Gunfighter

Late one night on a desolate road, in an empty saloon Martin Sheen spins a yarn for Robert Carradine of Hopalong Cassidy and friends tracking a group of murderous cattle rustlers, who've killed a few men and kidnapped Cassidy's girl.

Writer/director Christopher Coppola May have incurred the wrath of William Boyd purists by daring to make a modern low budget film featuring their beloved Hoppy, but I'm glad he did it! No character should be so tied to an an actor that no one else ever be allowed to play him or her again!

I thought it was good fun and an interesting updating of the classic programmers of the thirties and forties. Though guilty of some bad acting, this is earnest enough and unpretentious, making it hard for me to dislike.

The whole production is a bit odd though, but I really enjoyed the scenes between Sheen and Carridine. The fact that we're watching a story within a story makes the oddness and exaggerations more palatable.

I recently viewed Gunfighter (1999) on Tubi. The plot unfolds with a wandering singer entering a nearly empty saloon, striking up a conversation with the lone man in the corner. The man shares a tale from his past involving two rivals whose animosity escalates to a final shootout.

Directed and written by Christopher Coppola (Deadfall), the film features Martin Sheen (The Departed), Robert Carradine (Revenge of the Nerds), Clu Gulager (The Return of the Living Dead), and Will Hutchins (The Shooting).

Despite a solid cast, the movie has a peculiar made-for-television vibe. It's disappointing as one would expect more from such talent. Regrettably, the writing is average, the acting feels awkward, and the dialogue lacks authenticity. Even the background music is just passable, and the action scenes fail to salvage the overall experience.

In conclusion, Gunfighter is a lackluster addition to the western genre. I would give it a 3/10 and suggest skipping it.

I enjoy watching western films but this movie takes the biscuit. The script and dialogue is laughable. The acting was awful, where did they get them from? Music was OK i have to say. Luckily i didn't buy or rent the movie but its now disposed of.

I was geared up at the beginning when the stranger (martin sheen) started to tell his story. I have to admit i did enjoy the confrontation between Hopalong and Tex where Hopalong shot Tex's finger off and told him to practise for 40 years to reach his league. But thats where it all went pear shaped thereafter. I had to watch the whole film in the hope that it would get better, never did.

I can't believe others took such a serious view of all this. God, it was a lot of fun rooting for Hop-a-long Cassidy. It was a great tribute to the Western serials of years ago. It wasn't meant to be a great cinema experience, except it was. So what if there wasn't a big special effects bonanza. It was a fun, tongue in cheek, look at old Western's. Man, relax and enjoy.

In this day and age of incredible special movie effects, this one was a sore disappointment. The actors seemed stiff and uninspired, as was the dialogue. Westerns are not common fare for Hollywood so much these days, but movies like "Silverado" prove that somebody out there still knows how to make a good one. Considering that, it is hard to conceive that anyone would go to any expense at all in releasing, much less creating such a weak film as this one. If you love and are looking for a good western, keep looking!