classicsoncall Review of The Legend of 5 Mile Cave

The Legend of 5 Mile Cave (2019)

"I'm not the man the world thinks I am."

[6/10 · 24 September 2020]

Here's what a 1940's era B movie Western looks like when made in the present day. The story takes place in 1929, but through the use of various flashbacks, takes the viewer on a trip to the Arizona frontier of the late 1880's. Utilizing familiar names from history like Virgil Earp (Tom Proctor) and Sheriff Bean (Danny Vinson), presumably based on Judge Roy Bean, we witness the story of pulp fiction hero Shooter Green (Jeremy Sumpter), except for the fact that the real Shooter Green shows up in the guise of drifter Sam Barnes (Adam Baldwin), who we ultimately learn has an definite motive when he appears at the farm of Susan Tilwicky (Jill Wagner) and son Tommy (Jet Jurgensmeyer). Even with a stagecoach robbery and handful of shoot 'em ups, this is family friendly movie fare, as the story comes full circle to share the story of how Shooter Green foiled a stagecoach robbery of two hundred thousand dollars in gold, only to have it lost to history following a chase that cost Shooter a bullet to the shoulder and a bout of amnesia. If it winds up all too formulaic, it's still a good flick for younger viewers enchanted with tales of the Old West and the heroes that tamed it. Saddle up with a youngster and ride 'em cowboy!