The Westerns always took themselves so seriously until Butch and Sundance came riding in and lightened things up. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is pure entertainment and it is a delight to watch Paul Newman and Robert Redford up on the screen. There are many memorable moments in George Roy Hill's film from the train roberries, to the bicycle ride set to Burt Bacharach's "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head", up until the memorable finale. It is also beautifully filmed by Conrad L. Hall and wonderfully written by William Goldman, both Oscar winners. This is not a perfect film though. The second half is not as fun as the first, and there are several lulls, mainly during some overly extended montages. Still, this is a classic film, great fun, and the movie that brought a sense of humor to the movies.
***1/2
