Lightning Jack

Beautiful work by Cuba Gooding, Jr. in this Western comedy with beloved Aussie hero (who also directs). All heart, but includes the necessary sweaty grimy sinister bad guys and violence. Lots of horses. (Great film to work for as a wrangler.) Also the gorgeous witty professional women. And Native American medicine. Good as a break from the daily grind.

Put on Lightning Jack and all your worries will disappear for 90mins.

Lightning Jack Kane (Hogan) is an elusive but aging Australian outlaw living in the Old West who doesn't get the respect he feels he deserves. He contemplates retirement, but before that can happen he has one final wish to make major headlines. When a bank robbery gets bungled, he takes a mute store clerk (Gooding) hostage, but they unexpectedly bond, develop a genuine friendship, then try to help each other out by forming an unlikely partnership to pull off a big score that will attract the necessary attention. The two leads make a surprisingly engaging team, and there are some enjoyable moments, but the whole thing is familiar and obvious. **½

This movie is one of the best comedy westerns for a long time and gives its stars ample time to perform.

Paul Hogan plays pretty much the same character as he did in Crocodile Dundee, only with a bit more heart, as a failed outlaw trying to make a name for himself in the Wild West with one big heist. His only partner is played by Cuba Gooding Jr., in a superb early performance as a dumb black shop assistant, with shows both comedic talent, and a depth to the character that Hogan himself probably didn't know was there when he wrote it.

A series of wonderfully scenes in bars all over the West, culminate in a perfect last heist that nobody knows about, and robs Hogan of his wanted fame.

Unfortunately, the box-office showed less confidence in the movie than it's investors on the Aussie stock-market did, but do not let that deter you from a very funny movie.

The humor is just as fresh today as it was when I first saw it several years ago. Goodings shows a depth of talent that this viewer really appreciates. His expressions are nearly as plastic as Jim Carrey's and spontaneous enough to steal the show without any lines.