It's hard to imagine now just how astonishing it was to interrupt the action with a sun-lit frolic on a new-fangled bicycle as the whimsical Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head burbles away in the background.
The movie is jovial without being silly; it retains the sense of adventure that characterizes the Western, but replaces the often somber mood with one that is airy and, at times, almost comedic.
88
TV Guide MagazineEthan Alter
TV Guide MagazineEthan Alter
Butch Cassidy's winking awareness of its own cinematic nature (from the opening "silent movie" train robbery to the famous closing freeze frame) and witty banter give the story a degree of charm and exuberance.
80
Variety
Variety
Action dwells upon the misadventures of the pair as they pursue the outlaw trail, but more importantly, packs the type of fast movement the title indicates.
70
The New York TimesVincent Canby
The New York TimesVincent Canby
The over-all production is very handsome, and the performances fine, especially Newman, Redford, and Miss Ross, who must be broadly funny and straight, almost simultaneously.
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
This good movie is buried beneath millions of dollars that were spent on "production values" that wreck the show.
30
Chicago ReaderDave Kehr
Chicago ReaderDave Kehr
George Roy Hill's 1969 film moves with steady, stupid grace from oozy sentimentality to nihilistic violence.
10
Time
Time
Every character, every scene, is marred by the film's double view, which oscillates between sympathy and farce.