Kid: O Estranho Vingador

My review was written in April 1991 after watching the movie on Live video cassette.

C. Thomas Howell makes the transition from teen heartthrob to screen tough guy with okay results in "Kid", a routine vengeance melodrama that is being released directly to the video market Stateside.

Lesle Bohem's well-designed but highly derivative script recalls elements of Eastwood Westerns as well as John Sturges' "Bad Day at Black Rock".

Howell breezes into the small town of White Brush in a mythic cloud of dust. As flashbacks reveal, he returned to avenge his parents' murder by so-called respectable townsfolk.

Howell is a convincing antihero who systematically kills the villains in creative ways. He falls in love with young dreamboat Sarah Trigger whose father predictably turns out to be one of the murderers.

Blessed with a good cast, including reliable R. Lee Ermey as a particularly hissble sheriff, film sufers from an unconvincing finale. Also annoying is Tim Truman's repetitive music that fails in its attempt to conjure up Ennio Morricone's grandiose Western scores.

This has become one of my favorite movies. This is partly because I am the biggest C. Thomas Howell fan out there. The plot: young man comes back to get revenge on the people who killed his parents when he was still a kid. The scene of their death is so sad. This movie makes you laugh, cry, and grab the edge of your seat. The inside joke with the dog is really cute. The romance between the Kid and the leading lady (Sarah Trigger-terrific job) is so sweet. Even though I don't believe in getting revenge, especially when it has to do with murder, I felt very sorry the main character. It shows a great sign of talent a viewer feels compasion for a character whether or not that person agrees with the action he/she takes in the movie. Rent it, buy it, see it. You won't be sorry.

Kid starring C. Thomas Howell is a High Plains Drifter modern knockoff and while it will never stand comparison to the Clint Eastwood classic it's not a bad film on its own.

We never know what Howell's real name is, but he's come to a sleepy, modern western town complete with the same long coat that Clint Eastwood wears and starts targeting a few of the town's citizens for demise. Trust me however, Howell's got a very good reason for wanting this. The only problem is with the last guy on his list, Dale Dye. He's away from town when Howell first arrives and the two people who befriend him are his children, Sarah Trigger and Brian Austin Green in his pre-90210 days. It doesn't detract from his main mission.

The ending is rather lame, it doesn't really holdup given the character motivation that is established for Howell. Still Kid is not a bad film and the western scenery is just fine.

Okay. I'm a C. Thomas Howell fan. Always have been. From his newer B movies (red team, Avalanche) to his old movies. (The Outsiders, Side Out) And this movie is by far the best of the bunch. It starts out with an eeriy feel to it as The Kid steps off the bus in the center of the desert like town. Its a great movie though some of the acting is bad (the brothers) its a movie that will always be on my shelf and will be in my vcr alot as well. 7/10

This straightforward revenge flick is way above average. As a child, C.Thomas Howell witnessed the murder of his parents. Years later returning to the small town where they were killed, Howell proceeds to arrange fatal "accidents" for those involved. R.Lee Ermey is the county sheriff, who was in on the murders, along with several other locals. As Howell goes about eliminating the guilty parties complications ensue, and it turns out the woman who takes a romantic interest in Howell, has a father who was one of the killers. The story and character development are good, with competent acting by all concerned. Recommended of it's type. - MERK