phd_travel
This is a prequel to Tombstone, a quest by Wyatt Earp and his friends including Bat Masterson to avenge the killing of his first love Dora Hand an actress. Because the characters are real you feel for them as opposed to some fictitious Western. Also because it's a true story you don't have to question the story. Shoot outs are not too over the top and they are more realistic and exciting because of that. The Kennedy brothers who are the villains are quite well drawn villains as they sadistically shoot and kill innocent people along the way.Val Kilmer who is a bit plump now just plays the older Wyatt Earp in the 20th century giving an interview if a San Francisco hotel to a journalist. The younger cast is led by Resident Evil's Shawn Roberts and Matt Dallas of Kyle XY. There also is an appearance by Doc Holliday played by Wilson Bethel. American Idol's Diana de Garmo plays Dora. It is interesting to see other characters besides the ones everyone knows from the OK Corrall story. This movie is a well acted true story that would be entertaining to anyone who liked Tombstone.
gorilazed
I like westerns and do so even more if they're based on real events. So when I saw the title containing one of the most iconic characters of American Western History I just dropped my remote sank my butt in the couch and prepared to enjoy the show. Never have I been so wrong. Where to start...???Acting: Val Kilmer was probably the "biggest" name of the cast and, although he portrays the main character, he literally spends the whole film sitting on a couch and telling his story. Basically he's a narrator. Maybe for the general public that's not a bad thing but personally I miss the old Val Kilmer which had bigger roles in his films. The most important thing for someone playing the narrator is definitely their voice. Kilmer wasn't that bad in this aspect but I think he was lacking a kind of "cowboy accent". Personally I was thinking why didn't they just pick the guy that narrates The Big Lebowski (he's also the one that plays the cowboy in the first Ghost Rider), he has voice and the accent. Concerning the rest of the acting it was to stiff most if not all the time. Even the fight scenes, I mean Earp just stands there when Spike launches himself over him. It wasn't even a decent jump it was kind of a poorly choreographed ballet jump. If you want to knock someone down just cannonball the hell out of him. Still on the same fight, Spike had to guns pointed at Earp and, when he decided to shoot, both guns were out of bullets. Facepalm moment.Make up: as I've read in previous review, it actually seemed they had better hygienic habits than we have nowadays. Constantly on dirt and riding their horses but always clean. Just like their teeth, why the hell can't I have their cowboy teeth. But this is actually something recurring in almost every movie nowadays. God forbid the main characters from having dental issues.Historical accuracy: Jesus Christ, where to begin: -Wyatt Earp wasn't the one in charge of the posse to capture Spike. It was actually Charlie Bassett. Earp was one of his deputies. -Everone seemed to know and fear Earp when in truth, during this manhunt he wasn't yet that well known. -Earp had no relationship with the actress Dora. -In the movie old Earp said he never wanted to kill and that he never killed someone for revenge. In truth there was something called "Earps Vendetta Ride" (GOOGLE IT). -Spike's father said Earp couldn't be bought with money but if Earp was as famous as they made him seem in the film he would know that Earp was also a famous gambler.(Of course this doesn't mean he would have been a sell out. I'm just saying he probably wouldn't refuse an offer so quickly). In the end, only the character names were accurate. They might as well have just put Jesse James in the film and say it was Earp that killed him. This movie, in my opinion, is just an excuse to enhance Earps greatness using lies to do so.Yes Earp was a great icon in American Western history but there wasn't the need for so many lies to make him sound great. Just check his biography and you'll find plenty of decent material to make a decent movie about this man.Overall a give it a 4/10. I was facepalming throughout the whole movie so I don't think I've seen enough to give it a lower score.
nolasofms
This movie was pathetic in every way. It was an insult to the memory and legend of Wyatt Earp. I am a huge fan of "Tombstone" and Val Kilmer should be very ashamed of this piece of garbage. I like to imagine Kurt Russell calling him up and asking WTF? I now need to watch "Tombstone" again as a sort of eye cleansing after watching this nonsense. I really don't know what else to say about it. The cinematography was bad. The shootout scenes were sorry. People would get shot several times and just would not die. The main villain, who had killed a guy just for asking where he was heading, has his pursuer at gunpoint, and decides to have a conversation with him. This had all the typical clichés and stereotypes you could imagine. Shame! Val Kilmer. Shame!
