The Gunslinger, or the original Man in Black (Yul Brynner) isn’t only the genesis for the terrific bastard we met in 2016’s series reboot of Michael Crichton’s 1973 hit, “Westworld.” William (Ed Harris) does this forefather proud by borrowing from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Terminator” performance as a killing machine. Humanity, for most of these characters, is an afterthought. For the original Gunslinger, it’s nary even a thought at all. He’s not an adaptive AI. He can’t care. But dear God, does he shoot straight.
This outdated version of Westworld has hosts that still pass for human, and at first, they’re up for whatever sins their well-off guests desire. But when the Delos breakdown happens, the Gunslinger is no Dolores Abernathy. He has no higher purpose than the one he was built for: to goad guests into dramatic shootouts. But with the safety protocols off, now the Gunslinger can win — and he’s going to keep on winning until he’s stopped. The proof of his merciless badassery comes with his first major victim. John, played by James Brolin, a master of tough guy roles, dies a violent death that tells the audience that the gloves are off. And they stay off until the very end of the movie. The Gunslinger, all told, was tougher than the T-100 and was aiming for a far bigger body count.