Kid, el intrépido

A neo-Western with the charismatic C. Thomas Howell surpassing his other notable performances as Ponyboy in The Outsiders and the lawyer/volleyball stud in Side Out. Kid will always have a spot on my video shelf as I caught it back in the day while I was still in the early years of High School and I loved it then and love it now. It even has David Silver as an outdated Metalhead who speaks in 80s cliches, and the gorgeous older sister who makes washing a horse look like the most appetizing chore this side of the Mississippi. Topping off the cast is the drill Sergeant from Full Metal Jacket and Dale Dye, both adding credibility to what could have been an otherwise cheap Cinemax snooze-fest. A lean, well-paced and sometimes laughable "flick" that could have benefited from a more intense climax, but works very well within its own means.

Okay. I'm a C. Thomas Howell fan. Always have been. From his newer B movies (red team, Avalanche) to his old movies. (The Outsiders, Side Out) And this movie is by far the best of the bunch. It starts out with an eeriy feel to it as The Kid steps off the bus in the center of the desert like town. Its a great movie though some of the acting is bad (the brothers) its a movie that will always be on my shelf and will be in my vcr alot as well. 7/10

"Kid" is one of those movies where you're not going to be mesmerized by the acting or script; instead, it pulls you in with its scenery of beautiful Arizona, the music which is something out of a "80'S Hair Metal" CD, and by the story itself. Haven't we all wondered just a little about growing up with no family...always having to rely on no one but yourself? An interesting thought to me anyways. Each time I watch it I go back in time to a time when my family was still together and I took my teen-age freedom for granted. Although we never learn what C Thomas Howell's actual name is, we don't need to. Plenty of great fight sequences and around-the-corner suspense make this movie a must-own for anyone who didn't know the best years of their life would be the 80's until they were 30.

Kid starring C. Thomas Howell is a High Plains Drifter modern knockoff and while it will never stand comparison to the Clint Eastwood classic it's not a bad film on its own.

We never know what Howell's real name is, but he's come to a sleepy, modern western town complete with the same long coat that Clint Eastwood wears and starts targeting a few of the town's citizens for demise. Trust me however, Howell's got a very good reason for wanting this. The only problem is with the last guy on his list, Dale Dye. He's away from town when Howell first arrives and the two people who befriend him are his children, Sarah Trigger and Brian Austin Green in his pre-90210 days. It doesn't detract from his main mission.

The ending is rather lame, it doesn't really holdup given the character motivation that is established for Howell. Still Kid is not a bad film and the western scenery is just fine.

Perhaps a bit cheesy at times, but I do believe it's the best revenge movie I've seen. I've only had the chance to see it once and would like to see it again, to possibly reaffirm my high opinion of the flick, but it's a hard one to come by.