A mediocre story with very inept lawmen. One more than one occasion the lawmen have their weapons pointing at the bad guys (who's weapons are not in hand and in their holsters). Yet, in these instances, the bad guys are able to draw their weapons and get the first shots off before the lawmen can fire. Further, the flowery language is quite stilted and unnatural. This language and the ineptitude of the lawmen makes this movie quite laughable. I watched this movie because of Tom Berenger. Once involved, I wanted to see where it was going. But in the end, it was not worth my time and I would suggest this movie is to be avoided.
16 Reviews
Not good.
gerardmaguire-097094 March 2022
Didn't go into this movie with any expectations as I was just planning on passing a couple of hours.
Unfortunately it was a poorly made, poorly acted, poorly written effort.
A lot of hammy acting and long winded monologues at key moments. The first gunfight looked like something you'd see in a school play and things didn't get any better after that.
Unfortunately it was a poorly made, poorly acted, poorly written effort.
A lot of hammy acting and long winded monologues at key moments. The first gunfight looked like something you'd see in a school play and things didn't get any better after that.
Must have been cheap to make
jwddna-6502213 March 2022
Poor make-up, poor sound quality, poor Foley artistry. The sound effects were inconsistent, the make up was like cheap Halloween make-up, and the sound was all over the place. I've seen worse, but it's been a while. I'm guessing the budget was really low or poorly spent.
I quit watching because I couldn't stand listening
ncgeier11 March 2023
I'm all in for hiring handicapped people but it doesn't work having dead sound effects team. I was so annoyed by the muffled cannon shots where any other movie maker would have had real rifle and gun shots recorded instead. I can't tell you what the last hour and eleven minutes were like because I found something else to watch instead. Maybe if the whole thing was worth watching I would have more than six hundred characters. Your review process is worse than the movie. Maybe if the whole thing was worth watching I would have more than six hundred characters. Your review process is worse than the movie.
So bad it became funny
tomquallick30 March 2022
All the characters were clean shaven, clothes fresh from the cleaners and those pearly, bright white teeth hurt my eyes. Reflecting on the Paramount + series "1883" had grit, dirty clothes and great writing as Two Guns had none of this.
Not so Good
odell88-415-64477024 June 2022
The production is terrible. The sound is so bad.... The gun shots sound really fake like muffled cannons, all the background sound is laughable, with extra wind noise, muffled sound one minute, one minute nothing at all. I'm not sure the horses moving ever sounds right. The story is good, and Tom Berenger is ok. Everything else is just bad.... Characters even die in funny ways.
Please, budget more for better sound mix and ADR
KEBuckley-X26 March 2022
Yikes..
I have no idea if this movie has a good plot.
The sound is horrible. Horrible. Within the first few minutes, the sound mix goes from stereo, to mono, and then back to stereo. Background noises, like saloon noise, suddenly cuts off without leaving the scene. I stopped watching midway when the only sound in one scene was the wireless mic on an actor riding a horse, and all you hear is the mic rubbing against his costume with every bounce of the horse. Then, when he gets off the horse... holy crap, nothing but unintentional mic noise and mic scraping.
Few things in movies annoy me more than dialogue which is obvious ADR, but sometimes ADR is necessary. This movie demonstrates this need, hundreds of times. I don't think any ADR took place at all.
This whole movie seems like just a rough cut prior to proper sound mixing. Even if you like the actors and the genre, don't waste your time. Watch and old western on the Grit tv network instead.
I have no idea if this movie has a good plot.
The sound is horrible. Horrible. Within the first few minutes, the sound mix goes from stereo, to mono, and then back to stereo. Background noises, like saloon noise, suddenly cuts off without leaving the scene. I stopped watching midway when the only sound in one scene was the wireless mic on an actor riding a horse, and all you hear is the mic rubbing against his costume with every bounce of the horse. Then, when he gets off the horse... holy crap, nothing but unintentional mic noise and mic scraping.
Few things in movies annoy me more than dialogue which is obvious ADR, but sometimes ADR is necessary. This movie demonstrates this need, hundreds of times. I don't think any ADR took place at all.
This whole movie seems like just a rough cut prior to proper sound mixing. Even if you like the actors and the genre, don't waste your time. Watch and old western on the Grit tv network instead.
Watchable, although nothing outstanding here...
paul_haakonsen24 April 2022
I had the opportunity to sit down and watch the 2022 Western movie "A Tale of Two Guns" from writer and director Justin Lee here in 2022. And seeing that there were indeed a handful of good actors on the cast list, of course I sat down to watch it.
However, it was obvious pretty early on in the movie that this was not really a top notch production. How so? Well, from the very first gun fight, which actually starts off the movie, you have a feeling of it being an amateurish production actually, especially in terms of cinematography and the sounds. I've never sat through a movie with guns of any kind where the gunshots sounded so pathetic as they did in "A Tale of Two Guns".
The storyline in "A Tale of Two Guns" was actually fair enough. It wasn't the most riveting and compelling of storylines, but it was sufficient enough for a single viewing.
The movie does have a good cast ensemble, with the likes of Tom Berenger, Casper Van Dien, Ed Morrone, Judd Nelson, Jeff Fahey, Griff Furst, Jake Busey and Danny Trejo among those listed. However, most of these were just in the movie for a moment or two. And the audience are treated to Casper Van Dien and Ed Morrone for the majority of the movie.
I don't understand why they opted to show the gunfight scenes in slow motion. It didn't really add any excitement to the scenes. If anything, it just served as a nuissance, especially when laced with those god awful pathetic sounds for the guns.
All in all, "A Tale of Two Guns" was watchable for a single viewing, and that was about it. This was by no means a milestone in the Western genre. Nor is it a movie that brought anything new to the genre.
My rating of writer and director Justin Lee's 2022 Western "A Tale of Two Guns" lands on a four out of ten stars.
However, it was obvious pretty early on in the movie that this was not really a top notch production. How so? Well, from the very first gun fight, which actually starts off the movie, you have a feeling of it being an amateurish production actually, especially in terms of cinematography and the sounds. I've never sat through a movie with guns of any kind where the gunshots sounded so pathetic as they did in "A Tale of Two Guns".
The storyline in "A Tale of Two Guns" was actually fair enough. It wasn't the most riveting and compelling of storylines, but it was sufficient enough for a single viewing.
The movie does have a good cast ensemble, with the likes of Tom Berenger, Casper Van Dien, Ed Morrone, Judd Nelson, Jeff Fahey, Griff Furst, Jake Busey and Danny Trejo among those listed. However, most of these were just in the movie for a moment or two. And the audience are treated to Casper Van Dien and Ed Morrone for the majority of the movie.
I don't understand why they opted to show the gunfight scenes in slow motion. It didn't really add any excitement to the scenes. If anything, it just served as a nuissance, especially when laced with those god awful pathetic sounds for the guns.
All in all, "A Tale of Two Guns" was watchable for a single viewing, and that was about it. This was by no means a milestone in the Western genre. Nor is it a movie that brought anything new to the genre.
My rating of writer and director Justin Lee's 2022 Western "A Tale of Two Guns" lands on a four out of ten stars.
If not budget more, perhaps more attention to detail?
MovieLuver36528 November 2023
Parts of this movie were enjoyable, and the ending was quite nice, however, getting to the ending takes a bit of effort.
Since I love the old style dramatic Westerns,,CGI and special effects I can do without, but "sloppy" wardrobe is something that doesn't cost a lot to do well. There were no pre-printed paisley bandanas back then. The real ones were probably solid color rags from this or that. These (which literally EVERYONE wore) looked like they had just come off the shelf from Walmart. At least they could have washed & dried them (and the brand new cargo pants with the buckle in the back and all the "brand spanking new" vests and crisp shirts) No ironing, and leave them out in a dust storm a bit, especially the hats! This wardrobe GLARINGLY said "Fake".
Some very poor acting and writing, Jeff Fahey and Danny Trejo almost stole the whole movie with one scene.
Nice to see Tom Berringer looking and acting so well in his '70's - Wow.
Barely watchable. However, it had a pretty good "feel good" kind of ending.
Since I love the old style dramatic Westerns,,CGI and special effects I can do without, but "sloppy" wardrobe is something that doesn't cost a lot to do well. There were no pre-printed paisley bandanas back then. The real ones were probably solid color rags from this or that. These (which literally EVERYONE wore) looked like they had just come off the shelf from Walmart. At least they could have washed & dried them (and the brand new cargo pants with the buckle in the back and all the "brand spanking new" vests and crisp shirts) No ironing, and leave them out in a dust storm a bit, especially the hats! This wardrobe GLARINGLY said "Fake".
Some very poor acting and writing, Jeff Fahey and Danny Trejo almost stole the whole movie with one scene.
Nice to see Tom Berringer looking and acting so well in his '70's - Wow.
Barely watchable. However, it had a pretty good "feel good" kind of ending.
He wears Red
nogodnomasters24 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Monotone Artemis Hollinger (Ed Morrone) is hired by Marshall Terrance McTeague (Tom Berenger) to hunt Abel Cruz (Casper Van Dien) the last cowboy outlaw in the West or something.
This is a horrible western. It was poorly written with bad dialogue. Bad direction. The wind sound changes in a conversation as they switch cameras. The actors are aging B-listers. In the end when the two stars are having a conversation, the western background noise is playing in a noticeable loop. Not worth the time.
Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity.
This is a horrible western. It was poorly written with bad dialogue. Bad direction. The wind sound changes in a conversation as they switch cameras. The actors are aging B-listers. In the end when the two stars are having a conversation, the western background noise is playing in a noticeable loop. Not worth the time.
Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity.
An Authentic Looking Horse Opera
zardoz-1323 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Way back when western television shows, like "Gunsmoke," "Bonanza," "The Virginian," "The Big Valley," and "The High Chaparral," ruled prime time, each had occasional episodes where the star would take a leave of absence and let a guest star tangle with the tough guys. If you're a traditional western aficionado, and you cannot get enough of these shows, which have been put out to pasture on broadcast channels like Me TV and INSP TV, then "A Tale of Two Guns," about a lawman tracking down an outlaw, is a frontier fracas aimed at you. "Two Guns" reminded me of those episodes where the guest star fills the hero's boots. Simple, solemn, and straightforward, this authentic looking law & order outing boasts a splendid stable of stars including Tom Berenger, Casper Van Dien, Judd Nelson, and Ed Morrone. These characters spend far too much time talking before they swap lead. Naturally, the formula dictates the villains must miss their targets most of the time. They sling lead as carelessly as if it were confetti. However, when the shootouts erupt, writer & director Justin Lee stages these pyrotechnics with flair. You can marvel at ejected cartridges somersaulting in slow-motion from a rifle and tumbling earthward. Best of all, Lee shows the combatants crouching down behind cover to reload their revolvers, punching out the empties and thumbing in fresh loads. Most big-budget westerns eliminate these reloading scenes because they slacken the action, but Lee uses them effectively to heighten the suspense. Furthermore, the earsplitting gun shots in a standard issue oater sound like banshee shrieks. Instead, the "Two Guns" shootouts sound like giants stomping on thunderous bubble wrap.
"Two Guns" unfolds with a gunfight. Notorious outlaw Able Cruz (Casper Van Dien of "Starship Troopers") and three outlaw allies are the last of the Red Sash Gang. These desperadoes have raped, robbed, and gunned down scores of pioneers during their reign of terror. For the record, the Red Sash cowboys appeared initially in the venerable Kurt Russell/Val Kilmer shoot'em up "Tombstone" (1993), about the tragic Earp-Clanton feud in the 1880s. Abel and company have just awakened from a siesta at a remote outpost in the desert when U. S. Marshall Terence McTeague (Tom Berenger of "Butch & Sundance: The Early Years") and two deputies get the drop on them. Since the gang prefers to fight rather than surrender, McTeague and his deputies exchange gunfire with them. Once the smoke clears, three of Cruz's cohorts lay dead while McTeague has lost both deputies. As Cruz hightails it away on horseback, McTeague draws a bead on him with his rifle. When he squeezes the trigger, McTeague hears the hammer click ominously on empty, and Cruz dwindles into the distance. Embittered by his loss, McTeague realizes for the first time that he has caught a bullet in his right arm. Since he cannot pursue Cruz, this seasoned marshal deputizes a tracker who can ride Cruz down and kill him if the outlaw refuses to give up.
At first, Artemis Hollinger (Ed Morrone of "Apache Junction") baffles McTeague. Artemis doesn't sport a six-gun in a holster tied down to his thigh. Instead, he relies entirely on a long-barreled rifle as his primary weapon. Despite their inherent differences, McTeague believes Artemis can catch and kill Cruz. Before Artemis embarks on his manhunt, a swaggering gunslinger who knows Cruz, Warren Drake (Griff Furst of "Green Lantern"), challenges him to a duel. Artemis leaves this dastard wallowing in the dust with bullets in both arms. Reluctantly, Drake reveals Cruz's whereabouts. McTeague and Artemis are stunned. According to Drake, Cruz plans to buy land and start a ranch near Contention, Arizona. This is the last thing these lawmen imagined Cruz would do.
Clocking in at 91 minutes, "A Tale of Two Guns" ranks as an above average oater. First, the filmmakers don't wear out their welcome. Second, writer & director Justin Lee foreshadows everything but the surprise ending that recalls the Clint Eastwood classic "The Outlaw Josey Wales." Third, the formal sounding dialogue may strike some as stilted. Actually, the John Wayne western "True Grit" (1969) as well as the bestseller it was based on popularized this elaborate style of dialogue. One oddball scene utterly out of place in "Two Guns" features charismatic tough guy actors Jeff Fahey and Danny Trejo as outlaw cronies. They squabble about 'Old' Mexico while Abel grins at their antics. This comic relief scene is the exception to the rule, and it feels more like a flashback. Meantime, Judd Nelson of "The Breakfast Club" appears in a cameo as a land agent who never leaves his desk. Interestingly enough, we never see Tom Berenger sitting tall in the saddle, but Ed Morrone and Casper Van Dien both ride like accomplished equestrians. The title "A Tale of Two Guns" emphasizes the vast difference between the protagonist with his long gun and the antagonist with his six-shooter. Altogether, western enthusiasts itching for some stimulating gunplay, a bit of characterization, and some quotable dialogue may savor this low-budget, but predictable, bullet-riddled sagebrusher.
"Two Guns" unfolds with a gunfight. Notorious outlaw Able Cruz (Casper Van Dien of "Starship Troopers") and three outlaw allies are the last of the Red Sash Gang. These desperadoes have raped, robbed, and gunned down scores of pioneers during their reign of terror. For the record, the Red Sash cowboys appeared initially in the venerable Kurt Russell/Val Kilmer shoot'em up "Tombstone" (1993), about the tragic Earp-Clanton feud in the 1880s. Abel and company have just awakened from a siesta at a remote outpost in the desert when U. S. Marshall Terence McTeague (Tom Berenger of "Butch & Sundance: The Early Years") and two deputies get the drop on them. Since the gang prefers to fight rather than surrender, McTeague and his deputies exchange gunfire with them. Once the smoke clears, three of Cruz's cohorts lay dead while McTeague has lost both deputies. As Cruz hightails it away on horseback, McTeague draws a bead on him with his rifle. When he squeezes the trigger, McTeague hears the hammer click ominously on empty, and Cruz dwindles into the distance. Embittered by his loss, McTeague realizes for the first time that he has caught a bullet in his right arm. Since he cannot pursue Cruz, this seasoned marshal deputizes a tracker who can ride Cruz down and kill him if the outlaw refuses to give up.
At first, Artemis Hollinger (Ed Morrone of "Apache Junction") baffles McTeague. Artemis doesn't sport a six-gun in a holster tied down to his thigh. Instead, he relies entirely on a long-barreled rifle as his primary weapon. Despite their inherent differences, McTeague believes Artemis can catch and kill Cruz. Before Artemis embarks on his manhunt, a swaggering gunslinger who knows Cruz, Warren Drake (Griff Furst of "Green Lantern"), challenges him to a duel. Artemis leaves this dastard wallowing in the dust with bullets in both arms. Reluctantly, Drake reveals Cruz's whereabouts. McTeague and Artemis are stunned. According to Drake, Cruz plans to buy land and start a ranch near Contention, Arizona. This is the last thing these lawmen imagined Cruz would do.
Clocking in at 91 minutes, "A Tale of Two Guns" ranks as an above average oater. First, the filmmakers don't wear out their welcome. Second, writer & director Justin Lee foreshadows everything but the surprise ending that recalls the Clint Eastwood classic "The Outlaw Josey Wales." Third, the formal sounding dialogue may strike some as stilted. Actually, the John Wayne western "True Grit" (1969) as well as the bestseller it was based on popularized this elaborate style of dialogue. One oddball scene utterly out of place in "Two Guns" features charismatic tough guy actors Jeff Fahey and Danny Trejo as outlaw cronies. They squabble about 'Old' Mexico while Abel grins at their antics. This comic relief scene is the exception to the rule, and it feels more like a flashback. Meantime, Judd Nelson of "The Breakfast Club" appears in a cameo as a land agent who never leaves his desk. Interestingly enough, we never see Tom Berenger sitting tall in the saddle, but Ed Morrone and Casper Van Dien both ride like accomplished equestrians. The title "A Tale of Two Guns" emphasizes the vast difference between the protagonist with his long gun and the antagonist with his six-shooter. Altogether, western enthusiasts itching for some stimulating gunplay, a bit of characterization, and some quotable dialogue may savor this low-budget, but predictable, bullet-riddled sagebrusher.
Unfairly low-rated B western
assaii29 March 2022
Ed Morrone plays Artemis Hollinger, an uncorruptible and determined law enforcer hired by the legendary Marshall Terrance McTeague (Tom Berenger) to chase the cold-blood killer Abel Cruz (Casper Van Dien) in a classic "good vs. Evil" manhunt.
The mediocre sound quality of the film, the poor acting of some secondary characters, the discrepancies in timing between a bullet impact and the physical reaction of the bodies being shot at (which are in fact highlighted by slow-mo takes) are all strong reminders that this is a low budget movie.
But, if we manage to put that aside, we´re left with a nice story which reminds us that the world doesn´t always fall into the clear-cut, black-and-white model that we´d want it to fit most of the time for the sake of our peace of mind.
Chivalry, honour and ethics strugle to find a share at a place and time where those qualities maybe were rather unusual.
Despite the feeble general production of the movie, director and writer Justin Lee succesfully achieves the task of delivering a story that is worth to be told.
BTW, there is a cute redeeming post-credit scene that somehow enhances the plot twist that the whole movie ends up revolving around. Make sure you don´t miss it.
The mediocre sound quality of the film, the poor acting of some secondary characters, the discrepancies in timing between a bullet impact and the physical reaction of the bodies being shot at (which are in fact highlighted by slow-mo takes) are all strong reminders that this is a low budget movie.
But, if we manage to put that aside, we´re left with a nice story which reminds us that the world doesn´t always fall into the clear-cut, black-and-white model that we´d want it to fit most of the time for the sake of our peace of mind.
Chivalry, honour and ethics strugle to find a share at a place and time where those qualities maybe were rather unusual.
Despite the feeble general production of the movie, director and writer Justin Lee succesfully achieves the task of delivering a story that is worth to be told.
BTW, there is a cute redeeming post-credit scene that somehow enhances the plot twist that the whole movie ends up revolving around. Make sure you don´t miss it.
DONT WASTE YOUR TIME
jloy-1838522 February 2024
Terrible movie with really bad special effects, atrocious acting, and an even worse plot. Or maybe I should say lack of any real or in depth plot. Zero in the realm of anything to call a climax or even a rise for that matter. With a crap ending to top it off. It's as if the writer missed the essential parts of story telling most elementary school kids have been taught. I won't even get into more advanced things like character development, perspective, pov, conflict, etc etc. Enuff was missed at the elementary level. You would be better off to watch tombstone or unforgiven for the 16th time if your in the mood for a western.
Very Enjoyable Western. Not Run-of-the-Mill
milligancharm22 March 2022
This movie was Way Good! This may be my top movie of the year so far. It was so much better than I expected and took surprising turns in a wonderful character-driven story that had much more depth than many films of this genre. Casper Van Dien is not a stranger to Westerns and stole the show, in my opinion. But the other lead was also well acted and played a character you care about. The movie takes you on a journey following both men to what will inevitably lead to a showdown. But the journey gets complicated and so does your thoughts on where it's all heading. There are some badass western moments all over and the gun fights pack a punch that is really satisfying. And in some beautiful backdrops. Speaking of badass, Tom Berenger had that in spades! His Marshall character was awesome and I would love to see him play that character in another movie. Very well acted. Very excellent Western and I had a blast watching it. More please!
Fun western but flawed. Still worth a shot
eongamerdude3 April 2022
If you like westerns and Jake Busey (big fan and it's criminal he's not in more) then you'll accept this film and watch it.
Action wasn't that good for a western but it wasn't the worst.
I enjoyed this film for what it was and I would recommend it only to big western fans.
7/10 - 7 because of the cast.
Action wasn't that good for a western but it wasn't the worst.
I enjoyed this film for what it was and I would recommend it only to big western fans.
7/10 - 7 because of the cast.
Slightly More Intellectual dialog made it enjoyable.
anynameoriginal9 January 2023
B+ movie, I didn't find the audio that annoying as other reviewers did.. What I did find was an enjoyable script and decent acting. A good hunt them down movie that took it's sweet time between action scene, but I didn't mind because the dialog was just so refreshing to listen to. Good simple folks, Bad guys with friends that you would play poker with.
Was the costume/wardrobe the greatest, no, but not horrible by any stretch of the imagination... Was the scenery spectacular...no...in fact not bad actually, yeah some of the buildings looked a little too new, but all in all, not bad.
Just a Western with a different slant than most today's movies take, and it made for an enjoyable view. If not for a few curse words and graphic blood scenes, this could be mistaken for a somewhat family friendly movie, since today's movies curse every other word. 8/10 (High rating for me).
Was the costume/wardrobe the greatest, no, but not horrible by any stretch of the imagination... Was the scenery spectacular...no...in fact not bad actually, yeah some of the buildings looked a little too new, but all in all, not bad.
Just a Western with a different slant than most today's movies take, and it made for an enjoyable view. If not for a few curse words and graphic blood scenes, this could be mistaken for a somewhat family friendly movie, since today's movies curse every other word. 8/10 (High rating for me).
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