Review of The Old Way

"Acts of Violence" director Brett Donowho's above-average western "The Old Way" qualifies as Nicolas Cage's first rodeo. Scenarist Carl W. Lucas and Donowho must have watched Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven," since the relationship between our protagonist Colton Briggs (Cage's reformed gunslinger) and his wife Ruth (Kerry Knuppe of "R. I. P. D. 2: Rise of the Damned") evokes memories of the Eastwood epic. Ruth convinced Colton to stop killing, marry her, and swap his six-gun for a ledger to run a general store. After the unsavory villains kill his wife early in the action while he is away from home watching his daughter in his store, Colton launches his own manhunt. However, he isn't the only one in hot pursuit. A gruff United States Marshal, Jarrett (Nick Searcy of "The Best of Enemies"), fails to persuade Briggs to leave the capture of these ruffians to his posse. Struggling to reason with Colton, Jarrett implores him to resume his peaceful lifestyle and raise his impressionable twelve-year old daughter, Brooke Briggs ("Firestarter's" Ryan Kiera Armstrong), so she can appreciate his paternal efforts. Nevertheless, the vengeful Colton refuses to heed Jarrett's advice. Later, after Jarrett and his posse ride into an ambush laid by the villains, Colton shows up and saves their bacon. Eventually, Colton catches up with these reprobates, James McCallister (Noah Le Gros of "A Score to Settle"), Big Mike (Abraham Benrubi), Eustice (Clint Howard of "Far and Away"), and Clark (Dean Armstrong) in a small town. Colton sends Brooke into the town to distract these ruffians and catches them by surprise on main street, but his luck runs out of him. Ultimately, Brooke must finish the job. During their pursuit of the villains, Colton taught Brook how to wield a six-gun, so that she becomes proficient with it. A journey of hardship western, "The Old Way" chronicles Colton's return to his evil ways. Cage is tight-lipped as the steely-eyed gunslinger who yearns for vengeance. Ryan Kiera is a scene-stealer with her quiet, straightforward demeanor. For the record, the snotty villain delivers the one line of dialogue that would become the title of the film. The villain plans to kill Colton in what he refers to as 'the old way." The production values are first-rate, and the opening shootout is staged with vigor. Not bad for what it is.