Powwow Highway follows the road-trip of Red Bow and Philbert, two Native Americans that are ideological opposites. Philbert attempts to become more connected with ancient Native culture, while Red Bow just wants to protect his land from being taken over. The two characters have a good chemistry between them. The acting is good enough to get the job done, but far from anything special. Philbert makes a really likable character, very much a trickster type. He imagines the world as an ancient land, considering his car as a pony and his trip as a quest. He is a well-crafted character that is quite sympathetic. Red Bow, on the other hand, is pretty hot headed and militant. He goes on the trip to bail his sister from jail. Nonetheless, he makes a good character because you can notice how he changes from the experience.
The plot is plenty of fun. There is comedy mixed with some important messages about American Indian culture. As the plot develops, so do the characters. The second half was a little bit of a miss... there were some very poor special effects and inconsistencies. Some of the editing was very well done, but most of it was bad. The plot gets a little carried away, although never to the point of losing the audience. The end comes very suddenly and felt too open and unrealistic.
In the end, your left with a fun film that also has some cultural value. That it entertains is the most important thing. The messages on Native American culture come behind that, but is a nice touch that puts the movie slightly ahead of the average film. Recommended if your looking for something casual to pass the time.
The plot is plenty of fun. There is comedy mixed with some important messages about American Indian culture. As the plot develops, so do the characters. The second half was a little bit of a miss... there were some very poor special effects and inconsistencies. Some of the editing was very well done, but most of it was bad. The plot gets a little carried away, although never to the point of losing the audience. The end comes very suddenly and felt too open and unrealistic.
In the end, your left with a fun film that also has some cultural value. That it entertains is the most important thing. The messages on Native American culture come behind that, but is a nice touch that puts the movie slightly ahead of the average film. Recommended if your looking for something casual to pass the time.