Better late than never, right?
Sorcerer - It's been 12 years since I saw The Wages of Fear but based on what I can remember, I'm giving this the same score. They both have the same strength -- beautifully constructed tension -- and the same weakness -- too heavily front-loaded with backstory. Although there's a slightly different weighting here. In this case, I found the backstory more compelling than WoF's, while it seemed like the tense bits were not quite as cleverly done. I say this with the caveat that my memories are pretty fuzzy.
And really, I shouldn't be making comparisons anyway. Does Sorcerer stand up as a good movie, regardless of what came before it? Yes, it does. I do wish there was less buildup, not because it isn't interesting (for the most part, it is... the Bruno Cremer part felt like it could lose a few minutes) but because I wanted time for maybe one or two more hairy scenarios for our protagonists to conquer.
Scheider is great, like he always is, and the other performances were all at least adequate. As a big Tangerine Dream fan, I enjoyed the score and at the same time was pleased that it wasn't overused. Some of the tensest moments were those without music. And the jungle location really gave the whole thing a Herzogian vibe, a man vs. nature undercurrent reminiscent of Aguirre and Fitzcarraldo. I really liked how the ending was handled, too.
My wife came in and watched the last 20-25 minutes with me and she was riveted. Rating: Very Good (83)