Reviews (3)

Superb western with great appeal
The plot of this 1994 HBO movie is fairly simple with a sprinkling of more complex sub-plots, but essentially this movie is about a blind man (played by Armand Assante) on a quest. This western works very well with the exception of one mediocre performance in the female role, but very few [if any] of us watch westerns for the love interest. The strength of this movie is in Assante's excellent performance, as well as the universal appeal this movie will have across the board for fans of traditional American westerns and European [spaghetti] westerns alike. The director seems to borrow heavily from earlier ideas of Corbucci, Garrone and Colizzi, with a healthy measure of John Ford and Howard Hawks influence combined, to create a unique film in the western genre. I have no idea what HBO intended when they funded this film, but in a 2003 era of Dungeons and Dragons and a post-democratic society a little grit, guns and gore goes a long way! Highly recommend.

Richard Spence's Blind Justice
Although derivative of many Oriental films, this short little western still packs a punch.

Assante is a nearly blind gunfighter traveling with a baby. He is looking for the baby's mother, asking everyone he finds about the town she is supposed to be in. He stops in one town where a group of soldiers is guarding a shipment of silver, which is being eyed by the local banditos. The soldiers, trapped, send Assante out for help. All hell breaks loose.

Assante is very good as the embittered gunfighter (and often very funny). His blindness never becomes gimmicky, although one has to wonder how he can ride a horse. He uses his hearing and sense of smell to shoot, how does he know in which direction the horse is going? Adam Baldwin, as the soldier's sergeant, is great, as he distances himself even further from the Baldwin brothers (no, he is not one of them, he can act). Robert Davi has his best role since "Licence to Kill" as the main villain. The one cast liability here is Oscar nominee Elisabeth Shue.

Shue delivers all of her lines in a flat monotonal vaguely-Valley Girl accent. She should be banned from doing any period films ever again. She has one embarassing nude scene, if you can call it that. At one point, she is sitting on a bed in her corset, and you can see part of her nipple mashed up out of her undergarment. It does not look erotic, it looks painful. Assante and Shue's forced romance is also the weakest part of the script.

One scene to watch for is in the climax as a major character is blown through the doors of a building. I rewound that three times just to bask in an action shot I had never seen before.

This feels like the first film of a proposed series that never came to fruition, and with an 85 minute running time, you have to wonder what they cut out. However, I do recommend "Blind Justice."

This is rated (R) for physical violence, strong gun violence, some sexual violence, some gore, profanity, very brief female nudity, and some adult situations.

The Greatest Movie Ever Made
BLIND JUSTICE is, without a doubt, the greatest movie ever made. More color sequences than CITIZEN KANE, fewer Italian thugs than THE GODFATHER, and by far more horses than CHINATOWN. Above all, it is superbly written. Knauf is a genius.

Daniel Knauf, Writer, BLIND JUSTICE ... Read more

Reviews (34)

This Jack's great, that's no Bull
Wow. I've not seen very many westerns, truth be told. I can count the one's I've enjoyed on one hand. Tombstone, Unforgiven, and to a lesser extent, Silverado. But the Jack Bull tops them all (sorry, Clint). John Cusack plays a horse trader who is forced to leave two prized steeds with a spiteful land Baron because he can't afford the Baron's toll. When he returns to pick his horses back up, he finds them badly beaten and swaybacked, and the Indian worker he left with them was beaten and driven off. He wants amends and gives the Baron two weeks to have his horses returned to their former glory and his Indian cohort payed for his damages. The Baron refuses, and with no help from the local or federal law agencies, he takes matters into his own hands. In my opinion, this is how the Wild, Wild West really was, as every bit of this movie rings authentic. Cusack is amazingly good in one of his best rolls ever (among Say Anything and Grosse Point Blank), and John Goodman is equally as good as a no-nonsense judge. This is a good example of the price of taking the law into your own hands, and I think this one will become a staple in any film fan's, western or no, permanent video collection. I give this one five stars, and that's saying something seein' as how I ain't none too keen on westerns and all. Watch this movie. Buy it. You won't regret it.

Cusack for President? I completely agree...
"The Jack Bull" is another movie that displays the amazing acting talent of John Cusack. There are times that I am disappointed that Cusack doesn't seem to parallel in accolades with actors such as Cruise, Crowe, and Hanks. But then I think about that and I have decided that Cusack is far above and a much better talent than the aforementioned. "The Jack Bull" is a perfect example of why. A movie written by his father, "The Jack Bull" is an excellent display of good vs. evil. Beautifully written, the story becomes three-dimensional with some of the best performances I have seen from Cusack and John Goodman. A definite emotional film, the displays of ethos, pathos, and logos are just right...not too Hollywood and not at all dull. As a person who is not a fan of the traditional Western genre, "The Jack Bull" proves that one should not decide from films in the vacuum of a particular genre. I will admit, I have been quite smitten with Lloyd Dobbler for many years. Yet I have seen that Cusack's acting talents are so malleable, that he, too, does not act within the vacuum of a genre. Forget the fact that I have adored Cusack's movies for many years, this movie is definitely worth owning...not just watching once.

Good but Lacking
If your looking for a realistic western than this is the best you can do. No epic bloodshed(as with spaghetti westerns)and no overly macho heroes(typical american westerns). This film is about and is based on a true story and its one of the only movies I know of that doesnt take its "artistic license" too far. This movie keeps its realistic edge while still managing to entertain. That being said, its also a sad movie that leaves you with an empty used feeling at the end. Watching a movie and feeling worse than you did when starting it is in my opinion the mark of a film that has too much of a downward slope. Anyways do not highly reccomend to anybody unless they want a realistic movie that will make you feel sad and used.

Honor, Pride, Power & the Law
In pre-Statehood Wyoming one local cattle and land baron is pretty free to do as he pleases, the closest local authority is a judge who is in his pocket. John Cusack plays a fairly successful horse raiser/trader who stumbles into the Statehood debate on the pro side, fairly irking LQ Jones, the landowning bigwig who knows Statehood will bring authorities who will reign in his ambitions. Jones gets his revenge by installing a toll gate charging exorbinent tolls to those he dislikes. Cusack finds himself on the list. Without the cash he leaves two prize horses while en route to a critical horse auction. On the return he finds his collateral purposely mistreated by Jones' thugs and his Native American hired man beat half to death. Without legal recourse thanks to local judicial corruption Cusack raises an army of revenge, paid for by the sale of his horse farm. They ride with the fury of a Mongol army and the ferocity of Sherman's March to the Sea to get payment back from Jones. As Statehood consideration nears, the Territorial Gov't wants this real life wild west show shut down. Through compromise and threat the case is finally hearded into a higher court where John Goodman, born for the role, sits as the Judge. The film could fall into numerous traps - good guy, bad guy, court and government vs. little guy, but it never stoops to cookie cutter devices and everything is a little more complicated then it first appears with personal morality and motivation falling into grey area. Entertaining and interesting throughout, the final scene, with appropriate soundtrack, is simply great American film-making. You hardly need to be a "Westerns" fan to enjoy this movie. I can't vouch for the accuracy of the history (it based on a true story we're told) but I can vouch for the greatness of the film.

Excellent film, but Cusack's character is no hero.
I take issue with many of the reviewers of this movie who claim that John Cusack's character was heroic in this movie. What he did was foolish, not heroic (and Cusack's character even admits this). Instead of pursuing legal recourse to its full extent, he gets tired of pursuing it, gives it up, and instead seeks his own recourse, which amounts to revenge for his wife's death. As a result many people are killed (I counted at least 10), and it seems all this happens simply to feed his ego. Sure, he stuck to his principles stubbornly, but a better result would have come from a stubborn reliance on the law.

However, that's not to say that I disliked this movie. People do indeed do stupid things, and that's where most movie plots arise from. It is a great movie, well acted, and with a good quality script that's lacking in most movies these days. But the moral of the tale is surely not that principles matter more than anything (as some here seem to believe). The moral is that pride goeth before a fall, and that corrupt justice (and vigilante justice) is far worse than no justice.

What the main character should have done was take back the horses, recondition them, and take the lawsuit as far as it would go, and keep lobbying for justice until justice was done. To give up on the law so quickly was idiocy. To then take the law into his own hands was the actions of a nutcase. ... Read more

Reviews (175)

Clint Eastwood delivers a masterpiece
This film won the 1992 Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Gene Hackman) and Best Editing. Garnering three of the "major" awards is impressive and they are what make the film a memorable and enjoyable experience. Eastwood the director is in top form. He has always displayed a steady hand in directing his stories and actors and he doesn't disappoint here. Nothing flashy but it is his understated direction that leads this film to it's climax. In less capable hands, a director may be apt to moralize or preach. Eastwood capably lets the story (overlooked as an original screenplay) tell itself. His turn as the lead character -- William Munny -- is also an underplayed, nuanced part. I think it is one of his best acting jobs. He carries a grim outlook and those set, steely eyes convey all of the emotions the character feels. In a movie with so much else that is good, his performance is not to be ignored. Gene Hackman is outstanding in his portrayal of Little Bill Daggett, the sheriff of Big Whiskey, WY. His performance is both blustery and low-keyed. It is a credit to Hackman to know how to pull if off effortlessly. The movie itself is the real star. It plays on so many levels and gives a lot of shades of gray that really blow off the Westerns of old. There is no good guy in the white hat. In fact, there is little good to be found in the movie. Most of the men and women are scoundrels or people of ill-repute. However the general theme of reality that Eastwood conveys is what you will have to look for. Things aren't what they seem and this "anti-Western" shrugs off the myths of the Old West.

The Darkest Film Ever To Win Best Picture
Unforgiven you realize, a few minutes in, is not your typical westen. Nor is it your typical Clint Eastwood movie. And it probably surely isn't your typical Best Picture Oscar winner. Telling the story of Willam Munny (Clint Eastwood), a retired bounty hunter who goes on one last job, to kill the men who slashed a prostitute's face. Now doesn't that sound like a fun movie! Whoppee! Errr... Not really. Actually it sound's downright depressing. And it is. Along the way Willam meets up with his longtime partner played by Morgon Freeman. Together they set out to kill those above mentioned men. About this time we switch over to the late Richard Harris's character. Who also is after the reward money offered up by the town prostitutes for the killing of those men I've mentioned twice already. He isn't after them long as he gets beaten and kicked by the towns people, mainly thier crooked sheriff, Little Bill (played suberbly by Gene Hackman).
He isn't the typical bad guy, either, in fact he's almost good in comparison with other bad guys in other movies. All of this leads up to a spectacular climax with a showdown between Willam Munny and Little Bill. Unforgiven also convienently managed to snag 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (For Clint Eastwood's terrific directing), Best Supporting Actor (For Gene Hackman's marvelous Little Bill). All should see Unforgiven, whether all would enjoy it is another matter. But who can forget Little Bill's words "I'm just trying to build a house!"

The "Western" Everyman.
The most important aspect of this "Western" is its philospical and spiritual message about the universal condition of man. It is almost biblical in nature like the first chapters of the book of Romans in the New Testament. Man is aware of both good and evil but finally is caught up in evil and unless he is redeemed by the forgivness of God he will die in his sins. The title is very appropriate as the characters in the end are unforgiving and unforgiven. It is a powerful film in that there are certain aspects in the various characters the show they have a sense of what is good but they are unable of themselves to overcome the innate evil of the human heart. There are several classic lines in the film such as the moment the young gunslinger says to Eastwood's character "He has it coming" and the reply is "We all have it coming" The conclusion at the end is that both the man representing the law and the man representing the lawless are both damned. It is not a pretty picture of mankind but a true one and is the reason why the Son of God had to die on the cross that we might be forgiven. There is Evil in man, but goodness in God if we will turn to Him. If this film would have only included the forgiveness of God I would have given it twice five stars.

Wow
This western directed by Clint Eastwood is truly one of the greats. The story develops slowly, the viewer learning in small bits about the main character William Munny. The subtlety of the movie is its greatest strength. Gene Hackman is incredible as the town Sheriff and won a well deserved Academy Award. Eastwood also won a much deserved Academy Award for best director.

If you like westerns this one is for you. Its a classic.

Rather good
This film is very good. As you can tell from the rave revies it has on this website and the 4 oscars it won in 1992 for Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor and something else i cant remember.

The plot is convential - the hitman comes out of retirement after personal tragedy, but the performances superb and the charcetrs fascinating you'll be hooked. It's a great film and shows the acting talents of Clint Eastwood amount to much more than simply facial expressions, although they are spot on again here.

Gene Hackman is probably the true star here and his oscar was well deserved. The performance he gives as Little Bill Daggett is so three dimensional and you wonder to start with just is he good or bad? Nothing is made too obvious and you only find out later you should root against him. Morgan Freeman and Richard Harris have smaller roles but do their best and it all works well.

It's well acted, directed and boasts great scenery. This is the intelligent western and portrays gritty real charcters and makes you think. It's very grim and shows real hardness without being brutal - and that's hard to achieve.

Watch - better yet buy - this, you certainly won't regret it. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Testosterone booster...
I loved this movie! It didn't do well until video. I had never even heard of it until I was at Blockbuster. Jeff Bridges plays an excellent Wild Bill. Tough, gritty and sure of his immortality. And Ellen Barkin is a lovable Calamity Jane (more women should be like her!! hehe) Anyways, this film could have delved more into the Life of Wild Bill as compared to his death. There are great scenes in this movie, but it is hard to digest on the first viewing. The first 2/3s of the movie is kinda hacked up bits and pieces of Bill's life. I would have liked to see more of his earlier years that led up to the man who became a legend. But, it is very enjoyable and makes for great testosterone boost. Ladies probably won't like it (my wife hates it), but a great movie for the guys and a lot of beer.!

Once again, Hollywood forgoes the truth and films the legend
James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok was shot dead from behind in a Deadwood, South Dakota saloon holding what is now known as the "Deadman's Hand" of aces and eights. This 1995 film from director Walter Hill ("The Long Riders") is not so much about the infamous death or even the storied life of "Wild Bill" (Jeff Bridges) but more the man's death wish. The film is an exploration of the legend and not the recreation of history; Jack McCall (David Arquette, in a very controlled performance of his usual edgy little creep), the dirty low-down snake who plugged Wild Bill from behind, does so in this film version because the famous gun-fighter lawman broke the hat of Jack's mother (Diane Lane). In "fact" Jack told the miner's jury in Deadwood that found him not guilty that his brother had been gunned down by Hickok who had promised to shoot McCall if he saw him. It was only after McCall kept bragging about killing Hickok once too often that Federal lawmen arrested him; before he was hung McCall claimed he had been hired by others to do the deed.

The screenplay by Hill is based on the book "Deadwood" by Pete Dexter and the play "Fathers and Sons" by Thomas Babe. In the film's climax McCall and a gang of thugs have gotten the drop on Wild Bill. Inexplicably, the thugs wait for McCall to decide whether or not he has the guts to shot Hickock. At one point Wild Bill offers to shoot himself, just to stop the stupid arguments. Charlie Prince (John Hurt), Wild Bill's educated English friend (and the narrator of the film) says: "Let him do it. He's been trying to kill himself his entire life." This line sounds like it unlocks the entire meaning of the film, but that is only if you take it at face value. "Wild Bill" shows a man playing by the rules of the game, and if he is incapable of loving any woman beyond the moment he is with her, even Calamity Jane (Ellen Barkin), it is not like the West is the land of romance.

The collision of Hickok and McCall is the backbone of the film, which reduces the other events in Wild Bill's life to two sets of flashbacks. In color we get the gunfights on which the Hickok legend was born, such as shooting wheelchair bound Will Plummer (Bruce Dern) while tied to a saloon chair, as well as the failed attempt to perform on stage in New York City with Buffalo Bill Cody (Keith Carradine). But there are also high contrast black & white sequences that are supposed to indicate significant moments in his life of a spiritual or personal nature. These might make him aware of his mortality and his character flaws, but these do not translate into a death wish.

Wild Bill Hickok sat down in a chair with his back to the front door of the saloon because it was the only open spot in the poker game (the gambler in the seat he wanted refused to give it up). That ironic element in the most famous death in the history of the Old West is jettisoned in this film, replaced instead with the rather paradoxical idea that his downfall was due to an uncharacteristic act of sentimentality on his part. In the end, "Wild Bill" comes down to a series of dazzingly brutal gunfights through which Bridges snarls his way. These are scenes that emphasize the choreography of the violence for effect rather than spraying a lot of blood all over the place. In the end, all you have to do is count the number of bullets that come out of his six-shooters to remind yourself this film is Hollywood invention. The final irony is that "Wild Bill" is undone by the very death scene that made Hickok immortal.

A STINKEROO!!
Hollywood just can't make Westerns anymore. And believe me, this one is "living proof". What a stinkeroo! I bet the real "Wild Bill" is more than turning over in his grave! Granted, there are a lot of historical facts that creep into the story, like the fact that Hickok was developing glaucoma, and he spent time in a drug induced haze in the opium parlours. But the rest is pure hogwash. If this is the best that Jeff Daniels can do, then Jeff my boy, HANG IT UP. He staggered through this mess like a drunken man. Even more annoying were the flash backs that popped up. It wasn't so much that, it just made the story hard to follow. Maybe one day, Hollywood will regain it's stride like it did with SILVERADO, but ignore this one.

Great performance wasted
I bought this film hoping for a biography of Wild Bill Hickock. The first ten minutes, which presents a short series of vignettes of his experiences, plus a few flashbacks throughout the story, was as close as I came to my wish. This muddled piece of filmmaking supposedly focuses on the last few days of Hickock's life before his shooting by Jack McCall. The only reason I gave this movie two stars is the performance by Jeff Bridges, simply the best portrayal of Hickock to date, only to be wasted. Had they used Bridges to give a life story of the best shootist of the West, they could have patted themselves on the back for a great achievement in Westerns. If you like 'quirky' or 'camp' films, by all means this is for you. But for historical enlightenment--skip it. The only other good thing I can say about this movie is the portrayal of Calamity Jane as more of a soiled dove than a Doris Day. The real Jane was a 'camp follower' and sometimes hooker. My best recomendation--if you must see it, rent it for the sake of seeing Jeff Bridges in one of his better performances.

Great Movie
I recently stumbled over this movie, and I'm glad I did it's a great movie.It ranks right up there with Tombstone,The long Riders, and Unforgiven as a great western, I just can't under stand why it didn't get the credit it deserved at the box office. Anyway it's a great flick maybe not completely historically accurate but come on it's a movie. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

a cast of singers, but only a couple of songs

Rated R: Not for sale to persons under age 18.
Studio: Lionsgate/Fox
Video Release Date: May 20, 2003

Cast:

Willie Nelson
Kris Kristofferson
Waylon Jennings
Travis Tritt
Chad Willet
Jonathan Banks
Sancho Gracia as Holden (the bad guy)

A bunch of former outlaws (Willie, Kris, Tritt) are bent on revenge when one of their former "business associates" (Jennings)
is murdered by another outlaw, Holden (Sancho Gracia). They extract their own version of justice when Holden lures them below the border, with hopes of causing their deaths.

I don't know why the "R" rating. The violence was almost non-existent, no bad language, and no nudity or anything you would be ashamed for your mother or children to see.

Only Tritt and Willie sang in the film, and the motivation of Holden was ill-defined. Altogether a poorly motivated plot, with the cast providing the backbone of the film. They did their parts well, making it an adequate Western to watch and kill some time, thanks to them. Not a great film, or particularlt memorable.

I am always impressed by Kris and Willie when they team up. Kris is good at "looking menacing," and Willie is entertaining.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

A self-entertaining with too much money to throw away?
Loose script with holes as big as the Black Hole. At certain clippings, there were potentials to evolve into a good movie but always fell short. I could clearly see that none of the actors had put heart into this movie but just acting by wearing cool dark or black gears. Son of Tolby didn't know how to handle a six shooter but suddenly became a fast-draw gunfighter and shot to kill the tough gunslinger without even had to aim. The loud mouthed tough outlaw with fast draw was beaten by the young man due to ending was coming and had to die. Nelson and Chris just cash in for their cool images. There was no storyline whatever I could see, just contrite and joking around performance. The country singer sang a pretty good song but acting poorly with good western Texan accent. What's the deal between the Mexican officer and that look-tough-but-got-nothing-to-cash-in when the chips were down? Don't treat a viewer like me as a pea brain or even brain dead, OK? The script was obviously a die-trying by a high school drop out. What impressed me most is the snorings of these two old hombres. That's the only thing I could remember and visualized for this pathetic movie.

Travis is a great actor
Hi my name is Barbara and I'm from Canada and I think Travis is a great actor, just by the way he talks in his interviews tells you, what ever you buy of Travis you'll never go wrong. Thanks

Bill Corcoran's Outlaw Justice
Waylon Jennings, looking like Joe Spinell, is killed off in the first scene of this half baked western. He is the lucky one. His son, Chad Willett, decides to take revenge on Jennings' killer, a former member of Jennings' outlaw gang. Willett is joined by two other former outlaw gang members Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson, making like Abbott and Costello, and they ride after the bland villain, taking poor Travis Tritt (a third gang member).

Nelson and Kristofferson do the same old TV western movie routine they have been doing for years- flat delivery, down home humorous bickering, and goofy grins. Tritt tries what he can, relying on all the acting chops he earned in his music videos. He has onscreen charisma, it would be interesting to see what a professional director might mold with him. Willett, probably the only real actor here, is okay. After getting killed, Jennings does what he does best- voiceover, as his son reads his diary.

The Unmagnificent Four get involved in little unthreatening scrapes here and there on their way to meet the villain. They are held up, but get their stuff back with the help of some friendly Native Americans they helped save. Willett finds romance, because if you are young and cute in a western, you must fall in love. Of course, that philosophy does not explain how Nelson manages to do the same thing. He falls for a local senorita in a town where the villain burned down the church. These happy outlaws help rebuild the church in one of those saccharine scenes that must be seen to be believed. The actual climactic shootout is dull, thanks to some really bland direction. At one point, Willett has a perfect opportunity to finish the villain off, thereby sparing Mexico and the audience from further torture, but he does not! The added "mystery" about the true identity of Willett's real father is never resolved, either!

This is just dumb entertainment for people who find "F Troop" too deep. I am warning you now, Nelson has a bathtub scene. No nudity, but proceed with caution. "Outlaw Justice" is an injustice.

This (R) rated "unedited director's cut" looks no different that a regular TV movie. It contains physical violence, gun violence, and mild gore.

Return of the Outlaws
In a film studded with THE OUTLAWS, this movie is a great tribute to a forgotten music and way....Willie and Kris have a great chemistry as aging outlaws, travis tritt shows he can act, and waylon jennings(who has a very small acting role) uses that rich voice of his in voice-overs....I loved them as singers, and although the plot is what you would expect from a western, the quality of the movie is not expected....this is top-notch ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A good film thats filled with laughs
The Cherokee Kid is a fun film from start to finish. I truly enjoyed the movie all the way through. The plot is simple, its your classic revenge story where Sinbad's parents where killed and vows revenge the man that killed his parents. The fun part is how he transforms for the young child with no real skills to survive in the west to one of the "Greatest Gun Slingers of All Time". If you have a little time and want to see a Sinbad film with decent acting and fun plot, then this is your film.

The Cherokee Kid
This is an excellant comedy/western in which Sinbad, who plays the main character Isiah Turner/Cherokee Kid, develops from a wet nosed runt to a true cowboy. Along his way Sinbad meets many people that help him avenge his parents deaths. His path leads him to many obstacles, among which is a showdown with his long lost brother. The two brothers then take down the men who killed their parents. ... Read more

Reviews (139)

Peckinpah's ode to the closing of the American West.....
It would be impossible for film fans to have a conversation about controversial movies throughout the years, and for the epic western, "The Wild Bunch" not to get a solid mention.

Since I first saw this film over twenty years ago, I have owned numerous versions on VHS and laser disc, and it is particularly satisfying to finally have the restored directors version, with the accompanying documentary "The Wild Bunch : An album in montage" available on DVD in true widescreen format.

Sam Peckinpah's blood and thunder tale of outlaws on the Texas/Mexican border with their own set of unique morals has been such a dynamic influence on many directors and future films since it's release way back in 1969. But what sets "The Wild Bunch" apart from it's many imitators is it's deep, almost mythical storytelling, the complex moral nature of the characters peopling the tale and the gritty passion & energy that Peckinpah infused into the entire production. William Holden and Ernest Borgnine are simply tremendous as Pike & Dutch, the leaders of the Bunch...each man with his own individuality. Ben Johnson & Warren Oates portray the crazy Gorch Brothers, Jaime Sanchez is the arrogant and fiercely partiotic Mexican, Angel...and Edmond O'Brien is the grizzly, old timer Sykes.

Additionally, Peckinpah's film features Emilio Fernandez as the bloated, evil dictator Mapache...Albert Dekker as the manipulative and remorseless railroad man, Harrigan....and Robert Ryan putting in another one of his strong performances as the ex-gang member turned reluctant bounty hunter, Deke Thornton. And a Peckinpah movie almost wouldn't be complete without the appearance of LQ Jones and Strother Martin as a pair of filthy, grave robbing bounty hunters out for the reward on the heads of the Wild Bunch.

The Wild Bunch pulls no punches in it's tale of desperado's who they themselves are desperately running out of time...as Holden reflects in the film "We've got to start thinking beyond our guns...those days are closing fast". Whilst "The Wild Bunch" is most notorious for it's two bloody shootouts that book end the film's 144 minute running time...there is so much excitement, passion, adventure and personal conflict within the movie that can be found upon each repeated viewing of this stunning work.

A film that can be treasured and enjoyed by any true film fan....The Wild Bunch will be continually looked upon as one of the most important contributions to American cinema.

Director's cut not needed, but great moments still abundant
The Wild Bunch is, without a doubt, one of the greatest westerns that has ever been thought up, but it is also quite controversial. The romantic view of the Old West is shattered in this 1969 film; no sign of John Wayne anywhere, and most of the cliches found in a typical western are nonexistant(not that I dislike typical western movies, they're actually quite entertaining). Sam Peckinpah, a master of improvisation, creates an unforgettable movie that is not only responsible for redefining cinematic violence, but also carries with it an engrossing story of friendship, betrayal, and the dying west. I didn't feel a Director's cut was needed for this film though, because the original version moved at such a lightning-fast pace. The restored scenes may interest some viewers, but I just wasn't interested. That is probably why I don't own this version of the movie. I'd prefer that other Sam Peckinpah flicks be restored, preferrably Major Dundee. Besides that, the DVD still captures all the explosive action and catchy dialogue. I particularly enjoyed the presentation of the credits, and Jerry Fielding's music adds to the realistic atmosphere, and that's not a bad thing. If you're looking for a great action flick with a plot, The Wild Bunch is a winner for a weekend rental, but RENT this version before you buy it.

One of the best westerns of all-time
The Wild Bunch-Restored Director's Cut is one of the best westerns ever made and also one of the best movies ever. In 1913 during the Mexican Revolution, times are changing as the Old West disappears into oblivion. After a botched robbery in the town of Starbuck, the Wild Bunch, a gang of aging outlaws must decide what their next move is. The remaining members of the gang decide to head south into Mexico where their services may be needed. The bunch robs a gun shipment for a Mexican general, hoping this will be their last job. At the same time, a posse is hunting them down with a former gang member at the posse's head. While this movie is most well known for its violence, it is ultimately a story about honor among men in a changing time. Knowing that the world they knew is changing, the bunch has to try and survive as their end closes in. Nonetheless, director Sam Peckinpah knows how to construct an action sequence. The Battle of Bloody Porch is a balletic, slow-motion, masterpiece of blood and guts as the Wild Bunch meets their end. Just as good is their final march through the streets knowing what awaits them. One of the best westerns, if not the best, ever made and highly recommended.

What makes this movie special, along with the groundbreaking filmmaking of Sam Peckinpah, is the cast. The whole cast gives excellent performances. William Holden stars as Pike Bishop, the leader of the Wild Bunch who knows time is running out for the bunch. His right hand man, Dutch Engstrom, is played by Ernest Borgnine in a perfect part for him. Robert Ryan plays Deke Thornton, a former member of the Wild Bunch and the unwilling leader of the posses following the gang. The rest of the gang includes Edmond O'Brien as Freddie Sykes, Warren Oates and Ben Johnson as brothers Lyle and Tector Gorch, and Jaime Sanchez as Angel. Emilio Fernandez plays Mapache, the Mexican general who pays the bunch to steal a shipment of guns. Strother Martin and L.Q. Jones are great as Coffer and TC, members of the posse. What is surprising about these characters is that as despicable as they are, they are still likable. The Restored Director's Cut DVD includes about ten minutes cut from the original version, a theatrical trailer, production notes, an excellent making of documentary, "The Wild Bunch: An Album in Montage", and a great-looking widescreen presentation. For a great western with incredible gunfights, a terrific cast, and a great story, check out the truly classic western, The Wild Bunch!

NOT ONE OF YOUR GRANDPA'S WESTERNS.
"The Wild Bunch" is not the typical western that tells the story of a bunch of good ol' cowboys versus the mean ol' Indians, this movie goes beyond the cliches of the earlier westerns, so in some way "The Wild Bunch" resembles more to a Spaghetti Western than a John Wayne-versus-the-indians western.

Sam Peckinpah took two steps forward the use of violence in the movies, he show the world how to use violence in a movie to produce visual art. Of course, some might complain about the cruel scenes in "The Wild Bunch", but open minded people know that the violence in the movies is not even close to the cruelty of the real world violence, plus, the violence in a movie can produce visual art if it's used in the right way, like Sam Peckinpah or Sergio Leone did in their movies.

"The Wild Bunch" has an excellent cast: the always efficient William Holden and Ernest Borgnine plus a great supporting cast that includes names like Robert Ryan, Warren Oates and Emilio Fernández. Also, the director Sam Peckinpah gave importance to each character, and that contributed to form a solid story. The cinematography is spectacular, "The Wild Bunch" has a lot of impressive camera angles that show the cruelty of the bullets and explosions, and the movie has some of the most impressive scenes ever put to film.

"The Wild Bunch" is in a very selected group of westerns. That list includes movies like "High Noon". "The Searchers", "Stagecoach", "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" and "Once Upon A Time In The West", among few others. That list includes the best westerns, and "The Wild Bunch" belongs in the list.

A Grand Finale to the Old West - An American Classic
This is simply a rich, masterful, nostalgic story of the Old West, in all of its fading glory.

The charaters too, are fading in their own time - pursued relentlessly by forces reshaping the country, lives and landscape they ravaged, shared, and loved.

A long-in-the-tooth band of outlaws set out on one last job - to lighten the rich railroad barons of a few sacks of gold. Doublecross meets disaster and they're thrown back on their heels in a narrow escape. Then on to Mexico to trade a stolen shipment of rifles, stolen from under the government's nose, to a Mexican general who is a ruthless hombre in his own right.

Good guys and bad guys change roles and the moral lines of right and wrong shift beneath their feet as they make a last stand for honor among men.

This is a fun, exciting, warm movie which is excellent in every respect. Beautifully filmed, extraordinarily acted, and a terrific story, wonderfully told.

Five stars for a truly American Classic. ... Read more

Reviews (82)

Wyatt Earp was a Man
A lot of people forget that Wyatt Earp was a real man who had more courage and integrity then most people you will ever know. This movie is a pretty accurate portrayl of that man. Kevin Costner and Dennis Quaid (Doc Holliday) do a superb job, although the supporting cast has a lot to be desired. This movie differs from the movie "Tombstone", in that it portrays a lot of Wyatt's life from being a teenager during the Civil War to his and Josie's adventure to the Alaskan gold fields near the turn of the century. "Tombstone" deals primarily with the happenings in Wyatt's life in that one town, which ironically dealt with less than 2 years of his long adventurous life. I liked this film because it dealt with an approximate 35 year time span of Wyatt's life, and the movie is long enough to dipict this. There are a lot of historical accuracies in the movie which include proper representations of places and dialogue such as what is said on the way to and during the gunfight. The inaccuracies are easily overlooked such as Virgil being shot in the wrong arm and the reference to "Johnny behind the duece" as "Tommy." All in all though, a good film about the life of a great man, Wyatt Earp.

BUY THIS DVD!
At last Warner Bros. has seen fit to release Kasdan's masterpiece on DVD. Sadly and inexplicably this movie was overlooked at the time of it's release. This superbly written,beautifully played piece is the definitive account of the life of a western archetype achieving everything that previous Earp accounts have failed to with the possible exception of Hour Of The Gun. Avoiding the ludicrous romanticism of My Darling Clementine, or the appaulingly laughable Lancaster/Douglas fiasco, Gunfight At OK Corral, Kasdan's portrayal presents these characters as the contradictory individuals they undoubtedly were and the actors and actresses do a tremendous job of bringing them to life. Costner is utterly believable as a complex man who, influenced by his father's belief in the family unit, almost destroys the very family he is trying to protect. We see him go from an idealistic young man to becoming a resolute, serious individual as a result of circumstances often beyond his control which serve to form his hardened personality and tunnel vision. Dennis Quaid is superb as Doc Holliday and presents a real person rather than Val Kilmer's amusing charicature in the over rated t.v movie-quality Tombstone. JoBeth Williams, Catherine O'Hara and Isabella Rosselini are great in their portrayals of the role of women in the west. Each of the actresses in this movie portrays a distinctly different character never resorting to cookie-cutter characterisations but the one thing they all have in common is, true to the period, women were expected to be supportive but not to have minds of their own; No revisionist western this.
Technically the movie looks and sounds great. Kasdan creates a visual style without being heavy handed and we are presented with a west in various stages of development from shanty towns to the developing, lawless Dodge City and Tombstone where law and order are trying to take hold even when the "law" is being enforced in a very subjective manner, again there is a lot of gray in this movie.
Finally I have to praise James Newton Howard for his wonderful score which, if it were isolated on the DVD would make this a 6 star release.
Apparently deleted scenes are being included on a second disc. An expanded lazer disc was released some years ago which restored this footage to the film, adding even more depth to the characters and as a result an even better movie.
Please buy this movie and, in doing so, encourage Warner's to release the expanded version in the near future. You will not be disappointed.

Western Classic
No doubt this movie is a western classic. I saw it years ago and loved it. I don't have anything negative to say about the movie itself. I almost picked up this 2 disc set until I learned it's a cut down or edited version. Why is the complete 212 min version only available on VHS ? That's just stupid. This is a great movie worthy of a director's cut edition maybe 3 disc set? I'd spend the extra cash on a deeper edition, until then I'll save my money. Please, please release the FULL version on DVD!

I'm very disappointed-why not the Director's Cut on DVD??
I was actually planning to but Wyatt Earp on DVD, but as I already have the Director's Cut on VHS video, I'll wait until the release of it on DVD. I believed this would be the "definitive" video release of Wyatt Earp. I'm quite disappointed!! I would rather have had the complete film on DVD than all of the extras!! Five-stars for the film, one-star for the short-sightedness of this DVD's content!! This is just as puzzling as why the restored version of John Wayne's The Alamo is not on DVD yet, either.

Typical Costner - long drawn out epic!
While the story was great and gave some interesting, perhaps unknown insight to the character of Wyatt Earp (did you know he was married and lost his wife to Typhoid? I didn't!) the movie was a very long, slow, drawn out epic like most of Costner's films. While Dennis Quaid portrayed a believable Doc Holliday, his performance was paled by the superior, more entertaining version by Val Kilmer in "Tombstone". In either movie it was almost unbelievable that the character was played by Dennis Quaid and Val Kilmer respectively (although Val Kilmer was more recognizable), I think both versions of Doc Holliday outshined the portrayal of Wyatt Earp in either movie. While still a good Western for this century, I would not rate this one higher than 3 stars because it was too long and drawn out. 3+ hours is just too long to sit through for something that could have been accomplished successfully in maybe 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
The rating age only goes up to 12, I'm actually 40 years old - LOL ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Purgatory
As you can see from the past reviews, nobody has scored it less than 5 stars. What an amazing movie! It's too bad this didn't go to theatres first so it could be enjoyed on the big screen. It definately deserves a transfer to DVD with all the extras so hopefully that will be coming soon. I'm very picky about the westerns that I'll watch since a good one so rarely comes along these days. But Purgatory is great! Like others have said, it's a western with twists and surprises like no other before it. And for "Hollywood" or TNT as the case may be, to put out a movie with a moral or faith based message, well that's just very incredible and very welcome considering the messages that are conveyed in most movies today. Purgatory is 5 stars and then some. And at this price, you can't go wrong!

Great acting ... good movie ... (if you have FAITH ) !
PURGATORY is a well-directed combination of TWILIGHT ZONE and hard-charging action Western. More than many movies of this ilk, its success absolutely depends on the viewer's acceptance of the town of REFUGE's premise. Refuge and its strange populace and "special rules" can be regarded with keen interest or merely observed as an intriguing, clever gimmick. The fine acting and ironic plot employing several well-staged confrontations between good "bad" guys and very bad, bad guys can devolve into a puzzle being "worked-out" (much the way the highly overrated, in my estimate, PI is). Or, it can develop into an existential drama concerning ULTIMATE CHOICE and its CONSQUENCE rendered in a violent climax. Sam Shepard and Eric Roberts are excellent as the film's well-matched protagonists where the ambiguities of goodness must confront clear-cut rapacity and viciousness in evil. Brad Rowe is the man-in-the-middle who has lived a life of fantasy and must suddenly make a deliberate choice between a dangerously real GOOD (and love) or dangerously real EVIL (and damnation). Ultimately, the movie depends on PERCEPTION: what one chooses to regard as reality and the nature of goodness and evil, both presented as Temptation. PURGATORY is a good movie...maybe a great one... if you watch it with a bit of FAITH!

Goodness in the heart can ALWAYS prevail
I have always despised just about every western made except for less than a handful. "Purgatory" and "The Quick And The Dead" are just about the only ones that I enjoy. "Purgatory" has such a deep underlying meaning to me...it's very hard for me to put it into words. But I can say that this movie shows to its viewers that through one's own personal convictions, no matter how rough life's road may get...salvation and peace of mind can and will be one of the eternal rewards. Sam Shepherd does a GREAT JOB as Sheriff and even though I love Eric Roberts, I thought that he was a "real S.O.B.!!!!!". I mean...whatever happened to "love thy brother" especially your own blood? My own brother is a real ass and even though I don't like him 90% of the time...I STILL LOVE HIM. Watch this movie, you won't be disapointed.

the big fight scene is the best
The overall movie is great. It takes a few minutes to discern the town of Refuge and what it's all about. Roberts is great as usual as a real bad guy and Sonny is so innocent it's a wonderful contrast. But the best parts are the kicking big showdown fight and the indian. I can't wait to get this on DVD. Oh and the gore isn't bad compared to most movies now.

i loved this movie
the first time i saw this movie was on tv.it was so good. every thing seem so real. it took me just a few min, to find out that all these people were dead, eric roberts was great in purgatory. you will not go wrong buying this movie ... Read more

Reviews (4)

surprisingly subtle
I wanted to add to the positive reviews listed above. Perhaps the misleading cover image on the box is not only intended to increase sales, albeit to those with prurient interests, but also to reach those with the prurient interests. Do not judge this film by its box. As a woman, subjectively, I recommend this film for its sensitive and uncritical portrayal of past and present "sisters" selling their bodies to survive. The sex scenes reveal the tedium and human nature of the occupation and are neither gratuitous nor distasteful. But, perhaps it takes a mature and experienced mind to appreciate the brutal honesty of this film. Other films with a similar empathic vein I recommend are Whore with Theresa Russell and the Italian classic Mamma Roma with Anna Magnani. While Whore's style is a complex blend of comic book comedy and tragedy, Mamma Roma's style is a bit pathetic, though in the textbook sense. If any of these three films stimulate an interest in the human side of prostitution, perhaps the book Brothel: Mustang Ranch and Its Women by Alexa Albert will enlighten. A landmark text for a sociological perspective is Pornography: Men Possessing Women, by Andrea Dworkin. In summary, if you are interested in art that portrays prostitutes as human beings, you will be glad to see the cast's rendering of characters in Wicked Wicked West. Regardless of overall quality, any film I judge good enough for me to purchase I rate with five stars. I hope you see what I mean.

Jon Sanders' The Wicked Wicked West
This film is hard to sum up because there is really not a plot, per se. The film follows the lives of prostitutes living in a brothel owned by Brenda Fricker. This is not the brothel of TV westerns, this is a dark, dank place barely lit by candle light in a dingy little ten building frontier town. McGillis plays Nettie, who helps the other prostitutes through their time at Fricker's establishment, as well as the competition down the street. It is implied she performs abortions for unexpected pregnancies. She tries to raise her five year old son in the house, with less than successful results. Eileen is Irish, and befriends German dancer Katya, who replaces Eileen's best friend, who we see murdered in the opening scene. Georgie is the new young prostitute who knows she can do better that this one horse town, and sets out to prove it. Ada is the prostitute with children who is getting older and less desirable to the men.

The entire cast does a fantastic job. Sanders' direction (he also cowrote this) is very intimate wihout being exploitative, except for McGillis' topless scene. The film is sad, without being a complete downer, but you get the idea that this is what the prostitutes went through. The pace seems deliberately slow so we get to know the characters. The pace is a little too slow at times, and a few supporting actors blur in confusion here and there, but Sanders keeps things going.

Despite the stupid title, and cleavage baring video box, this is not something along the lines of "Bad Girls" or "Hard Bounty." This tells a very realistic story of tough lives gone wrong. If anything, it is hard to forget.

This is rated (R) for some physical violence, gun violence, some gore, female nudity, strong sexual content, and strong sexual references.

To Watch this Movie is Inhumane
I only saw the first ten minutes of the movie but that was enough to turn it off, not bother rewinding it, and rush back to the video store to get my money back. Afterwords I read the reviews on imdb.com and thanked the lord I turned off the movie when I did. Avoid this at all costs unless you need to do a thesis on BAD moviemaking. There is no "zero" star rating so it gets a 1.

Its a slow but devastating story about the early west
I just watched this film. It was unrelenting, a story of the rough circumstances prostitutes endured in the West a little more than a century ago. Its a woman's story, almost totally without a male point of view. The men are represented as beings who mostly just mumble and play cards. Their voices are heard often muttering on the soundtrack. We can't make out what they're actually saying. Representing the guys as stick figures helps emphasize in what reduced and lonely circumstances the prostitutes inhabit their dance hall and saloon world. There are no women who are not prostitutes in this early western town. Just as the men have little regard for the women, the women think little of the men. I think this may be a fairly truthful accounting of the West before it was civilized. The film has got me thinking about how desperate male-female relationships may have been in America not all that long ago. ... Read more

Description

A ruthless gang of Confederate soldiers after the Civil War rob Yankee banks for a living, killing anyone who gets in their way. But when the gang rebels against their leader, he has no choice but to hunt them down, bloodily murdering them one by one. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Not bad.....But
This seemed like a sure-fire hit, and it could have been, except for two things:

Rourke's makeup and costumes are almost laughable. The stupid mustache, the big, floppy hat, and ten layers of clothes in the hot summer plains are ridiculous! The makeup and costume guys should be selling used cars.

Second, the final scene was ludicrously short, bloodless, and unbelievable, especially given the bloody action that proceeded it. Someone please explain to the man who directed this film about the velocity and deadliness of small handguns.

Still, it's worth watching just for Rourke and Mulroney. Rourke is THE quintessential bad guy, and he plays it to the hilt, here. Muldoney is always good, no matter what role he plays. The supporting cast is great, too, so it's not a complete wash-out!

Best dam western ever
Mickey Rourke is the best I've ever seen him in this film. He is cruel and ruthless to the core. He makes Clint Eastwoods noname caracter seem rather friendly. If you are a fan of violent westerns with a heartless main character this is the one for you.

The last outlaw
This is the best damn western ever! I swear the plot is one that will keep you guessing and intrigue you. The outline:
A band of bank robbers pull off a heist not exactly as planned. The outlaws quickly blame their leader and shoot him believing this to be his demise. Yet he awakes in the hands of the very posse hunting him down and strikes a deal with them, help hunt his former gang down.
Slowly he picks off the members one by one until what used to be a "lieutenant" kills him with a very good cliche. Over all I give this all 5 stars, it deserves it!

Good Western
This is a damn good movie. The story's awesome and Rourke's character is a badass. It drags in some spots, but overall this is probably the coolest western since TOMBSTONE. The stylized direction by Geoff Murphy(YOUNG GUNS 2) is real effective. Check this one out.

Geoff Murphy's The Last Outlaw
An interesting idea is put through the Western ringer and comes out soaked in blood. A band of bank robbers barely escape after a muddled attempt. They kill their psychotic leader, and continue on. The leader lives, and joins the very posse hunting down the robbers. He takes his bloody revenge on his old gang one by one, until just his former second in command is left.

What a great idea. Reading the back of the video box, I thought this would really play with your mind. Then I watched the movie...

Mickey Rourke, thanks to his facial hair scheme and boxer's eyes, looks like an Old West version of Fu Manchu. His southern accent is constantly dubbed in, since he mutters through this more than Marlon Brando in "The Godfather." Rourke plays the robbery gang's leader left for dead as a psychotic. It takes the rest of the posse forever to discover this fact as he gets most of them killed. There are no smart scenes where the posse does not know he is a robber, like I thought there might be. Instead, after killing the marshall and the bank president, he is made head of the posse, since the other posse members are too stupid to see his murderous ways.

Dermot Mulroney, who has never been good in a film, is good here. He plays the second in command a little to sensitively, but he is a likeable hero. Ted Levine is also good as a shoot now, ask later moron who is with the gang.

The robbers are nothing more than stereotypes. Mulroney is the good guy. Levine is dumb. John C. McGinley is the coward. Keith David, because he is black, practices voodoo and is convinced Rourke is a ghost. Steve Buscemi is the dreamer, who is talking about his little home on the beach in Mexico he hopes to have one day right before having his head blown off by Rourke. Loomis (the character's name) is the injured guy they will eventually sacrifice. Rourke is psychotic just because. The posse's marshall is a he-man who is killed way too early. The bank president is nerdy and bespectacled, and also killed in an outlandish way.

The constant blood and shootings are exhausting. The whole film is just a bunch of guys riding around in the desert getting shot. The opening bank robbery, reminiscent of "The Wild Bunch," is handled well enough, but screenwriter Eric Red never gives us any characters, just warm bodies full of blood. Why does this robbery go wrong after 29 went right? Why does Rourke pick this robbery to go mental and get "killed" by his own men? How did the posse know the bank was going to be robbed? After the opening credits, you feel like you just walked into the middle of the film, not the beginning. These professional bank robbers and cold blooded posse members also spend most of the film fighting amongst themselves, and bickering in a way that made me think of my son's daycare class.

The final mistake here is having Mulroney narrate the film. Since Eric Red is no Billy Wilder, Mulroney obviously lives through the film, meaning he probably defeats Rourke in the finale. I sat through 90 minutes of bloodshed to witness a showdown that I had already figured out in the first ten minutes.

While not an utter failure, "The Last Outlaw" does not have enough going for it to be recommended.

This was rated (R) for physical violence, strong gun violence, strong gore, strong profanity, and sexual references. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The Greatest of Us All
This movie depicts the final days of my distant relative, Bill Tilghman. Tilghman enforced the law from the 1880's, as Marshal of Dodge City through the Indian Territory days in Oklahoma to statehood and Roaring '20s gangsters.
At 70, he was about the only man left alive who had tamed a wild cowtown. The Governor called on him to bring law and order to Cromwell, the oiltown known as "the meanest town in Oklahoma." He did it, though did not live to see his work totally completed.
Sam Elliott does a wonderful job of portraying this lawman who was better known in his day than the Wyatt Earps and such we are familiar with today. While a few cinematic prerogatives were taken, William Kent Harrison stayed pretty close to history and clearly did a lot of research. He beautifully depicts the wonderment of an old West lawman coping with gangsters in T-model Fords and ignoring the ethics that characterized even such desperadoes as Bill Doolin in the 1890's.
Particularly interesting were the vignettes of Tilghman's 1915 movie, "The Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws," which he and many of the people who were really there starred in.
In the early 1900's, famed lawman Bat Masterson was asked about the old lawmen of the West. Without hesitation, he said "Tilghman was the greatest of us all."

Very Inspirational
I loved the portrayal of a tough honest lawman who also showed a deep understanding of human nature. He was also a very warm family man. The way he handled the young man who wanted to become his assistant and how he became a role model for him while he was alive is interesting. I like certain westerns and this was a good one. I think Sam Elliott should have been aged a little more...it was too obvious that a young man was wearing props to make him look much older. I recommend this feel-good movie for a general audience.

One of the Great Modern Westerns
Sam Elliot is without a doubt the best modern western actor today. As with all his movies, he gives a stunning performance. While filled with a few historical flaws, it shows the general theme of Bill Tilghmans life. I admit that it would have been more interesting if they showed his earlier life and involvment with the likes of the Doolin gang. Some may say that is lacks a good plot, but the movie is a true story.

you know my name
Most of the reviews of this movie say it has a lousy plot, what few critics probably realize,however, is that it is a true story (some liberties were taken of course.). I am Bill Tilghman's great-great granddaughter, and I had some problems with the story, too, mostly in what they chose to portray. I think that the early days of Bill Tilghman's life were much more interesting than the last few months. It's too bad they didn't focus more on the material in the "Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws" movie that Bill made with his partner, Benny Kent. Unless the audience knows a lot about Bill Tilghman, they wouldn't understand the "flashback" sequences. I also think Sam Elliott was mis-cast ! I have spoken to many living old-timers that knew Bill - they say he was a very unassuming and quiet man. He wasn't a tough guy at all. Still, I was glad the movie was made - many people never read history unless they've seen the movie first !

Good cast, lousy script
Sam Elliott's portrait of Marshal Tilghman is splendid as ever his performances as a westerner are. But the script is really lousy. After a thrilling start sequence and a surprising film-in-film-montage the film is lacking the necessary straightforwardness that, e.g., "Last Stand at Saber River" makes a 5-star-western. There's lot of talking and too little action. Best example: the scene when riding Tilghman is chased by a car with gangsters. The car simply crashes downward a hill. There's no thrilling tension in that sequence. The authors and director John Kent Harrison were not able to turn the conflict between old-fashioned lawman Tilghman and the modern, organised and law-protected crime into a entertaining duel. It's a pity: A lot of good ideas and a stunning Elliott performance wasted by uninspired filmmakers. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Texas Rangers stinks up the screen - in cowboy outfits!
Hot off the popularity of their television shows, James Van der Beek (Dawson's Creek) and Ashton Kutcher (That 70's Show) attempt to score big on the big screen. That has since happened, but this film wasn't the reason why.

The producers were obviously attempting to throw quantity not quality at the big screen, since they employed a host of well known television actors and a couple of singers. You have Dylan McDermott as the Captain in charge, Robert Patrick, Matt Keeslar, Usher Raymond, Tom Skerritt, and even Randy Travis. As an after thought they've even thrown in Rachel Leigh Cook as the token female character.

The acting is never bad, it's just that there's really not much going on here to warrant any excitement. You can sit and watch this film from beginning to end without blinking and you'll swear that you must have missed something. That's what makes this simplistic film bad.

The plot is super simple: bad men kill innocent people. Young studly guys band together as the "Texas Rangers" to right the wrongs, but not for revenge.

Unfortunately, this story doesn't have oomph to make it any good. Alfred Molina, as the bad guy, just never comes off quite as bad as he should. The reason? A fine actor, Molina seems to be bored and somewhat ashamed to be in such a stinker. He does bad things but he never comes off as evil or homicidal or even psycho. This movie really begs for a Bruce Dern in "The Cowboys".

And the good guys...these guys are apparently sharing one brain among the 30 of them. In one fight scene, they come charging in a single line across the plains to a wooded area where the bad guys are holed up with tons of places to hide. Of course the good guys are masacred. Since no one bother to introduce us to any of the good guys beyond the major players, we really can't care too much if any of the good guys get killed. In fact, I was hoping that more of them would be killed off - they really started to annoy me.

In short, Texas Rangers is long on being a Teen Beat homage and short on being a real western. There is very little character development in either the good or bad guy camps and there is no storyline, but the central one. I think there was an attempt to throw in a love story angle, but it gets lost when Kutcher jumps in the tub with van der Beek.

This film isn't the worst I've seen, but it certainly isn't even noteworthy.

If you want to see a bunch of your favorite television studs in a cowboy outfits, then by all means rent this. Otherwise rent a decent western, such as The Cowboys, Rooster Cogburn, Shane, or Tombstone.

Excellent Newfangled Western
"Texas Rangers" may not be historically accurate, and it may not be "Tombstone" (despite the many similarities), but it is an excellent, action-filled Western in the "Young Guns" tradition. Despite the presence of James Van Der Beek, Dylan McDermott is the heroic presence of the film. In true Clint Eastwood style, he does a lot of squinting, very little shaving, and a lot of shooting - never breaking a sweat even as he spits out quite decent one-liners. The cast may be ensamble for the most part, but Dylan steals the show. It is unfortunate that "Texas Rangers" didn't enjoy a wide release last November. Given some of the awful movies that DID enjoy wide release last year ("Tomb Raider," "The Musketeer," "Planet of the Apes"), it is truly a shame. Watch this movie - particularly if you're a fan of the genre. It doesn't have the class or quality of a Clint production, but it's good fun all the same.

It's better than a stick in the eye...
I won't go long winded. If you have time to kill and like westerns, watch it. It will NOT be something that will stay in your mind very long.

This Movie Is Suprendo
This Movie Was Excellent. I Loved It. I Wan't To See It Again. I Saw It On HBO, And They Show The Best Movies Like Every 9 Months, Then They Show The Dum Movies Everyday. Also Dylan McDermott who plays Ranger McNelly Is So Sexy. He Make's The Movie Worth Watch Just Because He's In It. This Is The Best Movie I Have Seen In A LONG LONG TIME. That Has To Do With The West. You Know How All Thoe's Other Western Movies Something Like This Are Boring, Well This One Isnt. EXCELLENT. 100% Grade A+ Work. I Loved It. Exspecally Dylan McDermott.

Good for Late Nite.
This movie is okay for a late night entree for older teens and above. I love a good old fashion shoot em up western but frankly the opening sequence rates an R rating. Just a little too rough with the violence and language for a PG-13 rating. Otherwise not bad. ... Read more