Dead Man's Revenge (1994 TV Movie) User Reviews

Ironside and Dern are the only reason to watch this ........

[merklekranz · 5/10 · 17 June 2012]

Bruce Dern is the bad guy (what a "surprise") and Michael Ironside is the GOOD GUY (surprise!), in this failed mish-mash of a western. What starts out as a gritty revenge tale, eventually deteriorates into a ridiculous swindle scheme. The murky plot is rushed to conclusion, with very little character development of the numerous players. Believability is stretched to the maximum, and beyond the always interesting Bruce Dern and Michael Ironside, there is little here to like. I would have preferred a simple shootout instead of this convoluted western, which tries to be clever but fails miserably.................. - MERK

Oddball Inconsistent Oater

[zardoz-13 · 4/10 · 5 December 2016]

"Dead Man's Revenge" opens like a tragedy before it turns into a sly comedy. Railroad speculator Bruce Dern plays a truly villainous bad guy, like Michael Ironsides is cast as the rancher good guy. As things unfold, Luck Hatcher (Michael Ironsides of "Starship Troopers") has a ranch that Payton McCay (Bruce Dern of "The Cowboys") wants badly, so badly that he has his dastardly henchmen gun down one of Hatcher's children. In a grandiose show of villainy, after he has run off Hatcher, McCay smothers Hatcher's wife to death. This western has a good cast, but writers Jim Byrnes of "Gunsmoke" and David Chisholm of "Longarm" have penned a saga that changes horses. Ultimately, this switcheroo western resembles an episode of "Alias Smith & Jones," but it is as well done. Ultimately, the only thing memorable about "Dead Man's Revenge" is the casting of Michael Ironsides as a wrongly accused hero.

Justice is being... served

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 4 May 2023]

No pun intended - it was quite interesting to watch. I am not used to see Michael Ironside being a good guy - well if you can call him that ... kidding aside, yes you can. And there are more great actors in this one. And if you are a fan of western movies and the genre in general ... well you don't need my approval to watch this.

The tropes are clear and this is quite predictable to say the least. Yes we get the beginning where our main character gets misstreated - can you blame him for holding a grudge? Especially considering what he thinks happens to his family ... not easy to swallow - even worse when you are blamed wrongfully - again crazy that it happens to be Ironside ... anyway, the end may have shootouts, but there is a clever twist in there too ... I liked it.

I'm not dead, but I would like some revenge

[helpless_dancer · 2/10 · 6 April 1999]

Ok. This could have been a good film if it had a total rewrite. And a different director. Plus a few decent actors would have helped. I mean, Randy Travis? As a ranger? PLEASE!! This guy has the acting ability of a seed tick. And the voice of bullfrog that has went 'rivit' one time to many. He needs to stick with what he is good at. I hope that one day he finds out just what he is good at. This was a corny, unrealistic picture about the 'good' prevailing over the 'bad'. I felt like puking.

A Split Personality Western

[NoDakTatum · 5/10 · 14 November 2023]

The opening ten minutes of this western are very intense and very violent, drawing the line between our hero and our villain- then the film descends into a dopey wannabe comedy a la "The Sting," and never recovers. I cannot discuss the plot much because of all the surprise endings and twists and turns, but here are the basics in a nutshell: Hatcher (Michael Ironside) is a landowner whose spread is coveted by McCay (Bruce Dern), a railroad speculator. McCay kills Hatcher's wife and child, and throws Hatcher in jail. Years later, Hatcher escapes and is tracked by bounty hunter Bush (Vondie Curtis-Hall) and U. S. Marshal Bodine (Keith Coulouris), who has the nicest hair of any man in any western. The convoluted twists and turns come quickly.

Doug McClure is along as Granger, one of McCay's clumsy henchmen in one of his last, and most embarrassing, roles. The murder of Hatcher's family in the opening minutes leads the viewer to think this will be an intense and horrific revenge drama. This gloom is easy to get into, as Curtis-Hall is also no smiles as Bush, but the plot takes this one hundred and eighty degree turn into winking comedy, and never recovers that dramatic tension again. Ironside is so intense, he rarely seems to be in on the joke. Curtis-Hall is harassed in the beginning of the film because of his skin color, but this subplot is dropped. The film holds no surprises, and eventually you might think things would be easier if someone would have plugged McCay in the first act. Country singer Randy Travis plays a small role as Bodine's boss, and he is stiffer than hardtack. He has a good screen presence, but his line delivery is terrible. Despite some good work by Ironside and Curtis-Hall, I can't recommend this.

Adult Western in the Genre of High Noon

[hhbooker2-1 · 10/10 · 27 April 2004]

Not since Gary Cooper starred in High Noon has there been an adult Western like "Dead Man's Revenge" which starred Bruce Dern and Tobin Bell as the "bad guys," it also starred Doug McClure, this was his last movie prior to his death from cancer, he was brave up to the last and always in good spirits on the set! Also in this motion picture was Larry Polsen as the bartender who added so much as a character actor with his distinctive gaunt looks. Herbert H. Booker 2nd (Sarge) was the Piano Player, a ruggedly handsome longhaired bearded character, who like the bartender, added so much to the background colour of this remarkable film. Vondie Curtis-Hall turned in an excellent portrayal of an African-American in the old West in a role that was not servile and demeaning, but pride and dignity to the role of the black cowboy, he would rank with Herb Jeffries, the Bronze Buckaroo! Believe it or not, Michael Ironsides who is the main star is also the good guy! Melora Walters plays Bunny, a strong woman who ranks among Barbara Stanwyck and Kathrine Hepburn. This is a "must-rent" or own movie available on VHS video and DVD. This is the best Adult Western since "High Noon" and "Shane."

Booker's critique on the money!

[john_c_calhoun · 10/10 · 16 September 2005]

Booker's critique of Deadman's Revenge was right on the money! I own a videotape of this film and have watched it many times and indeed, the character actors of Booker the Piano Player and Polsen the Bartender are both unique and depict the people who inhabited the Old West so accurately and look as though they were lifted from the photographs of the U.S. South West of the late 19th Century. Michael Ironside played his role extremely well and it was a surprise to see him as the "good guy" for a change! Randy Travis added luster to this film well directed by Levi who also directed other memorable films and t.v. series, Doug McClure was superb in his role though short it was, he got the most of it and ended an unsurpassed career , especially in Westerns. Vondie Kurtis Hall added the African-American cowboy element left out of earlier Westerns. Like Herb Jeffries, Hall contributed a realistic image of the black cowboy. Oscar Micheaux would have been proud of him! The twists and turns were really great and held me in suspense when I saw it for the first time and was amazed at the transformation of the main character played by Michael Ironside from a youthful man with a full head of hair to a mature man who was unashamed of going bald. Bruce Dern was excellent as usual and knows how to portray the "bad guy." I'd highly recommend this film to all Western fans for its realistic portrayal of the Old West! I buy copies of the video and give them to friends and relatives as Christmas stocking fillers and for gifts at Channuka and Kwaanza too! If you see this video on sale, buy it because when you go back after deciding, it'll be gone and in some other luck soul's video collection. Hope it comes out on DVD soon! Booker had it right!

Enjoyable Western

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 11 April 2011]

Bitter and vengeful fugitive Luck Hatcher (an excellent performance by Michael Ironside), dignified former slave turned bounty hunter Jessup Bush (well played by Vondie Curtis-Hall), and wily deputy U.S. Marshal Bodine (a solid and engaging portrayal by Keith Coulouris) all converge in a small town in order to hatch an intricate con in order to bring greedy and ruthless railroad speculator Payton McCay (the always great Bruce Dern in fine slimy and hateful form) to justice. Director Alan J. Levi relates the tricky story at a steady pace, offers a credible evocation of the period, and further spruces things up with amusing touches of sharp humor. The smart and engrossing script by Jim Byrnes and David Chisholm boasts several neat twists and turns and gives everyone a valid reason for seeking revenge on McCay. The first-rate cast rates as another a major asset: Daphne Ashbrook as shrewd bank president Carrey Rose, Tobin Bell as McCay's vicious right-hand man Bullock, Melora Walters as sweet and ditsy saloon gal Bunny, and Doug McClure as the bumbling Granger. Moreover, there are nifty bits by Luis Contreras, M.C. Gainey, Robert Cornthwaite, and country singer Randy Travis (as a U.S. Marshal). Moreover, it's a real treat to see Ironside in a rare and refreshing heroic lead role. John Beymer's bright cinematography and David Schwartz's flavorsome score are both up to par. Worth a watch.