High Noon
High Noon
| 20 August 2000 (USA)
High Noon Trailers

High Noon tells the story of a lawman named Will Kane (Skerritt) who has just married a young bride, Amy (Thompson), promising to leave his dangerous career and settle down for a quiet life. Just as they are about to leave, word comes that a vicious killer Kane had sent to prison years earlier, is coming to town on the noon train seeking vengeance. Kane attempts to rally the town to fight the gunman, but not even his former deputy Harvey (Diamond) is willing to help. Harvey's cowardice infuriates his girlfriend, Helen (Alonso), whose romantic past with both Kane and with the arriving gunman convinces her to pack up and leave town. As the dreaded noon hour approaches, Kane realizes he must stand alone against the coming storm.

Reviews
FuzzyTagz

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

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Taraparain

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

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Ariella Broughton

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

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Scotty Burke

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

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Thomas Nielsen

Comparing this movie to its predecessor is unfair but unavoidable. What I so liked about the old version was how much Gary Cooper loathed violence and how he was left completely isolated to face a duel on his own. None of this showed in this new version and sort of left it without much purpose. That said, I really think Tom Skerrit did a great job acting what was left of Will Kane's character.Casting Dennis Weaver for this movie was a brilliant idea, by the way.

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bootsnspurs

To "remake" any picture is tough. However, to remake a such a classic Western feature for television is a brave assignment. The filmmakers should be commended for staying with the story line, not trying to "hip it up" and pulling off what so many other filmmakers have missed... a wonderfully updated version of an original that's worthy (of the original picture) as well as entertaining. In some ways this "remake" was better than the original. The photography was beautiful, the cast convincing and the direction never let us wander. Congratulations on the recreation of a wonderful classic.

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Dale Durnell

Sometimes, a remake can be as good, or better than an original. The 1997 version of Titanic was award winning and the 1998 remake of Les Miserables was outstanding. But, I'm sorry to say that's not so with the TBS, made for television, version of High Noon.Alright, so I grew up on the original -- but, it's still a classic!I will admit that in the remake, some of the characters played their roles admirably: Tom Skerritt portrayed a viable Will Kane and Maria Conchita Alonso was superior as Mrs. Ramirez. Even Dennis Weaver was credible as Martin Howe, but I never felt for him and his circumstances the way I felt for Lon Chaney Jr. in the 1952 version. In fact, throughout the entire program, I never got to where I really cared for the characters as I did in the original.Advance P.R. in the television guides said that the producers wanted a more "vicious" villain, and so cast Michael Madsen as Frank Miller. But, Madsen looks and acts more like Broderick Crawford in "The Highway Patrol" TV series than a villain in the old west. His twin nickel (or chrome) plated Remington revolvers did nothing to enhance the role for him.In the 1952 version, Fred Zinnemann used a crane to back off and show the loneliness of Kane as he goes about the task before him. The director of the 2000 remake tries to do the same thing, but the effect is no where as dramatic. Something is missing.In the final scene in the 1952 original, you can see Kane's contempt for the town on the face of Gary Cooper -- contempt for having been left alone, and abandoned. That emotion was totally lacking in the remake and so the ending is almost anti-climactic.

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bux

Is it possible to improve perfection? Why try? I saw the original HIGH NOON(1952) when I was six years old, and have seen it hundreds of times since. It is more than just a movie to me, it became the moral code for which I've lived my life. Making tough decisions, I would often (in my mind) hitch up my belt and walk out to face Miller and the old gang. So this new entry didn't have much of a chance with me, I guess. Legend says that the original was first produced without the quick shots to the clocks and the actors faces, and the great Tiomkin score and Ritter ballad. It was brought back in, re-edited and re-scored and a great movie was born. This one needed more than that. Too often in this newer version, the plot was tediously pre-chewed for us, and needless scenes inserted to let us know for sure what was going on. This new version cried out for someone to sing the ballad at the conclusion, but it was not there. However I did find some good points in the newer version. the casting was pretty good, and Madsen as Frank Miller was genius. Guess I'm stuck in the 50s, huh?

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