I just viewed this movie on the History Channel and the commercials were somewhat better than the movie. I couldn't wait for the breaks, but I kept on watching it anyway. That should tell you something. Perhaps I am a glutton for punishment.
You cannot rate this film as great, but it is rather interesting and intriguing. Rather than calling it an historical adult western, I would attach to it the description of dark, drawn-out,"Dancing with Wolves" type of Western. I will not say, as others have, that the film is boring. It can only be boring if you haven't had enough sleep. The film has much going for it, i.e., good acting (esp. Dennis Quaid as Doc Holiday), action, excellent photography, and philosophical dialog...probably too much of the latter.
The one memorable moment, that I can recall, is when young Wyatt (with his companion riding "shotgun", is driving a wagon at break-neck speed, trying to outrun a band of outlaws. As in real life, it is almost impossible to shoot a man off a galloping horse from a moving wagon, unless you happen to be an Annie Oakley. Wyatt, shouts to his companion something to the effect, "For crying out loud, shoot the lead horse. You can shoot a horse, can't you!" He does shoot the horse, and the chase abruptly ends. Think of all those old movies where the wagon or stage coach goes over the cliff when all you had to do was shoot the outlaws' horses...easy targets.
At any rate, all that was going through my mind during this entire movie was the the theme song from the 1950's Wyatt Earp TV series starring Hugh Obrien:
Wyatt Earp, Wyatt Earp,
Brave courageous and bold...
Long live his name and long live his glory
And long may his story be told.
Marvin Cohn
You cannot rate this film as great, but it is rather interesting and intriguing. Rather than calling it an historical adult western, I would attach to it the description of dark, drawn-out,"Dancing with Wolves" type of Western. I will not say, as others have, that the film is boring. It can only be boring if you haven't had enough sleep. The film has much going for it, i.e., good acting (esp. Dennis Quaid as Doc Holiday), action, excellent photography, and philosophical dialog...probably too much of the latter.
The one memorable moment, that I can recall, is when young Wyatt (with his companion riding "shotgun", is driving a wagon at break-neck speed, trying to outrun a band of outlaws. As in real life, it is almost impossible to shoot a man off a galloping horse from a moving wagon, unless you happen to be an Annie Oakley. Wyatt, shouts to his companion something to the effect, "For crying out loud, shoot the lead horse. You can shoot a horse, can't you!" He does shoot the horse, and the chase abruptly ends. Think of all those old movies where the wagon or stage coach goes over the cliff when all you had to do was shoot the outlaws' horses...easy targets.
At any rate, all that was going through my mind during this entire movie was the the theme song from the 1950's Wyatt Earp TV series starring Hugh Obrien:
Wyatt Earp, Wyatt Earp,
Brave courageous and bold...
Long live his name and long live his glory
And long may his story be told.
Marvin Cohn