The Duel

A Texas Ranger , David Kingston (Liam Hemsworth) is assigned by his commandant (William Sadler) to investigate a series of unexplained deaths in a town called Helena where rules tyrannically a fake preacher named Abraham (Woody Harrelson) . There , David is appointed sheriff, then things go wrong.

Pretty good and straightforward western dealing with thought-provoking issues , including thrills , go riding , noisy action , shootouts and lots of violence . Attractive but too slow at times , the movie is redeemed by its great performances , the realistic view of the Old West and by its rich array of charming roles. The two leading men Liam Hemsworth as David Kingston and Woody Harrelson as Abraham are magnificent in the hostile environment which the flick is set in . If you are a fan of the guys, Hemsworth and Harrelson , you'll want to watch this one ; they previously shared scenes in The Hunger Games film franchise. There are still nice scenes to see such as the saloon confrontation in similar style to Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven , the impressive final duel and other sparkling set pieces . It also results to be surprisingly gory along with a handful of violent and breathtaking action scenes . It results to be a thunder stuff with a strong star cast . The actors supporting who accompany the lead roles are fine , mostly acting decently , such as : Alice Braga , Emory Cohen, Felicity Price , William Sadler , Chris Baker , Chris Berry and Raphael Sbarge

It displays colorful and riveting cinematography by Jules O'Loughlin , reflecting wonderfully the landscapes and the little town environment, being heavily filmed in state park Florewood, and Greenwood, Mississippi . Evocative and appropriate musical score by Craig Eastman. The motion picture was finely written by Matt Cook who produced as well and compellingly directed by Kieran Darcy-Smith .The latter is a good actor and director , known for Wish you were here (2012), Animal Kingdom (2010) , Wolf Creek (2016) and he has shot various episodes of notorious TV series . He's married to Felicity Price who in "The duel¨ plays an important role as Noemi . Rating : Good, it's competent enough, a straightforward entertainment that results to be an intriguing story turned into an OK actioner Western. However , this is definitely an adult-oriented flick because of the violence, amount of gore and some profanity language on hand. It's one of the best Western films of the last years. A must see for every enthusiast of a decent action western movie.

"We cannot separate ourselves from sin anymore than we can sever a limb from our bodies." There has been a rash of unexplained deaths In the small town of Helena, Texas. With no clue as to what is going on, David Kingston (Hemsworth), a Ranger is sent to investigate. When he arrives he discovers some strange characters including Abraham (Harrelson). The more David investigates the more he questions what is happening. This is a movie that had a chance to be really good. The cast is A-list and the plot is interesting. Where the movie fails is the pacing. This is just agonizingly slow that it made it really hard to pay attention to and I was really starting to drift and lose interest in. There are some interesting parts in this but a lot of the drama was lost on me because I struggled to stay involved in what was going on. Overall, a disappointing western that had a chance to be good but was just too slow and boring for me to get invested in. I give this a C-.

Westerns for me is such a distinctive genre as owing to a specific time in history and being rooted in its universal themes that has been explored almost exhaustively.

It's surprising then that one should come along with a kick to the teeth in the guise of a movie that's packaged lightly in terms of visuals and score. The story follows a young ranger and spouse as he has to face a man, who killed his father in a duel in the past, and now reigns supreme in a small town near the Mexican border.

Harrelson is cut out for this role as a man who is on a self-righteous path of carrying out the will of the divine by means of brutality and chances of fate. He is a force to be reckoned with and overshadows all else around him but Hemsworth's Kingston is well versed himself in taking the law into his own hands. Almost too mechanical by way of showing how it's done but believe you me it's a slice of justice being dished out, nothing fancy, and enough to sit you down.

The intrigue of spirituality that leads people on down a dark road is only touched upon as being an inexplicable power that makes few connections with the actual clandestine going ons that has brought the characters at odds with one another. Something as easily abused is often mistaken for something else but no one could possibly deviate from the course when Harrelson's fierce eyes are keeping watch.

Over the past decade, there has been a resurgence in the Western. That is good news because this is a much-loved genre. However, when a film like THE DUEL comes along, we simply reverse to square one all over again. This is a miserable and unsatisfying excuse for a film. The viewer will find it difficult to cheer on any of the cast, simply because they are one-dimensional characters. It is not the fault of the actors, however. Blame lies entirely at the feet of the director. This is one helmsman who is totally amateurish in his approach, and I will do my best to avoid his features in the future. There is zero intrigue, suspense, characterization, interest nor due care here. The pace drags throughout. And the editing is amateurish also. Liam Hemsworth is a competent actor but even he struggles with his role - yet he is the best thing about the film. And as for Woody Harrelson...! He should receive an award for the Greatest Miscasting of the Year. He is downright hopeless in the role of the Mount Hermon emperor. This part requires an actor of strength and charisma. But poor Woody falls at every step. Don't misunderstand me, I like Woody Harrelson. But not in roles like this. Abysmal casting.

A number of citizens of Mexican origins are disappearing and the bodies, some of them, have been found floating in the Rio Grande. A Mexican general played by Jose Zuniga is threatening to do a Pancho Villa and cross the border as his niece is one of the missing. That prompts the Governor of Texas to dispatch one of his best Texas Rangers, Liam Hemsworth to a remote region to investigate a town called Helena.

A former Confederate colonel Woody Harrelson is a Reverend Jim Jones like character who holds sway there. Hemsworth has his work cut out for them, more than he could ever conceive.

There are certainly elements of The Most Dangerous Game here, but add to that the cult like devotion that Harrelson enjoys. Plus he's making good money for himself and the town of Helena with his most dangerous game. He's opened it up as a business, it's clear that the Mexicans are substitutes for black people as I'm sure the word is out to avoid the area and Mexicans are plentiful across the river.

None of the drama in that original Most Dangerous Game is present here. Harrelson is a compelling figure, Australian Hemsworth is convincing as a Texan.

The whole thing falls way short of a classic and even as a western, most western fans will find this way to weird.