Gunless

recently, I grabbed few low-budget westerns to watch on my DVD during the weekend. (I have reviewed one of them, 6 Guns, that was pretty bad, and I didn't even bother to review the second one, so awful it was) So you can guess that i didn't have high expectation for this one. Especially if you add the fact that movie is Canadian, and I didn't really know Canadians do westerns too.

Now boy, was I wrong to look at the film with a wrong eye.

From the first shots till the end, the movie proved to be fun. There was this specific Canadian humor I guess, which I understood perfectly (Being non Canadian and even non American at all), because it was delivered very well by very talented actors.

Speaking about actors. I can say for sure that for a long time I never saw such a good acting in low budget movies.

God... Russel Crowey gets millions of salary for ruining the epic legends (yeah, I mean Robin Hood parody he did), while these guys delivering much more fun gain ten times less.

Action scenes were shot well, camera work was good and lightning and the editing caused no questions.

Of course you feel all the way through the film that this is low budget, but it adds to the charm.

9 out 10...

It felt just so good to be watching this pleasant non-political, no-gore, light-hearted comedy. I for one would definitely pay to watch more of such movies. This really is the definition of good clean fun. I loved the story-idea, the various little sub-plots (especially Jack, the Blacksmith one), and the acting of all the characters was pretty competent. Sure, it had an amateurish feel to it from time to time, but that didn't take away from the fun of watching the movie. My only complaint are that the villain could have been a little more menacing and/or a little more funny - he ended up being neither. My only serious complaint is the hairdo the protagonist sports - that was a disaster!

I had not seen Paul Gross since Passchendaele, and Sienna Guillory since The Time Machine. This was a pleasure to see them work together in a movie made for the enjoyment of everyone.

There is little else I can add to the above reviews, all of them quite accurate, except, I would not call this movie a forgettable waste of time. Comedy it is, yes, more tongue-in-cheek, but I know I wore a smile throughout the viewing because of the light-hearted-attempting-to be-serious story. On more than one occasion I could not resist laughing at the irresistible parodies. Some clichés were a bit silly, but not irritating.

Not so for The Montana Kid. A hardened gunfighter used to killing and death, is not easily swayed by pretty smiles and kind words, nor clueless people (hence the word clueless in my title). What can a hardened killer want with a small town full of innocent, warm people, living what appears to be in a dream world, who had never seen a gunfight, let alone a hardened killer (or was he)?

Lots of pleasant moments in this movie, one I'll want to watch again in time. But, that is not the best of it. The best part lies in this question: Can a town free of guilt and murderous hatred help a seasoned gunman to change his ways and thinking, helping him to find forgiveness and peace, without being bossy, or preachy, or pushy in any way? Moreover, can a wanted man, with a bounty on his head, learn the spirit of self-sacrifice and redemption, to protect those he has come to love and appreciate? That final scene, when both Montana and his lady love Jane were facing the bounty hunter was touching, showed the true nature of my previous statement, especially because of how they both played this out.

A really nice movie, friends! Worth every moment! Take your kids too! The fact that there isn't any real sex, violence is low-key, no foul language, does not make it a worthless movie. Nor is it a stupid comedy.

I never thought I'd see a low budget flick this good! Give it a go, friends!

Refreshing original look at a tongue in cheek Western...a tale of the Montana Kid up against Canadina sensibilities.

Has the look and feel of an old fashion western and is wonderfully played by the leads.

Not meant to be a story of particular depth, if you look for what isn't there then you never got it to begin with. Having said that there are scenes which do have depth, and a great feel of honor and, at times, nobility.

I enjoyed this movie for a lot of reasons...not least of which are the performances of Paul Gross and Sienna Guillory.

Excellent Canadian gem!

Well here is a first. I've never heard of a Canadian western. The idea may sound promising or risky. What it turns out to be is delightful, a bit amateurish, but fun.

The movie is played mostly for laughs. Paul Gross is terrific. To be honest, the guy feels like a cross between Bruce Campbell and Matt Dillon to be honest. Gunless is definitely not a traditional western, but like all the best ones it has a fiery showdown, throwing in some satire for good measure.

Western and Comedy don't often come together. I think Blazzing Saddles is the only one that ever tried, either that or the only one which succeeded, (well there is also Shanghai Noon). Gunless, though far from the humour of Mel Brooks, offers something fresh amongst all the mediocre/gimmicky pre summer features currently running. If it has managed to get theatrical release in your country (to all my non-Canadian readers), go see it, if not rent it when in comes out in a few months.