Sam Raimi does it again with this affectionate and entertaining take on the western genre. It's a light-hearted and simple film, comfortable to whizz along with a witty script delivered by an ensemble cast, and while you won't see anything new here, the wild west staples are delivered with relish and gusto. Made soon after ARMY OF DARKNESS, this is very much in the EVIL DEAD style, with all manner of camera tricks and transformations to mark it out as something standing separate from the rest.
I always appreciate a good cast and here's a film that doesn't disappoint. As the heroine, Sharon Stone manages to be fairly engaging, which is unusual considering the rest of her filmography. Still, she's overshadowed by some excellent fellow cast members, including Russell Crowe in his first Hollywood film. What a choice! A youthful Leonardo DiCaprio manages to be fairly non-irritating playing "The Kid", and an excellent cast of stereotyped 'bad guy' actors fill out the nefarious roles.
There's SAW villain Tobin Bell, trusty stalwart Keith David, good old Lance Henriksen as a sharp shooter and best of all Gene Hackman, lording it up as the arch nemesis who rules his town with an iron fist. Lots of familiar faces (like Gary Sinise and Pat Hingle) also pop up, making this enjoyable just for the cast. But the fun twists and turns in the plot, the various shoot-outs (never boring, despite being so plentiful), and the little touches like the hole in the shadow make this a genuinely enjoyable movie. Good work, Sam!
I always appreciate a good cast and here's a film that doesn't disappoint. As the heroine, Sharon Stone manages to be fairly engaging, which is unusual considering the rest of her filmography. Still, she's overshadowed by some excellent fellow cast members, including Russell Crowe in his first Hollywood film. What a choice! A youthful Leonardo DiCaprio manages to be fairly non-irritating playing "The Kid", and an excellent cast of stereotyped 'bad guy' actors fill out the nefarious roles.
There's SAW villain Tobin Bell, trusty stalwart Keith David, good old Lance Henriksen as a sharp shooter and best of all Gene Hackman, lording it up as the arch nemesis who rules his town with an iron fist. Lots of familiar faces (like Gary Sinise and Pat Hingle) also pop up, making this enjoyable just for the cast. But the fun twists and turns in the plot, the various shoot-outs (never boring, despite being so plentiful), and the little touches like the hole in the shadow make this a genuinely enjoyable movie. Good work, Sam!