled it off, it seemed like a loose end that should have been tied up.

The main plot element here has to do with Talion becoming the eyes for partner Benny when the up and coming bounty hunter is blinded by an Ike Slant ricochet. Some time is spent on Talion being patient with his protégé as he learns to handle his gun visualizing the minutes on a clock. That seemed a little odd to me because clocks aren't linear, but the strategy managed to work for the final showdown.

It's always cool to see Paul Fix and Strother Martin in support roles, but I have to admit, I could never get used to seeing Clint Howard as a character actor. At least as a kid; he has the perfect look as an adult for any number of roles calling for a deranged individual. Let's just say he was the complete opposite of his brother Ron.

Robert Lansing (who looks like cross between Lee Majors and Steve McQueen) plays Talion, a retired bounty hunter who finds himself back in action hunting Slim Pickens, a sleazy outlaw who along with his two partners, murdered his family and burned down his home.

Teaming up with a cocky (wet behind the ears) fellow bounty hunter Patrick Wayne, the two find themselves badly injured in their first attempt to kill Pickens, leaving Wayne blinded and Talion unable to shoot.

Lansing and Pickens are good, while young Pat Wayne is okay, though a bit miscast. Character actor Paul Fix is quite dignified in a supporting role as the film's voice of reason and the always oily Strother Martin is great and gives the film's best performance as a money grubbing backstabber.

A thoroughly average production, An Eye For An Eye is helped considerably by excellent locations and some stunning outdoor photography, some of the best I've seen. Every scene looks like it belongs on a postcard!