Ricercato vivo o morto

This western may not stray to far from the norm but it does have a great cast and a good script. Kris Kristofferson is as usual great. So is Scott Wilson (I) who plays a crazed killer who thinks that he is on a mission of God. Mark Moses plays Tom Adams, son of Noble Adams, (K.K.) and does a fine job as the son who learns to believe in his fathers ways as his father learns to count on him. A fine movie made by the people at HBO. If you like westerns then you will like this one.

Made for HBO and aired in the winter and spring of 1988 only to be soon forgotten, THE TRACKER is an exceptionally rendered Western and one of the best movies of the genre in the post-Eastwood era. A simple yet interesting premise is blended with tight action and deeply effective characterization to give any Western fan a highly satisfying experience, as it was for me when it originally aired. Adding to its strengths are the evocative and atmospheric soundtrack and the superior scriptwriting, creating a palpable old west atmosphere and fully believable characters who are not overacted or overdrawn. Of special note is Kris Kristofferson's understated and restrained performance, which results in a serious and fully credible character in the form of the tracker Noble Adams. Scott Wilson as the protagonist is excellent as usual, with strong contributions by all cast involved. I urge any true Western fan to obtain and watch THE TRACKER; it is an experience to be enjoyed and appreciated.

Renegade Mormon psychopath (!) Scott Wilson and fellow prisoners, including John Quade and Don Swayze, bust out of prison and go on a bloody rampage. Famous retired tracker Kris Kristofferson is pressed back into service by lawman David Huddleston to help catch them and ends up bringing his eastern educated son. Upon hearing that Kristofferson is tracking them, Wilson ups the ante by kidnapping two young girls.

This is one grim, eighties style western that never lets up in terms of action and suspense. The teleplay by Kevin Jarre (who also wrote Tombstone) has a lot of psychological depth, with Kristofferson revealing to his son a different, more violent side and in turn teaching the young lawyer how to be a man.

It's good to see character actor David Huddleston in a non-comedic hero role. Scott Wilson is also good as the pitifully disturbed heavy, probably his best role since In Cold Blood. Kristofferson gives a better performance here than in Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid.

Director John Guillerman also scored big with faux spaghetti western El Condor, with Jim Brown and Lee Van Cleef. He does a great job capturing the great natural beauty as well as the dark side of the old west.

"The Tracker" is just an old TV-movie from the 1980's you might think, but thanks to Kevin Jarre's well-written story the film works very well, better than most modern action-oriented Westerns. But the film has also Kris Kristofferson in the main role, and he is suitable as Noble Adams. I think Kristofferson clearly shows that he handles his role very well, and one of the main reasons why the film works the way it does.

Thanks to very few flaws in the script, this Western works very well. Even if "The Tracker" could be better and would fit nice as a movie for the cinema, it is highly recommended for any fan of the Western-genre.

Rating: 6+ of 10.

I'm not sure why I put off seeing this western for so long - maybe because it was made for cable, and I thought a cable western couldn't compare to a big screen western. Anyway, I am glad that I finally saw this. Like many modern day westerns, this one has a lot of elements that make it raw and tough. But interestingly, the general tone isn't that. Instead, there is a creepy tone playing in the background for the most part. It's a creepiness that really makes it feel like anything bad could happen at any moment, and it's really effective. Elsewhere, the movie comes across as a professional exercise, ranging from being well acted to having good production values. Are there any flaws? Well, the only real flaw I found was that the script is (mostly) pretty predictable. But at least it's handled in a first class manner that will make it all the same pleasing to western fans.