Der letzte Apache

Cspaced1 - you took the words right out of my mouth: "I liked this movie." Not a classic, but it has enough adventure and emotion to draw you in and hold you to the end.

Unlike Cspaced1, I do remember the Gunsmoke series. I sat and watched the original, half-hour series with my father and my brother, and I found this movie to be a good use for the character of Matt Dillion. The story line is vintage Gunsmoke. It has its quiet moments and its violent moments; it has joy and it has sadness.

As nice as the picture is, I found the writers succumbing to today's tendency for some senseless violence. In the opening scenes of the movie, Matt goes to pick up a letter, and in the process he kills two men who clearly needed killing. But these killings didn't contribute anything to the story. They just hung there. Dillion could have just as easily picked up his letter and left. I find it somewhat disturbing that writers feel they have to do this.

The only thing I found left unsaid in the end is what Matt did after he parted from Wolf. Did he return to his daughter, or did he ride off. The viewer is left hanging in this regard.

I didn't see all of this one, but the mix of old and new footage is a good device. The ending was pretty satisfying, and the update on the government's shameful subsequent treatment of the Apache (business as usual) lent a responsible note to the production.

When I first saw Joe Lara as Wolf, I thought-- ah, this is one of those white-guy-raised-by-Indians-and doesn't-belong-in-either-world things. Nope. He's an Apache. A blue-eyed Apache with wavy brown hair and white features. At least they could have dyed his hair and given him brown contacts. Evidently the producers couldn't credit the public with enough taste to find Wolf appealing unless he was a standard-issue Handsome Hunk. A sad loss to some qualified Indian actor, and a sad loss to the viewer, for it definitely compromises credibility.

The year before Gunsmoke: The Last Apache, Lara first played Tarzan-- the white guy who makes good in Africa. Sadly, Joe Lara was killed in a plane crash in 2021. He did a lot of good work, and one can't fault his acting-- but one can fault casting him in an inappropriate role.

James Arness and Richard Kiley and Michael Learned back on a Gunsmole setting is all you need if you are a fan - and, beyond that, if you miss Westerns, this is a strong walk down memory lane. Watch, soak it in and enjoy if you are a Gunsmole fan.

This was Gunsmoke Lite. Watered down Hollywood tripe. John Meston and Andy. McLaglen must have been spinning in their graves when this garbage came out.

I only give it a 5 because of Jim Arness.

As a huge fan of the Gunsmoke TV show, I really enjoyed this movie. In fact the episode where Matt met Mike was one of my favorites. The story itself was one we've all seen several times, but seeing James Arness as an older version of Matt Dillon was well worth it. Micheal Learned was great too, BUT to her credit she looked young enough to be Matt's daughter. Good watch especially for Gunsmoke fans