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"The Tracker" is just an old TV-movie from the 1980's you might think, but thanks to Kevin Jarre's well-written story the film works very well, better than most modern action-oriented Westerns. But the film has also Kris Kristofferson in the main role, and he is suitable as Noble Adams. I think Kristofferson clearly shows that he handles his role very well, and one of the main reasons why the film works the way it does.

Thanks to very few flaws in the script, this Western works very well. Even if "The Tracker" could be better and would fit nice as a movie for the cinema, it is highly recommended for any fan of the Western-genre.

Rating: 6+ of 10.

The Western never quite seems to die, despite repeated pronouncements to that effect. Westerns are not cool, although their heroes can certainly be. But so what? Cool is far too transient to be taken seriously by anyone but marketers and adolescents. For the latter, knowing what's cool is merely practice for knowing something but without the burden of actual knowledge. It's a place to be for people who, in essence, know almost nothing and need something to grip. So, instead of dying, the Western seems merely to periodically cop some Z's than awaken again to take a currently acceptable shape. Witness HBO's critically well-received new series, Deadwood. What's the secret here? I think it's simple. The Western is simply too innately and indelibly cinematic to completely die. Also, if one has a knack for location shooting, westerns can be relatively easy to make - at least as easy as any feature film can be, although they can be hard to make well. For example, Lawrence Kasdan's Silverado, despite its excellent cast, top-shelf production values, and sprinkling of good moments, never quite managed to escape a certain perfunctoriness. Compare it to a similar ensemble work in the genre: Clint Eastwood's superb Unforgiven, and you can begin to get the almost indefinable sense of what makes a Western right. The Western requires a certain element of restraint to really work; restraint on all levels, behind and in front of the camera. The made-for-TV, The Tracker, also screened as Dead or Alive, is a blueprint for that restraint.

The Tracker is a simple manhunt story set in the canyon country of southern Utah. If you've ever spent time in the high country, especially when autumn is drawing its final breaths, with the first major snowfall just a hair-trigger pull away, you'll know how beautiful that time of the season is. A buttery light seems to glow out from everywhere: rocks, dust, the explosion of golden Cottonwood leaves. Into this beautiful and unforgiving world Kris Kristofferson's almost supernaturally tough Marshal Noble Adams pursues his quarry. And what a great quarry it is. The under-sung Scott Wilson plays Jack Stillwell, a bible-quoting maniac, kidnapper, and murderer; a cross between Donald Pleasance's vicious lay preacher in Will Penny and the Wild Bill character in The Green Mile. Stillwell is on the loose, out of his gourd, and loving every minute of his headlong ride to perdition. Marshal Adams, his longtime friend and deputy (the ursine David Huddleston), and Adams's son, on leave from school `in the East', whom the Marshal deputizes to give him some real work to do, set out in pursuit of Stillwell, and they're not coming back without him.

The story swings between Jack Stillwell's fever-pitch lunacy and Marshal Adams' granitic resolve. Kris Kristofferson was born to be a western lead; always displaying the entire palette of mood required for the work. His Billy the Kid is, essentially, definitive although I remain very fond of Emilio Estevez' wild-eyed embodiment in Young Guns. Despite the relatively unknown status of this film, Kristofferson's Noble Adams is one of the finest western characters ever portayed: American Gothic from the Dark Side in service of The Light and is also some of this actor's best work ever. Trailing Stillwell into country where, as a younger man, Adams lost his wife, whom it is clear that he dearly loved, pulls the the Marshal across hallowed ground to boot. Tragi-comic relief occurs in the form of grim humor when a pack of bounty hunters, knockabout cowpokes also tracking Stillwell and completely out of their collective depth, cross Adams's trail. They get one warning to drop their act which, of course, they ignore in a manner entirely consistent with a group intelligence just a notch or two above the pathetics who rode with Robert Ryan's Deke Thornton in the Wild Bunch.

Adams' weapon of choice is a long-barreled Sharps. The Marshal shoots well and the outcome is somewhat foregone, yet one still emerges with a certain compassion for the dull-witted.

And there you have it. And it's all you need. As a film, The Tracker is a very solid B movie; a perfectly good place for a western to be. But as a genre piece, once the action departs the somewhat too-manicured 1880's railhead set, it's right down the pipe: compact, credible, nonsense-free, poignant, and engrossing. Any fan of the genre should collect it.

I'm not sure why I put off seeing this western for so long - maybe because it was made for cable, and I thought a cable western couldn't compare to a big screen western. Anyway, I am glad that I finally saw this. Like many modern day westerns, this one has a lot of elements that make it raw and tough. But interestingly, the general tone isn't that. Instead, there is a creepy tone playing in the background for the most part. It's a creepiness that really makes it feel like anything bad could happen at any moment, and it's really effective. Elsewhere, the movie comes across as a professional exercise, ranging from being well acted to having good production values. Are there any flaws? Well, the only real flaw I found was that the script is (mostly) pretty predictable. But at least it's handled in a first class manner that will make it all the same pleasing to western fans.

Made for HBO and aired in the winter and spring of 1988 only to be soon forgotten, THE TRACKER is an exceptionally rendered Western and one of the best movies of the genre in the post-Eastwood era. A simple yet interesting premise is blended with tight action and deeply effective characterization to give any Western fan a highly satisfying experience, as it was for me when it originally aired. Adding to its strengths are the evocative and atmospheric soundtrack and the superior scriptwriting, creating a palpable old west atmosphere and fully believable characters who are not overacted or overdrawn. Of special note is Kris Kristofferson's understated and restrained performance, which results in a serious and fully credible character in the form of the tracker Noble Adams. Scott Wilson as the protagonist is excellent as usual, with strong contributions by all cast involved. I urge any true Western fan to obtain and watch THE TRACKER; it is an experience to be enjoyed and appreciated.

The Tracker is a made for HBO western movie starring Kris Kristopher son.Kistopherson is perfect for this role and in my opinion, very underrated as an actor. He must come out of retirement to track down a vicious gang. Scott Wilson is great also as the leader of the gang as well as a psychotic holy roller. The story moves along at a steady pacea looks great as well. The acting and characterization is also pretty solid and has the right amount of action and gunplay. Overall, I thought The Tracker was quite good and should please most fans of the genre. It definitely is deserving of more fanfare and was a well made western.