Apache Junction

A story about an old West outpost of lawlessness with thieves, killers and gamblers.

Also a story about love, betrayal, sins and redemption.

When the San Francisco Examiner (at that time owned by US Senator George Hearst) reporter Annabelle Angel arrives in the outpost and gets harassed by a couple soldiers. Luckily for her infamous gunslinger Jericho Ford watches over Angel. The rest of the plot is quite predictable but does not hinder enjoying a no-brainer of a Western. The climax is also predictable but there is a nice twist at the end.

The characters' dress, talk, act, and looks corresponds with the impression they should create. The main actors all perform well. The dialogues could have been better.

If it is raining, go to the movie theatre and relax.

Western movies have never really been my go-to type of movies, although every now and again I will sit down to watch one. And as I had the opportunity to sit down and watch Justin Lee's 2021 Western titled "Apache Junction", I did so, mostly because I saw that the movie had Thomas Jane on the cast list.

I will say that the storyline told in "Apache Junction" is pretty straight forward and easy to follow. However, it was so simplistic that it was sort of bordering on being a bit boring actually. Nothing much really happened throughout the course of the movie, so it was somewhat of an ordeal to sit through "Apache Junction" in all its entire run time.

The atmosphere in "Apache Junction" was good, and it definitely felt like you were there in a gritty frontier town back in day. And that particular atmosphere was adding a lot to the movie. Just a shame that the storyline itself was so mundane and rather uneventful.

Of all the actors and actresses on the cast list in "Apache Junction" then I was only familiar with Thomas Jane and Stuart Townsend. However, I will say that they definitely had put together a nice group of actors and actresses to portray the characters in the movie, and the performers did good jobs. Just a shame that they were somewhat hindered by an inferior script.

"Apache Junction" doesn't really have that archetypical Western feel to it, which was a shame, because it could have brightened up the movie in a much needed way.

While "Apache Junction" is watchable, it was hardly an outstanding Western movie, nor a particularly memorable one. And I actually doubt that I will ever return to watch "Apache Junction" a second time.

My rating of "Apache Junction" lands on a generous four out of ten stars.

If you're looking for a good western to watch, look elsewhere. Nothing is even close to realistic beyond the horses are actual horses. If you choose to see this movie, plan on asking for your money back.

My father worked for Four Star Pictures in the late 50's at Apacheland in Apache Junction as a gaffer. He bummed around with the best of them and he would have walked out of this Trace Adkins dud with his #12 boot shoved...... Anyway, we have long ties with the town and it's real history is much richer, more varied and a helluva lot more interesting that a tired 5cent 1930's western movie script that was rewritten on a toilet tank 50 times before it made the 1 a week grind house pulp mill. I've come to expect that anything with Trace Adkins will be in the "Howard the Duck" rack at every truckstop, which is sad because he was just in Old Henry and thankfully his bit was short in that inexpensive masterpiece. I'm thinking Thomas Jane needed a paycheck, thats why this was done, and sadly why his roles have dried up.

The action is rather clunky, but the component cast, and good camera work and visuals make it a decent watch. Also, surely to God someone can find something better for Thomas Jane to do in 2022 Jesus Christ.