The Long Kill (TV Movie 1999) Poster

(1999 TV Movie)

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6/10
Paella/US Western about some gunslingers who seek avenge against heinous killers
ma-cortes5 October 2011
Two aging super-quick gunfighters (Nelson, Kristofferson) re-form their old bunch to revenge the killing of one of the previous members . Spaghetti Western co-production between US-Spain filmed of course in Almeria .¨The long kill¨ also titled ¨Outlaw Justice¨ is an acceptable Spanish/USA co-production with passable writing by Gene Quintano and Imanol Uribe ; displaying a slick direction by William J Corcoran . This exciting Western is packed with noisy action and lots of violence . The movie contains gun-play, action Western , bloody spectacle and fist-fights . Starred by a diverse casting as the good guys are performed by American actors and the bad guys acted by Spanish players as Simon Andreu , Sancho Gracia and Tony Isbert . It's an offbeat , thrilling and uneven Western particularly influenced by Sergio Leone , for that reason it will appeal to Spaghetti aficionados . American-Spanish co-production financed by Enrique Cerezo full of action , exaggerated characters, shootouts and drama . This is a surprisingly low-key Spaghetti Western set in the post-Civil War era in which some washed-out gunslingers (Kris Kristofferson , Willie Nelson) meet up with buddy (Waylon Jennings)'s son (Chad Willett) and join forces with a sheriff named Dalton (Tritt Travis ) and taking on a variety of problems and risks with the aim to get revenge . The gang find numerous complications when the baddies (Sancho Gracia , Tony Isbert) steal a bank and they are accused and detained. But they escape and go to Cottonwood .

This entertaining picture contains action Western , riding pursuits , shootouts and bits of campy and refreshing events with turns and twists , though contains a silly ending , including nonsense crossfire among contenders . It's an improbable blending of standard Western , there's a Spaghetti's homage , with pursuits, high body-count and it's fast moving and quite entertaining. An interesting casting formed by Country Western singers and full of American actors as Kristofferson , Nelson , Jonathan Banks along with Spanish players as Simon Andreu , Sancho Gracia , Leonor Watling , May Heatherly , Aldo Sambrell and Marina Saura ; all of them make this oater well worth the watching . Delightful Western in which two aging gunfighters helped by other buddies unite forces in order to avenge the death of their old partner . Using his wits , breaking all the rules and kicking virtually every cliché in the pants realize a killing spree , as they relentlessly rob and murder by means of some spectacular showdowns in operatic style . Amiable but sometimes lumbering Western goes on and on about the same premise , as minutes are superfluous , it has quarter hour of excess , as it packs some moments turn out to be dull and tiring . There is plenty of action and lots of stunts in the movie , guaranteeing shot'em up, fights or stunts every few minutes . The film bears remarkable resemblance to ¨Dollars for the dead (1998)¨ realized at the same time and in similar ink by Gene Quintano with same producer , screenwriter , exteriors and some actors . The musician Jay Gruska composes a nice soundtrack with catching leitmotif and well conducted ; it's full of emotive songs and enjoyable sounds fitting to action. Striking cinematography by Federico Ribes with barren outdoors, dirty landscapes under a glimmer sun, and outdoor sequences shot on Las Tabernas, Almería, Andalucía, Spain .

Bill Corcoran's direction is well crafted , here he's more cynical and violent and packs too much action , but especially this moving Western contains broad violence and long shootouts . He is an expert TV director , being his specialty sci-fi genre as ¨Left behind II : tribulation force , Vipers , Rise of gargoyles , Atomic twister ¨ and usual episodes filmmaker of known series as ¨Stargate , Hope island , Mutant x , Kung Fu , McGiver ¨ among others . Rating : 5,5, riotous Western in which there's too action and violence and enough excitement .
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6/10
Watchable Western
tarryrob4 November 2003
Warning: Spoilers
Bill Corcoran's film OUTLAW JUSTICE aka THE LONG KILL lacks the style of Sergio Leone, the spectacle of John Ford, or the rawness of Sam Peckinpah, but Bill Corcoran's film is nevertheless entertaining and reflects the work of all these fine directors. Co-stars Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson, who play former fugitive outlaws - Lee and Tarence, are getting a bit gray around the gills, and at times greatly stretch the view's ability to suspend disbelief that these two old age pensioners can be the two fisted brawling outlaws they portray, but the actors'charisma, mutual chemistry, empathy for the characters, and some self deprecating humor combine to help them pull off the performances. Country singer Travis Tritt turns in a surprisingly decent performance as Dalton - Willie and Kris' former cohort turned good guy lawman. The late great Waylon Jennings delivers a short but sweet performance as Tobey, another of Willie and Kris' former gang members who's murdered early in the film but resurfaces to deliver voiceovers in scenes where his estranged son learns about his murdered father through a diary. The film suffers from poorly played two dimensional villains (Sancho Garcia as Holden is especially stiff), big plot holes * *spoiler **(exactly why does Colonel Lupo want to capture Lee and Tarence so bad that's he's willing to pay a reward to a man he hates equally as much - Holden - and then let the two go?), well worn clichés, stereotyped characters and certainly doesn't break any new ground in the genre, but for the stars' fans and anyone who enjoys westerns - it is entirely watchable. I gave it a 6 out 10.
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5/10
unfulfilled promise
score-1028 May 2006
I had not realised these singers acted too until this The basic plot has a lot of promise to be a classic enjoyable straight 'action western' with possible 'feel good' or comic possibilities as well. The singers have surprising screen presence and the production runs along quite well and logically until the last shootout But the violence was generally more graphic than I like or necessary, with the usual questionable American popular romanticisation and simplification of vigilante-ism or ' a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do '. Some bits made no sense or were clearly unrealistic or fantastic so the film seemed undecided between being a straight classic western or a 'feel good' Good Guys Always Win and Are Heroes to Boot show The final scenes were rather illogical in terms of behaviour and spoilt an otherwise consistent plot. Not much more is needed to make this an 'above average' film so the unfulfilled promise is disappointing and surprising given the actors involved
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4/10
Mellowed Out Outlaws
bkoganbing6 June 2010
Country singing legends Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Travis Tritt form their own posse to go after Sancho Gracia who has killed one of their friends, Waylon Jennings. Even though Tritt is a sheriff now and the other two are kind of mellowed out outlaws, they all ride to get even for Jennings and administer their own brand of Outlaw Justice.

I found elements of such big screen western classics as The Searchers, Ride the High Country and Valdez is Coming all mixed in with the plot structure of Outlaw Justice. All of these guys do fine jobs and create some interesting characters. But the holes in the story as well as the lack of credible motivation for some characters leave Outlaw Justice really lacking.
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7/10
"This town's on the wrong side of ugly."
classicsoncall28 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
File this one under one of the better Westerns you probably never heard of. It pits a pair of good bad guys (Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson), against a bad, bad guy in a tale of retribution and revenge that's full of clichés that play out refreshingly well when doled out by Lee Walker (Nelson) and Jesse Ray Tarence (Kristofferson). It probably helps if you're a fan of the musicians, as the film offers a couple of well placed numbers to move it along; Nelson's tune is particularly effective if you listen to the words carefully.

The pair are joined by young Chad Willett, portraying the son of Waylon Jennings' character Tobey, who's murdered in the film's opening scene to set up the story. Holden Bonney (Sancho Gracia) seeks vengeance on all three men for a perceived ill toward him; he's the only one of their former gang who did prison time. All the others opted to join the Confederate Army in exchange for pardon upon completing their service. Failing to break their cohort out of jail, Holden has had years to stew about how to get even.

What's not made clear is Holden's alliance with a Mexican colonel (Simon Andru), who he hires to help take out his former partners. It's pretty transparent that the two are not very fond of each other, and it seems a bit overdone for him to need an entire Mexican Army regiment to do a Butch and Sundance on the boys.

Waylon Jennings offers the film's narration after his brief appearance, in a diary given to his adopted son Brice by Lee. Brice reads the diary during his ride with the former outlaws, and gains new perspective on their life and the code they live by. One confusing element though, Brice's claim to fame was as "intecollegiate heavyweight boxing champ" - in the 1870's??? You just know he'll come to regret that claim, especially after he falls asleep during his first night watch and the group is robbed. He loses his title rather quickly to Tarence.

Brice never learned how to handle a gun, his college training taught him how to be a farmer. So it comes as a surprise when he shoots Holden's gun out of his hand in the final showdown. Backing off, Holden uses a hidden derringer at close range to put down his young opponent. As Holden approaches at arm's length, Brice uses a Bowie knife that Tarence gave him earlier acknowledging his lack of skill with a firearm. As the Mexican soldiers are waved off by their leader, Brice collects his "business associates", and heads into sundown with time to ponder on just who these men are that once rode with his father.
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5/10
TV Western with Kristofferson and Country Music stars
Wuchakk25 December 2014
Released to TV in 1999, "Outlaw Justice" (aka "The Long Kill") is a low-budget Western featuring Kris Kristofferson and Country & Western stars Willie Nelson, Travis Tritt and Waylon Jennings, the latter in a cameo at the beginning who narrates through the rest. These guys play noble outlaw-types who team-up with the son of Jennings' character (Chad Willett) to apprehend -- or, more likely, kill -- the murderer of a former gang member (Sancho Gracia).

The plot is reminiscent of "The Wild Bunch," but with likable protagonists rather than the contemptible dirtbags of that classic Western. Unfortunately, "Outlaw Justice" doesn't have the budget of that major release and this is readily apparent in the opening scene. The style of the movie also takes the mythical approach of Spaghetti Westerns and throws in some humor. As such, the tone is part-serious and part-joke, which was hard for me to embrace. In fact, the first couple of times I tried to watch "Outlaw Justice" I quit before reaching the 30 minute mark. However, once you catch a grip it's entertaining enough; the Western sets are good (although the effects are weak) and the stars are charismatic. Nelson may not be the best actor, but he's amiable. Kristofferson stands out with that "cool" Eastwood vibe and the fact that he's intimidating without even saying a word. Unfortunately, with the exception of a cameo by Leonor Watling, this is strictly an all-dude flick.

If you're a fan of the stars and their music this is a must. If not, it's a mediocre, but likable, modern TV Western.

The film runs 96 minutes and was shot in Almeria, Andalucia, Spain.

GRADE: C+
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7/10
I dug it
dworldeater18 May 2021
Outlaw Justice is a fairly routine revenge western that was either a made for television movie or direct to video. With respect to what this is, I really enjoyed it. In this film we have some country music legends Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson who are to avenge the death of their friend (Waylon Jennings). Travis Tritt also appears . This film is on the lower budget end of the spectrum, but is fairly quick paced and action packed. Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson make a good team and their credibility is unquestionable. Overall, this is not the best movie (nor does it try to be), but as far as B movie westerns, there is not much here not to like.
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5/10
good overall but long boring passages
cosmo-wellington16 November 2003
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILERS !

I rate this 5/10 overall but many scenes need a lot of tightening up, especially long boring scenes of the guys on horseback chatting (talk unnecessary to the plot).

Also, the movie would benefit tremendously if Nelson's "singing" were omitted completely. His acting was about average.

Best to watch this film while you're doing something else; I got it free with a DVD player in the UK.
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6/10
Actually a good movie...
paul_haakonsen2 April 2024
I stumbled upon the 1999 TV movie "Outlaw Justice" by random chance here in 2024. Actually, the copy of the movie that I got a hold of was titled "The Long Kill", so go figure.

With this being a movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I opted to sit down and watch it. Sure, I am not all that keen on Western movies, but I have to say that I figured with country legends Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson in the leading roles, I was sort of drawn in.

Writer Gene Quintano actually put together a good and entertaining script for director Bill Corcoran to bring to the screen. Sure, one can argue that the script is rather generic for a Western movie, but it actually proved to be a rather enjoyable movie to sit through. I was genuinely entertained by the story here.

While I am not particularly a fan of neither Willie Nelson or Kris Kristofferson, then I will say that they carried the movie quite nicely. And they were joined by the likes of Chad Willett, Waylon Jennings and Jonathan Banks on the screen.

If you enjoy an archetypical Western, then "Outlaw Justice" is well-worth checking out.

My rating of "Outlaw Justice" lands on a six out of ten stars.
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4/10
This is no classic.
jadflack-2213014 July 2017
T V movie western that looks like it might pull it off in the early stages but then just gets bogged down and plods along to an unconvincing climax. The two veteran stars look old here, and are no Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott in " Ride The High Country".There are four country & western singers in the cast, so it gives an indication of what to expect.Could have been worse but just isn't very good.
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9/10
Hey... much better than that!!!
rickz2 November 2010
I've seen the singers before. Willie is always golden... Kris & Johnny Cash did a real groaner about the last days of Frank and Jesse James, but this is MUCH BETTER than that.

Willie is always fun to watch, because his timing is so good, and Kris is a great outlaw in this one. Kris just looks at people and they think twice about tangling with him.

Waylon is their buddy who gets gunned down like a dog at the beginning, and he narrates a lot after that. (Shades of the Dukes of Hazard.) If you like these guys, you'll LOVE them in this movie. The bad guy is really bad. The "bad guys" -- i.e. "outlaws" -- are really good, and the dialog just rolls along. Not a dull moment -- even Travis Tritt is pretty god, altho he may not be "ten food high and bulletproof." Rick Tombstone, AZ
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1/10
The worst western i have ever seen
whomelordlee1 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Well, where should i start? It was a boring afternoon in may and i was in HMV looking for a way to while away the time. it was at this time i had my first encounter with The Long Kill. my collection of movies at home included many great westerns including The quick and the Dead, Tombstone and the sierra leone trilogy, the deceptive front cover of what can only be described as the most horrendous motion picture ever seen lead me to believe i had found a hidden gem. upon playing the film my initial impressions were good, the cast list after all contained several A listers. however within ten minutes of this horrendous excuse for a western beginning my eye caught the glare off a letter opener, a quick thrust into my chest and the torture could be all over i thought. as the film went on for what seemed like hours of tortuous nonsense nothing could prepare me for the "thrilling" climax consisting of a the films wimpish hero,a young gentleman of whom i have understandably forgotten the name but may well win an Oscar for best comedy performance being drawn into a contest with the films plastic baddie 'holden'. up to this point all signs had been that the good guy was probably the worst gunslinger since Stevie wonder taking on 'holden', presumably a crack shot to rival gene hackman's Herod. however unbeknown to the viewer Holden's skills have sadly taken a turn for the worst and the good Guy has spent several years practising for at least 12 hours a day despite looking exactly the same as he did at the point where he failed to hit more than one bottle off a wall about six feet away! before Holden even has the Chance to feel the grip of his six shooter he is gunned down by his now lightning fast opponent. without half as much as a second of build up. what an awful film. if you are having a bad day i have only one warning for you; DO NOT WATCH THIS FILM it may be the last thing you ever do
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2/10
A Cinematic Injustice
NoDakTatum7 October 2023
Tobey (Waylon Jennings), is killed off in the first scene of this half-baked western. He is the lucky one. His son, Bryce (Chad Willett), decides to take revenge on Tobey's killer, a former member of Jennings' outlaw gang. Bryce is joined by two other former outlaw gang members- Torrance (Kris Kristofferson) and Walker (Willie Nelson), making like Abbott and Costello, and they ride after the bland villain, taking poor Dalton (Travis Tritt), a third gang member.

Nelson and Kristofferson do the same old TV western movie routine they had been doing for years- flat delivery, down-home humorous bickering, and goofy grins. Tritt tries what he can, relying on the acting chops he earned in his music videos. He has onscreen charisma, it would be interesting to see what a professional director might mold with him. Willett, probably the only real actor here, is okay. After getting killed, Jennings does what he does best- voiceover, as Bryce reads Tobey's diary. The Unmagnificent Four get involved in non-threatening scrapes here and there on their way to meet the villain. They are held up, but get their stuff back with the help of some friendly Indigenous Peoples. Bryce finds romance, because if you are young and cute in a western, you must fall in love. Of course, that philosophy does not explain how Nelson manages to do the same thing. He falls for a local senorita in a town where the villain burned down the church, and the happy outlaws help rebuild in some saccharine scenes. The actual climactic shootout is dull, thanks to the bland direction. At one point, Bryce has a perfect opportunity to finish the villain off, thereby sparing Mexico and the audience from further torture, but he does not. The added "mystery" about the true identity of Bryce's real father is never resolved, either. "Outlaw Justice," also known as "The Long Kill," is an injustice.
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8/10
Surprisingly Good
TingoMango4 December 2021
Initially, this movie seemed like it would be just another bad flick among the ranks of western movies. Surprisingly however, I found this film to be pretty enjoyable. For me, it beat many of the other country star movies made to promote their music. (For example Stagecoach (1989)) While it isn't perfect, it is a quite wholesome and a good way to celebrate the musicians. One of my main problems however, was the advertisement to include Waylon Jennings when he had very little screen time.
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