Gunslingers

Saw Gunslingers. In a world where horrible modern day movies like Novocaine and Death of a Unicorn exist, Gunslingers is a much needed friend, an old school Western/Action shoot em up with sibling rivalry plot lines and a hilarious and awesome NICOLAS CAGE performance. You may ask why the negative mainstream reviews? That's because they don't respect B action films. They'll only sell you the latest Timothee Chamalet drek. If you can appreciate the efforts of a small film giving it their all, you'll enjoy this film. Sure, it's not perfect but you can appreciate it, flaws and all. Kudos to Lionsgate for delivering these films to the community of action lovers.

I am a big fan of gritty westerns which is what this looked like in the trailers, but it is deinitely not. Within 10 minutes I realized the acting was pretty bad. There were moments of believabilty in the characters but mostly seemed like none of them were rehearsed professionals. I really blame the directing that made the whole story predictable and plodding. The effects were on par with 1970's films; bright red blood, punching sounds. By far the worst I've ever seen of Nicholas Cage. His characterization was ridiculous. So, I gave it 2 stars only because I didn't have pay to see it in a theater.

When I saw the cast ensemble for the movie, I have to admit that I was initially somewhat intrigued and impressed. I mean, with the likes of Stephen Dorff, Heather Graham, Nicolas Cage, Tzi Ma, Eric Mabius and Costas Mandylor on the cast list, then you would assume that you would be in for something enjoyable.

But I have to say that writer and director Brian Skiba definitely proved me wrong with "Gunslingers". The storyline in the movie was flaccid, and there just wasn't a whole lot of entertainment value in the movie. I have to say that I sort of zoned out about half way through, and the movie just because something that played mostly in the background.

Even with a cast ensemble that included some good talents and names, the movie failed. Sure, the acting performances were, for the most parts, actually fair, then the movie just proved to be less than mediocre. And not even the sheer amount of gunfights did much to make up for the shortcomings.

Maybe diehard Western fans will be getting a much bigger kick out of watching "Gunslingers" than I did as a casual viewer.

The CGI animated rain was just cringeworthy to look at. But at least it provided a moment of good laughing.

This is not a movie that I will return to watch a second time.

My rating of writer and director Brian Skiba's 2025 movie "Gunslingers" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.

This action-heavy Western is among the worst films I have ever seen. If it was not for my sorely tested allegiance to Nicolas Cage, my favorite actor, I would never have watched five minutes of this. Alas!

This is honestly one of his worst performances, although it might work for you if you are only in it for the memes. He's doing an indescribabe voice, that somehow manages to be raspy, high-pitched, and squeaky. He wears bizarre folk rock costumes costumes and speaks nonsensical lines like, "There's fire in Hell, Mary! Haaaaawwwwwt fiiiiiiire!" Pretty sure his character has somehow already discovered cocaine, but Cage is barely in this, so don't get too carried away!

The action is made nearly incomprehensible by horrendous editing. I slowed an early gunfight down to 1/4 speed to try to discern what had occurred, but I was still left at a loss. The camera breaks the 180 degree rule constantly, even during gunfights where a person is shown firing their weapon in one direction followed by a cut to someone reeling backwards in the same direction the shot just came from! It's really that bad!

The writers appear to have written this in a drunken haze. Nothing is reasonable or compelling. The numbers thrown out, for example, are completely implausible. There's a posse of one-hundred men coming! There's a reward of $100,000 for one man dead or alive! You get the idea.

The film also looks terrible. Like honestly one of the worst-looking films I have ever seen. I'm not sure what they did, but it looks like they shot in with an old digital camera and the brights from their cars. I can appreciate a dingy look, but this is like a throwback to the straight-to-video era.

I am trying to decide whether I should thank Cage for giving me someone interesting to watch in a film full of lightweight actors straight from the extra pool, or send him hate mail for making me suffer through dredge like this when I know he has films like Longlegs and Dream Scenario still in him. He must enjoy having the creative freedom as an actor that performing in these terrible low-budget films gets him. But, come on dude! Haven't your fans suffered enough!

At least the Madden biopic is coming!

I like Dorff. I've enjoyed his work. He just couldn't carry this.

First, Kentucky was not the old west at the turn of that century. Cowboys weren't hanging out in saloons. Missed the mark completely there.

Cage I find to be hit or miss and this was a miss. Not sure exactly what his character he was going for, but the whole thing of retired bad guy returning to his lawless ways is trite, to say the least. Not sure if he was going for an odd Johnny Depp-type character but sorry, this just didn't do it.

Antagonist was a little too over the top for me.

The supporting cast was good, don't get me wrong, but the script was pretty lame for any of them to cut through.

The action was mid level, but there were scenes where it was hard to tell good guys from bad guys, who is shooting who?

I could go on, but...why? Watch this when it's free, I would not recommend paying. Sorry Stephen, I'll buy you a beer and talk about your good roles some day.