As westerns go this feature film was above par but still left me with an appetite for wanting a lot more. Understanding that the Danish are not well known for the classic western genre they did develop a relatively good cast with the lead actor Mads Mikkelsen playing Jon Jensen. Now Jon arrived in the United States six (6) years prior to get a head start on building a life and a ranch before sending for his wife and ten (10) year old son from Denmark. Jon also has his brother Peter Jensen (played by Mikael Persbrandt) around as his trusted side kick and all around bad ass brother.
No sooner do Jon's wife and son arrive by train for the long awaited reunite and single embrace than the three are loaded on to a stage coach with two vagabonds who just got out of prison and who have a hankering for some cheap booze and female company. The plot is easily understood that these two criminals want Jon's wife for their own relief and quickly turf Jon off of the stage coach leaving his newly arrived wife and son to the desires of these two bums.
This film is not like Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman's Unforgiven where the good versus evil is delivered with panache'. Jon does catch up with the stage coach but he is too late. So Jon does what any struggling farmer from the old west would do, he quickly exterminates these two cockroaches who have taken away the lives of his wife and only son.
What Jon does not know is that one of the two cockroaches that Jon has taken out his revenge upon is the brother of the feared gang leader Henry Delarue who will want his revenge quickly and with no compassion. Cast as the villainous Henry Delarue is Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who is equipped with the stereotyped black beard and an ankle length black leather coat, and a dozen or two cowboys that jump at his every command.
As is the case in most westerns there usually is a scene by a late night campfire where the cowboys are eating re-fried beans and black coffee from tin cups. But since this is a Danish production they chose to leave out a common camp fire scene and we get the re-fried beans scenario replaced and way overdone by a burned out CGI town that is the hole in a wall hangout for Henry Delarue and his gang.
As I am a devoted fan of the western genre I despise when the computer generated imagery (CGI) is utilized to save production costs and time. The Salvation utilized CGI technology in Delarue's burned out town throughout the film. I did like Mads Mikkelsen's performance even though I find it difficult to believe that someone who is capable of taking out the villainous Henry Delarue and a dozen gang members was the same farmer who was incapable of killing two low life cockroaches on a stage coach after getting the upper hand on them.
As westerns go I do believe it is worth watching. As for the re- fried beans reference the film was more than a bit over cooked with the plot done a thousand times before. The CGI was unwarranted as well as was the mute and saddened Madelaine wasted on Eva Green's hollow characterization of the gangster's Delarue moll.
What's that smell? A 6 out of 10 rating. More coffee and beans please!
No sooner do Jon's wife and son arrive by train for the long awaited reunite and single embrace than the three are loaded on to a stage coach with two vagabonds who just got out of prison and who have a hankering for some cheap booze and female company. The plot is easily understood that these two criminals want Jon's wife for their own relief and quickly turf Jon off of the stage coach leaving his newly arrived wife and son to the desires of these two bums.
This film is not like Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman's Unforgiven where the good versus evil is delivered with panache'. Jon does catch up with the stage coach but he is too late. So Jon does what any struggling farmer from the old west would do, he quickly exterminates these two cockroaches who have taken away the lives of his wife and only son.
What Jon does not know is that one of the two cockroaches that Jon has taken out his revenge upon is the brother of the feared gang leader Henry Delarue who will want his revenge quickly and with no compassion. Cast as the villainous Henry Delarue is Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who is equipped with the stereotyped black beard and an ankle length black leather coat, and a dozen or two cowboys that jump at his every command.
As is the case in most westerns there usually is a scene by a late night campfire where the cowboys are eating re-fried beans and black coffee from tin cups. But since this is a Danish production they chose to leave out a common camp fire scene and we get the re-fried beans scenario replaced and way overdone by a burned out CGI town that is the hole in a wall hangout for Henry Delarue and his gang.
As I am a devoted fan of the western genre I despise when the computer generated imagery (CGI) is utilized to save production costs and time. The Salvation utilized CGI technology in Delarue's burned out town throughout the film. I did like Mads Mikkelsen's performance even though I find it difficult to believe that someone who is capable of taking out the villainous Henry Delarue and a dozen gang members was the same farmer who was incapable of killing two low life cockroaches on a stage coach after getting the upper hand on them.
As westerns go I do believe it is worth watching. As for the re- fried beans reference the film was more than a bit over cooked with the plot done a thousand times before. The CGI was unwarranted as well as was the mute and saddened Madelaine wasted on Eva Green's hollow characterization of the gangster's Delarue moll.
What's that smell? A 6 out of 10 rating. More coffee and beans please!