The Virginian

The acting was convincing, and the scenery was quite breathtaking. It offered a clear image of wilderness and wide open spaces. This was a realistic portrayal of what life was probably like in this time period of the old west. It was a bit gritty at times, but I am certain the old west was not as "romantic" as some movies and books try to portray it. The rugged old log buildings certainly looked authentic. There was a surprise ending I did not see coming. I use to have a good time predicting sub plots but this one fooled me completely. I can't give too much info here or it will ruin the story for others. Just trust that most fans of western style movies will enjoy this.

Trace Adkins plays the title character who prefers the name 'South.' He was raised by an authoritative cattle baron (Ron Perlman) in Wyoming where he works as a ranch enforcer. When a writer from the Big City (Brendan Penny) questions the inhumane treatment of rustlers, South defends the fierce realities of the "Code of the West." South's code is further probed by a newly arrived schoolmarm from Vermont (Victoria Pratt) and he begins to wonder about his upbringing and the Judge's motives.

Adkins makes for an iconic Westerner, as witnessed in "Traded" (2016) and "Hickok" (2017), where he played side characters. In "Stagecoach: The Texas Jack Story" (2016) he plays the main protagonist, but that movie's noticeably inferior in overall filmmaking, even though it cost approximately the same amount to make. In other words, as low-budget as "Traded" and "Hickok" are, they worked quite well as made-for-TV/direct-to-video Westerns, all things considered. "Stagecoach: The Texas Jack Story" is almost amateurish by comparison. Yet it still has some points of interest for those who don't mind slipshod productions.

The production of this loose re-telling of "The Virginian" (2014) is similar to that of "Stagecoach: The Texas Jack Story," but noticeably better. Like that movie, the landscapes are limited to coniferous backdrops, fenced cattle fields, a small town and a shack here or there. You never see wide-spanning cinematography (obviously to save money). In a couple of scenes there are looming magnificent mountains. The overall vibe is very sparse and desolate, but it looks more like British Columbia than Wyoming.

Like Bill Pullman's version of the tale (2000), the movie's talky with mumbling dialogue, not to mention this isn't a rollicking shoot-'em-up Western; it's more of a realistic drama in the Old West with flashes of Western staples, like the hanging of rustlers, saloon confrontations and a brief Indian sequence. Victoria Pratt sure is beautiful though, even in one of those unappealing Western dresses. Adkins is a quintessential Westerner, but I think Pullman's version is the better flick; its second half is more compelling. This one's kind of meh. If you're a fan of Adkins, check out "Traded" and "Hickok" first.

The film runs 1 hour, 35 minutes and was probably shot in British Columbia, like "Stagecoach: The Texas Jack Story" (I'm guessing because I can't find any info on the shooting locations and the landscapes look similar).

GRADE: C

With a typical b movie cast and by following the story line from the old movie (not the series) it was predictably ho hum. I just didn't care for it.

It had been awhile since we watched a good old-fashioned Western flick. Intrigued by this release, my husband and I snuggled in and watched this movie one night and really enjoyed it! We immediately loaned it to my parents who recalled the original and they enjoyed it too.

We all thought that Trace Adkins did an excellent job. The other actors too. What an imposing figure he makes in this movie! We also thought that the acting roles done by Ron Perlman and Victoria Pratt were well done. The editing made the story line jump a couple times but only one really bothered us. Not enough to ruin the movie by any means. Some of the scenery was really beautiful.

As Trace Adkins was first billed, I should have known to steer clear. With Ron Perlman listed, I figured it would get a chance. This is a Virginian clone on the level of what SyFy's Asylum studios rips off of blockbuster hits. Western movies are dead in a sense as they aren't the popular choice thet once were back from the beginning of cinema to the 70s. Because of their less popular status, big name actors (those that can act) and big name production companies avoid them like the plague. Every now and again, a decent remake will come out, but never any new content. For this remake, this was in no way the case. It seemed more on the lines of a CMT production with a has been country musician as the title character. All lines from Trace Adkins felt as if he was reading everything from a cue card. Ron Perlman's lines seemed read and shallow as well. The smallest parts in this movie were better acted by truly unheard of bit part players. The only things that were reminiscent of the original were the names of some characters and a few catchphrase lines from the book. I wouldn't even classify this as a western other than the props and setting. Star Wars could have made a more true western if put on that set with those props. It felt like a bunch of trailer trash lottery winners wanted to spend their winnings on making a childhood fantasy movie based off of watching The Virginian reruns. It was lazy, wordy, unpleasant, and bloated. Even the props and clothing was far from authentic. In one scene, you can even see the yellow rubber traction soles on the bottom of one of the character's boots after he is shot down, like a modern workboot sole. This movie is so awful, it is the kind of movie one plays when he or she is bed ridden for four months, have watched all the rest of the streaming videos and tried to stay away from this one, but it just kept popping up in the feed and just because there was nothing else to watch, out of sheer curiosity, one might break down and give it a chance, only to realize that lying on your back and counting the ceiling popcorn was a better option. And if you are a Trace Adkins music fan, you should know that he is a horrible actor and stayed away in the first place. What was Ron Perlman thinking for signing on to this?