Copperhead

Just few facts. First: It's a movie with a prep of 4 weeks. It's shooting schedule is 20 days. 8 weeks for the edit. 2 mounts for the CGI work. Do the math. Time. Time. Time. The biggest problem of all. Don't get me wrong - Always can be better. Always. May be someone can do better in the same time frame. May be not. Second: As we all know period piece movies are kinda hard. All the costumes, props, sets, etc. Day and Night exteriors. I just think everyone did an extremely good job, for the amount of time they had. Third: I'm happy to read positive comments. That's how it should be. The people who are able to pull out a movie that looks like that don't deserve anything else. I really think some scenes and shots are great. There's a 2 and a half minute shot. Very nice duel on the street. Very nice photography in general. And then again -- Imagine what could be done with just a little bit more time.

In an attempt to meld together a western and a horror they have instead created a boring, childish, bit of fluff. The acting, camera work, and visuals are alright. The actors did a good job with what little they had to work with. But, nothing could fix the childish script. It amazes me that someone at a studio read this script and then gave permission to create this movie! What were they thinking? The script is slow, boring, contains way too much talk and too little action. I doubt this movie could keep the interest of even a ten year old more than a few minutes. It doesn't completely fail as a B or C western. But the addition of the snakes gives the movie a real schizophrenic character. If your looking for some thrills then click the channel and keep searching. You won't find what your looking for here.

Just another cheaply made B-grade TV presentation from the sci-fi channel with sub-standard CGI effects… yeah but I actually came away really enjoying this feature even though in a laughable sense. My main fascination that drew me in was that Billy Drago was credited, but to my surprise he all but had 30 minutes. After the opening he disappears not completely knowing his fate. Anyhow what eventuates is some mindless and kooky snake-action on the western frontier. That's pretty much the story too. Predictable and not much meat to it, despite some of the characters having some sort of background story. Nothing is totally explored, but it's fulfilling. The action comes in spades, with plenty of bang for your buck with bullets and snakes making a great recipe. As for the snakes themselves, they look like you would expect for such a production. Glossy and overdone. Terrible wouldn't go astray either. Time flies by, while the script fits nicely and adds some digestible humour to the fold and the score (while on repeat) creates that western twang. Even the camera-work is crisp in movement and placement. Performances hold up with a solid lead turn by Brad Johnson and Drago pretty much steals the scenes in the opening encounters. Not a bad feature, which is amusingly fun and captivating throughout.

Wild west clichés meet monster movie clichés in Copperhead, a slightly amusing Sci-Fi Channel (eh...SyFy) horror western about a group of rowdy outlaws and other stereotypes who stop fighting long enough to battle a deadly stampede of venomous snakes.

My biggest question about Copperhead: Why are the snakes doing what they're doing? This is so monumentally illogical that only the Sci-Fi Channel could cook it up, though I must admit that it is a bit refreshing that the writers didn't invent some crackpot explanation for the events in the film.

As ludicrous as it all was, I thought it was okay and the characters were fun, especially Billy Drago, who's a great actor and should have had more screen time.

OK, it's no Oscar winner, but as westerns go, I have to admit it was pretty much OK. Can't wait for a sequel, you just know they left it wide open for one. One suggestion though, forget the snakes next time, make it a real western. Everyone in it did a great job, and yes there wasn't enough Billy Drago, but see what I said about being left open for a sequel. I think the director is a westerns fan, someone who knows his westerns, and is a little influenced by the spaghetti westerns of the 1960' and 70's. There was a touch of old fashioned TV western to the music also, little bit Bonanza, a little bit Rawhide, just hints. A competent western overall, the snakes were a bit too CGI, but that only added to the B movie feel. So, to the producers, a sequel please with the same cast, continuation of the story, but please, traditional western without the snakes.