Well Deserved Praise

Best movie ever!

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Read all the other views. They understate how class this movie is. Only Red RIver can compare as a personality study but lacks a lot of heart this one has. You will understand how bad the west had gotten and how in need of law it was. But this is how Americans were and still are a lot of the time.A beautiful film in which you understand the qualities and failures of every cast member's character. I saw it and Whyat Earp when they came out and Wyatt Earp is a Costner saga about Costner. This is about the real person. I was young when it was new and it was good for my testosterone. Now its great for my understanding of humans and the value of a true woman to a man's life. The fact that the film was ignored by the Academy as well as Kilmer shows that they are not about films, but actors who enhance they alone. No class.

After the departure of screenwriter Kevin Jarre on the director's chair, Kurt Russell, advised by Sylvester Stallone, hired George Pan Cosmatos, a veteran filmmaker well-known in the 80's for ghost-direct two of Sly's most famous flicks: "Rambo - First Blood - Part II" ('85) & "Cobra" ('86). "Tombstone" was since its conception a "dream come true" project for Russell, an avid western fan, the son of one of the most prominent character actors of the genre, Bing Russell and even named his own son with Goldie Hawn, Wyatt. He took the helm of the entire production with Cosmatos standing only as an advisor and taking care of the look and authenticity of this period piece.In terms of production values, "Tombstone" scores high in the art department, set design, costumes, locations (in and outdoors) and cinematography. It looks and feels like the Old West, but unfortunately, the trimmed screenplay and the scenes that were left out in the cutting room floor turned the movie a bit more generic, disjointed and the previous envisioned epic film about the life of Wyatt Earp was turned into an action film for the less demanding audiences.Some sub-plots went nowhere (more evident in the Jason Priestley's character, what was his purpose in the movie anyway?) and several scenes happened without proper explanation (suddenly the Curly Bill and Ringo's gang wear badges; who shot Billy Zane?; Michael Rooker's change of side seemed contrived) and in the last half a hour the movie looks like it was in a urge to finish with some quick editing thrown in and the result is a bit messy.It's a shame because the all-star cast is outstanding: Kurt Russell plays the legendary Wyatt Earp with conviction and adequate stubbornness, but he's upstaged by the brilliant turns of Val Kilmer as the lunger Doc Holliday, in one of his best performances to date; the criminally underrated Powers Boothe as Curly Bill Brocius and especially Michael Biehn, who delivers the best performance in the film, as the cold-blooded killer, but educated man, Johnny Ringo. His blinkless eyes & facial expressions devoid of any humanity and on-screen vileness presence made his ruthless character one of the most memorable villains of the 90's.Manly, rugged and moustache favorite, Sam Elliott as the elder brother, Virgil Earp and the always watchable, Bill Paxton as Morgan Earp were both ok, but their roles needed to be expanded. Stephen Lang stole all of his scenes as the nasty drunk, Ike Clanton and Jon Tenney provides a smooth & slick Marshall Behan, an ambiguous character which reminds a bit of Jeff Goldblum's in "Silverado".The rest of the cast were given almost nothing to do, except standing here and there and recite a few lines, a waste of Joana Pacula, Billy Zane, Michael Rooker, Thomas Haden Church, Terry O'Quinn, Harry Carey Jr. and even the screen legend, Mr. Charlton Heston in a thankless role. Robert Mitchum as the narrator had a way noticeable voice for fans of him and his old westerns. Dana Delany as Wyatt's love interest, well... she may be adequate as a television actress. but she's not a leading lady material for a movie like this, and even if she didn't ruined her character, she wasn't impressive either...Besides the screenplay & editing problems, "Tombstone" have a couple of great and virtuously staged scenes, like the long walk and consequent gunfight at the O.K. Curral and the earlier confrontation between Biehn's Johnny Ringo and Kilmer's Doc Holliday in the Saloon, which are a joy to watch and because of that, the movie got its merit, but for a long, epic and more insightful view on Wyatt Earp's life, please go watch the Lawrence Kasdan's "Wyatt Earp" ('94) starring Kevin Costner as Earp and an almost unrecognizable / skinny, Dennis Quaid as Doc Holliday. It may be too long and boring for less demanding fans, but it's a much better written and directed film, and even if it flopped when it was released, it stands today as the definitive Wyatt Earp's biopic. Fans of "Dances with Wolves" or "Open Range" (both with Costner directing and acting in it) will love the film.

There are two main film versions based on the life of infamous outlaw Wyatt Earp: a serious, sombre one with Kevin Costner (and a whole lot of others), and a rolkicking circus sideshow starring Kurt Russell, bedazzled with a jaw dropping supporting cast that doesn't quit. Both films are great, but if you held a six shooter to my head and demanded a preference, I'd have to give Tombstone the edge. It's just too much fun, one wild screamer from start to finish, filled with swashbuckling deeds, evil outlaws and bawdy gunfights galore. It should have been called It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World In The Wild West. Kurt Russell is in mustache mode again here, but looks younger and leaner than last year's western double feature his mutton chops starred in. Along with his brothers Virgil (Sam Elliott) and Norman (Bill Paxton) he arrives in Tombstone with a life of law enforcement in his dust and designs on retirement and relaxation. He gets pretty much the opposite though, when every lowlife bandit and villain in the area comes crawling out of the woodwork to give him trouble. Michael Biehn is the worst of them as crazy eyed Johnny Ringo, a deadly smart and ruthless killer, and Powers Boothe hams it up terrifically as drunken scoundrel Curly Bill Brocius. They are the two main causes of grief for the Earps, backed up by all sorts of goons including Michael Rooker, Billy Bob Thornton and a petulant Stephen Lang as Ike Clanton. Russell is joined by an off the wall Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday, the wheezy southern prince with a silver tongue that's constantly fuelled by booze. He gives the best work of the film, and it's fascinating to compare it to its counterpart, Dennis Quaid's turn in the other version. There's also great work from Billy Zane, Dana Delaney, Thomas Haden Church, Paula Malcomson, Tomas Arana, Johanna Pacula, Paul Ben Victor, Robert John Burke, John Corbett, Terry O Quinn, Robert Mitcham and even Charlton Heston good lawd what a cast. The standoffs, both verbal and physical, are a thing of beauty and the reason we go to the movies. Of all the westerns out there, this has just got to be the most fun. It's constantly alive, there's always something going on, a cheeky glint in its eye and a vitality in every corner of every frame, like a kid that won't sit still. Russell is a champ as Earp, a no nonsense killer, plain and simple, but a man of both style and charisma, two weapons that are equally as important as his side arms. Kilmer gets all the best lines and goes to town with his portrayal, creating electric tension whenever he faces off with Biehn, who is equally mesmerizing in a more intense way. The three of them kill it, and along with the howling mess hall of a supporting cast, make this simply the liveliest western I've ever seen in the genre.

Tombstone is a very action packed and well crafted western. Those involved with this production made a very authentic, high quality character driven film centered around Wyatt Earp and his family when they arrive in Tombstone, Az. The Earp's are looking to put their lawmen days behind them and make loads of cash in the booming town of Tombstone. However, several confrontations with the cowboys bring the Earp's back to law enforcement. Events soon escalate at the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, where the rest of the film results in an blood feud of revenge until the film's conclusion. Before the gunfight at the O.k. Corral the film spends time developing and humanizing these iconic characters in American history, exploring their lives and relationships while putting forth a great effort to be truthful and historically accurate. The film has an excellent ensemble cast starring Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, Michael Rooker and a brief appearance of Hollywood icon Charlton Heston. I must say that I enjoy this a lot and the quality of performances, rich attention to detail and characters really knock this out of the park. If you just want to see a shoot em' up western, Tombstone is quite action driven and delivers big on bad ass action. I also enjoy the other film that came out a year later about Wyatt Earp, called Wyatt Earp. Stating that will not make me more popular with most other Tombstone fans, but I really like both films and if you want to know more about what I think of that film than check out my IMDb user review on that film.