That was an excellent one.

So much average

Fresh and Exciting

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Any western with Tom Selleck in it is a good movie. He has the swagger and carries himself in a way you would expect a real cowboy to act. This was a really good story.These are just good ol boys trying to carry out the promise that was made to a dying friend. There is trouble they have to work through to keep that promise, but a real cowboy never goes back on his word. I admit I mainly got this to see #ChristianKane. This was when he was younger, but he played the green cow hand perfectly. Did not like the story line for his character. I read in an interview that at one point Christian fell off his horse and Tom looked down and said to get back on. lol! But over all this is a great movie! #kaniacforlife

Guess I have to blame it mostly on book author Louis l'Amour. I was disappointed in the one dimensional characterizations, especially of the baddies, and the very familiar formulistic plot, where the contested woman initially falls for the familiar handsome urbane, locally powerful, but discretely evil baddie and is initially put off by the overtures of the unfamiliar, unwashed cowboy who wanders or intrudes into her life, and ultimately saves her from being shackled to the baddie or cheated out of her substantial inheritance(both in this film).One look at Mark Harmon and I knew he had to be the oily boss of the baddies. Strange he's listed at the bottom of your list of players?!The main characters were well cast and the marvelously photographed mountains and plains Alberta landscape largely makes up for the predictable or deficient screenplay. Wilford Brimley makes a loyal, if overweight and non too animated, sidekick. With his long hair, dark looks, robust body, and generally serious manner, Selleck looked like he might be a fearsome badman. Thank goodness, his character instead personified l'Amour's standard hero :well practiced in all cowboy skills, tough with his fists, exceptional with firearms and horses, used to right wrongs. Seems that the husband of Anne Rodney traveled from his huge northern WY ranch to SF to get some money to pay off the mortgage note being held by Mark Harmon's Bruce Barkow. The story going around is that Anne's husband was ambushed on the way back by Sioux, who took his body, and has presumbably been dead for a year. On the other hand, Selleck's Rafe Covington much more recently was with him when he died from a brutal beating by the captain of the ship on which he and Covington had been serving as shanghaied hands. He requested Covington to go take care of his ranch and wife for a while. After beating up the captain, Covington and a couple of partners abandoned the ship, near shore, bought some horses and rode to this ranch, which looked rundown. Covington encountered Anne in town who disbelieved his story and was not thrilled to learn he was preparing to get the ranch back on its feet, fearing he might be planning to try to steal it while she is busy in town teaching school. Reeking with thinly disguised sarcasm toward detailed eye witness descriptions of Rodney's demise, the nosy Covington soon makes enemies of Barkow's evil henchmen. Drunk, one challenges him to a street gun duel. Laughably, he misses Covington's broad back several times, before the latter turns around to give a demo of marksmanship. This prompts Barkow to send for a famous gunslinger(silent, self absorbed, dressed in all black , with distinctive flat hat, sporting a huge telescopic sight for his custom-made rifle) to take care of Covington and his 3 friends.Of course, we know that eventually Covington and friends will have a showdown or two with Barkow and his gang, whom we suspect were involved in the robbery of Anne's husband before he was shanghaied. We also know that widow Anne will eventually see Barkow for the monster that he is behind his suave exterior, and switch her allegiance to the unlikely fearsome-looking Covington, who buys the rifle Rodney special ordered, to do in most of the baddies.The main showdown occurs in town with various participants hiding behind windows or outside at the corner of buildings, etc. : very dangerous for other townies, if not terribly novel in westerns. Covington and friends even release the cattle from the pen at the edge of town to add more confusion and danger to the scene. At least they didn't stampede through the town, as in some westerns. See the film to discover the meaning of my review title. The scene in which Barkow drags Anne across the street, caveman style, to force her to go through a marriage ceremony before a crowd is especially unbelievable. This finally demonstrates his true motive in pursuing her and how cruel he is. Prior to this, Barkow had the bought marshal charge Covington and friend with raping the daughter of chief Red Cloud, to cover up her presumed rape by 3 of his gang, who presumably broke her leg in the process. This is a bizarre move since Covington did a crude reset of her leg(we could hear the crunch of the bones)after discovering her predicament and made friends with Red Cloud who happening along just then. For a woman in such a state, she seemed remarkably well dressed and calm when two other unknown white men came upon her out in the bush. In any case, this incident served to further characterize Barkow's gang as thoroughly cruel and opportunistic. Presently, part of a small Tom Selleck westerns DVD collection.

Though it's well-photographed on attractive locations and features an above-average cast, the story is tired and familiar, and the climactic shootout downright silly. A herd of cattle in the middle of a small town (with no railroad--so why are the cattle in town at all?) wanders about in the middle of a blazing gunfight without so much as a horn being nicked. Bullets slam into the swinging doors of a saloon--we see splinters fly--without moving them a micrometer.But Selleck always comes across well in Westerns, especially when directed by Simon Wincer. The supporting cast do well, especially Mark Harmon as one of the nastiest small town bosses since Leslie Nielsen went goofy. But there isn't an original idea in the film; some ideas, such as conflict with Indians, are raised but then ignored.

This was truly enjoyable. Wonderfully cast with Selleck, Brimley, Madsen and Mark Harmon.It was wonderfully directed (two examples: the tension felt during normal duties on the morning that the assassin goes out to Madsen's ranch, and the photography of the steeple of the church/schoolhouse and the ranch itself from various elevations). I loved the use of horses and cattle during the gunfire. I liked the realism of people having to reload. I loved the story itself - the simplicity is very believable. Just excellent - I thank Tom Selleck as Executive Producer for helping to bring this to the screen - and for going for such a high quality cast and director. One thing I've always liked about Selleck is the modesty and restraint of his acting - it's very evident here. And one thing I've always liked about Madsen is that she is so scrumptious (!) and that's very evident here too! Mark Harmon is one of my favorite actors, and his big smile, manifest charm make the events that occurred prior to the movie - seem very believable.I loved this - thanks! I'll certainly watch out for any other Tom Selleck westerns (this was the first I'd seen).