The Legend of DarkHorse County

Honestly, I came into this movie with so-so expectations as the trailer I saw in a different movie made me give myself a 50% chance to watch it, up in the air if you will. But from the moment the movie began up until the end, I was gripping for the characters the whole way, the way movies should be.

The opening of the movie played a huge part in setting the tone of the rest of the film. Throughout the film, there are times when I might have started to wander through long bouts of dialog, but witty comments by the local characters kept me entertained. By the time the climax was about to hit, I was sitting on the edge of my seat, biting at my fingers, awaiting their next move.

Still it had 3 endings pondering over if that was necessary. On it's own the film wast as exciting and worth watching. Go watch.

This film caught my eye because it had Lee Majors. It's shallow, I know, but I am a big fan and that's what sold it. The movie was a pleasant escape from reality, though at times, I was fiddling a bit in my chair in the middle. There were some long scenes of silence and eye candy, artistic nostalgic-type flashbacks. I enjoyed the characters, so the movie feels fresh. For the most part the plot is realistic, but some parts (won't spoil it) weren't. I followed the movie with interest, and was very impressed by the acting. The acting was good, needed romance, more action, and a bit more humor, but what humor and action there was I really enjoyed. Thankfully Lee was amazing and made it for me. Other indie movies bend my mind leaving me dumbfounded, but this one was more entertainment, which is kind of a relief.

Pretty good thriller. Lots of twists and turns to keep your attention. Great performances from Lee Majors and Michael Biehn. The story is about a Texas sheriff who greets a family of traveling city slickers making a new life in a elaborate mansion, things go wrong when kidnapping from unknown town killer occurs. Pretty good watch, nice performance by local actors all around a good movie.

Not a bad film, "entertaining" in the sense of sitting back and watching an episode of Bones or CSI. It has more development and higher production values, I guess, than television, but really it is a routine film until the end. The last 20 minutes is where you are thankful for spending an hour and half watching the development of a OK film become very good. This is a lot better than watching a 2 hour and 20 minute film shine in its last 20 minutes. Short and worthy.

More than worth a watch.

Why You Might Like It: I can go on and on about the good things in this film and why most viewers will enjoy it. It has an outstanding cameos that play their parts well, the directing and cinematography are solid, and the story is something to marvel. This is an excellent film for an indie low budget that I highly recommend.

Why You Might Not Like It: It does run a bit short, so some movie-goers might think that they needed more time to make it a movie, but I don't think this movie will lose anyone's interest. The first half of the movie you may get frustrated with "where is this going syndrome" but pretty shots held me in my seat enough to get a reward at the end that it went somewhere.

Acting/Casting: 9.5* - As mentioned, the casting and acting is outstanding. Lee Majors and Michael Biehn give a great performance just would like to have seen more of them. The indie actors are downright creepy and plays their part to a tee.

Directing/Cinematography/Technical: 7.5* - Let me just say that there is room for improvement for sure but a lot of nice spots. The editing in this movie is gripping and pulls the viewer in from start to finish. I can't say enough about all of the small things that go into making the atmosphere in the movie amazing (the choice of settings, the buildings, lighting, etc.)

Plot/Characters: 8.5* - This is arguably one of the better abduction/kidnapping stories that I have seen on a low budget level. On this subject matter most indie films seem to fall into the trap of using gore for shock factor not for story content. If you are looking for a slice and dicer you will be disappointed with Legends. The plot is deep and has many layers that keep the viewer guessing all the way up until the very end but not with blood splats. There is no doubt that the story plays a huge role in the final product that you see on the screen.

Entertainment Value: 8.0* - It keeps you guessing throughout and on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Get out and see it.

What makes Legend of DarkHorse worth watching is its uncompromised and blunt way of showing the acts of horror in being in the wrong place at the wrong time while drinking irresponsibly all at the same time.

It is a very quiet and slow film, mostly shot using static and still cameras, it feels more like a documentary than a fictional film. It's clear upon viewing, that this film wanted to remind us all that violence should not be entertainment. As such, every act of violence and degradation is shown in a sad, dark light. Nothing over the top or for cheap gore sake. Blood is limited to shirt stains and a few splats.

This film is an attack on our desensitized feelings towards alcohol abuse. Yet, at the same time, the film purposely desensitizes us to certain acts -- Such as abducting children. The way we see it in the film it becomes "normality" to us, we barely raise an eyebrow thinking that young children can become a unlikely hero.

Legend of Darkhorse only real downfall is that it can't figure out whether its a serious look at morality or an action adventure for teens. It could work on either level not sure if it can for me on both levels. The young actors could have pulled off a "hunger games" type film nicely as they were slick enough in Darkhorse to hold their own film. But I was more interested in the deeper drama.

Darkhorse continues to descend until at the end, when we are taken from a smart and well done "Dante's Inferno" to the punishing grounds by two giant crosses (effective), where a certain rule breakers is... (well no spoiler here). This final sequence is the very effective and best part of the film. As the victim and the guilty find a common ground of likeness. It's a savage and truthful attack, one that is impossible to deny that judgement is best served to someone or something much more than mere humans.

The very ..very end worked out well in rendering the film as a complete and accurate reflection on Good and Evil as being much more that a power struggle but a cycle in life in which one depends on the other. This rang true to me and was refreshing as far as films go.

All in all, A well made movie, definitely worth a watch, even for the religiously devoid.