The Gundown

Sometimes I read negative reviews on IMDB and AMAZON and wonder what planet some of the reviewers are on. Not every film can have a budget of millions so it is not always fair to compare smaller indie films like this with the likes of the remake of The Magnificent Seven. But this is a cracking good western and if you like good action and fine performances in the old tradition of the western then this is for you. I can tell you from personal experience that negative reviews without any positivity in them simply shows a lack of understanding. We need more westerns like this to keep the genre alive and kicking!

If not for the language this looks exactly like a network TV show. The indoor scenes are way over-lit and even the fade to black scene breaks are expectant of a commercial.

The good-guy is cool but a bit over polite and the bad guy is menacing although much of his evil deeds are either verbal or off screen. There is plenty of death by gun, but no squibs or suffering.

Stealing the show is the lovable whore who you can't help but want to help. The supporting cast overall is unremarkable, flat, and uninspiring and most of the drama is delivered "by the book".

The four years later ending is straight out of a weak movie of the week, but despite all this it is watchable if not want-able.

"If you had been under my command I'd have had you hung. I will never pay you a cent for protection." Travis McCain (Shockley) has taken over the town of Dead River and the people are living in fear. When Cole Brandt (Walker) comes in to town looking for revenge for the murderer of his wife and child he finds someone that needs to be taken care of. This is a movie where the plot and idea is much better then the movie was. While it had some really good scenes and action, it was just much, much to slow moving and hard to get into. The acting was not bad and it was decently made, it was just really tough to get into. If you are a hardcore western fan this till appeal to you, if you like an occasional one it would be better to go find a different one. Overall, not a bad movie just way to slow to fully keep you interested for the entire time. I give it a C-.

Would I watch again? - I barely made it through once. No

This film was very well done, great acting, lots of action, great story, I love the scenery and that it was filmed in Arizona where much of the old west action actually took place....Great music, directing. Overall the film had a kind of desolate feel to it. If you liked the old Clint Eastwood spaghetti Westerns, then you will probably be very pleased with this film. William Shockley plays a wonderful Villain, while Sheree J. Wilson and the girl playing Cassey May also give solid performances. The Cole Brandt and Hicks actors played well off each other as well. Overall I thought it was just a really good film. The only one person that I felt didn't fit in the movie was Dulce. Few films are made these days that are true westerns, and this film fits the bill. If you want Cowboy's & Aliens this isn't your film, but if you want a good story, characters you can care about, and a movie that beckons back to the days of Wyatt Earp and Tombstone, except a little grittier like the show Deadwood, then this is your movie.

It was great to see a lower budget movie produced with attention to quality actors, quality costuming, quality sets, and even quality music. Yes the movie has some issues typical of a lower budget. You see sporadic problems with continuity and editing. And a few boo-boos with stunts and lighting. But those are sporadic. There's nothing so glaring to make you want to turn it off. The vision is clear from the beginning and despite a few oopsies it's a decent movie. I only wish the DVD cover floating around on Facebook had been used instead of the retro-art modern looking outlaw. At least you'd know what kind of western you are going to view (action and romance and morals)instead of a martial arts testosterone action only flick.