Gadfium

In the UK this gentle, unassuming western series stormed straight into viewers' hearts; garnered enormous audiences, and generated many fond memories... how many among us still recall the 'five pat-hand' poker trick? Lots and lots, I'd wager.

What made it so successful, in retrospect, was the thoroughness of the script preparation and the subsequent chemistry between the two leads. Roy Huggins' (aka John Thomas James) thoughtful and professional approach was everywhere. Many of the most memorable moments within the series were based upon fact and/or documented historical incidents e.g. soap selling dodges, poker escapades, safe-cracking attempts, and - although I was unaware of this as a child - it explains why so much of the series' background 'hung true'. Toss in the amiable, laconic tit-tat verbal interplay between Hannibal Heyes (Pete Duel) and Kid Curry (Ben Murphy)... and you ended up with small-screen magic.

Heyes followed the silver-tongued, 'I can talk us out of this calamity' approach, with endless undinted confidence and zest, but varying success; Curry, meanwhile, was content to watch him 'wing-it', then stepped in when catastrophe threatened - as it often did.

It was the 'little things' that made this series soar, the consistency of character, the fallibility, the kicks of fate that tweaked Heyes and Curry into two magnetically likable 'pretty good bad men'. The delicate interplays between two men who would 'do to ride the river'.

It was often the smallest stories that were the most successful, the ones where technically 'not a lot was happening'. For example, in one episode they got snowed-in, for the whole winter, in a remote mountain cabin... all very static? nope, just the opposite... what you got, was a heck of a lot of Heyes and Curry getting on with the business of making the best of a bad deal. Fantastic.

This is the 'less is more' approach; so often lauded - but oh so rarely allowed onto the screen. The actors gelled with their characters; the characters enthralled; the writing created an environment within which the ensemble could thrive.

So okay... some episodes were better than others, a couple were great, and a couple were not-so great; but through it all Smith & Jones bantered and bickered, won, lost, and kept on trying. It was joyous entertainment. Joyous.

What's that, you said? Naw... can't be... d'you mean, you really don't know the 'five pat-hand' poker trick?!

Watch and Enjoy!

Another offering containing only the standard ingredients. Keep everything simple, forget about nuance, formulate according to set-in-stone equation, and stir well. Everything unswerving in its predictability. If it wasn't so earnest it would irk more. It skims on the surface, yet has pretensions of depth which never materialise. The parallel study of tactics and warfare does interest, and could have intrigued, but is used as little more than exposition. The best played role in the film is that of the helicopter pilot (Greg Kinnear)...despite a screen time of roughly five minutes and a woefully underwritten part.

Yes, it's reasonably entertaining; yes, it's action packed; yes, it's a decent enough night out at the pictures. But don't expect anything more. 3/10.

A joy... for adults as well as children.

A ripping script - devoid of padding - and superbly voiced. One of the rare exceptions to the 'they don't make 'em like that anymore' rule.

And the opening cartoon is just as good. In fact the word seems to have gone out about this gem, and most people know they mustn't miss it.

Delightful, wickedly funny, poignant, surprising.

Good 'old-fashioned' fun.

Intellect and intelligence, imagination and wit.

Priceless.