Crossfire Trail
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Movie Reviews of Crossfire Trail
Movie Review: Tom Selleck the best western actor alive
Summary: 5 Stars
Mr. Selleck and the supporting cast have made an excellent western. A must see.Movie Review: Toto, I don't think we're in Wyoming anymore
Summary: 4 Stars
Morality plays set in the Old West, a staple of my childhood on both television and in theaters, are hard to come by these days, so it's a treat when a half-way decent one comes along - like CROSSFIRE TRAIL. And there aren't too many living actors that can do a credible cowboy hero - Eastwood and Duvall come to mind. Luckily, this film has another excellent one of the genre, Tom Selleck.CROSSFIRE TRAIL opens aboard a merchant vessel off the California coast in the 1870s. Rafe Covington (Selleck) is comforting a dying pal, beaten to death by the sadistic captain. After promising to look after the man's wife and ranch, and kicking the bandini out of the ship's master, we next see Rafe riding through the magnificent mountain scenery that is ostensibly Wyoming. Upon arrival at the ranch, Rafe finds the place deserted. In the nearby town, Covington discovers the widow, Ann Rodney (Virginia Madsen), under the benevolent spell of smooth talkin' Bruce Barkow (Mark Harmon), the local VIP who holds the mortgage on the ranch and pretty much rules the local rubes with his band of armed good ol' boys. (Where have we seen this before? SHANE, PALE RIDER, and THE QUICK AND THE DEAD.) Barkow is more suave and better dressed than most villains of the ilk. As Rafe notes, Ann likes Bruce because "he has manners and smells nice". In any case, the Wider Rodney doesn't believe Rafe's version of events, but accepts Barkow's story that her husband was killed by Injuns on his way back from San Francisco. It's quite obvious that Barkow covets Ann and her land, which has pools of oil on it. The conflict is, of course, between Covington and Barkow, and the hired pistolero that the latter imports from, of all places, Kansas. (SHANE and PALE RIDER also had pistol packin' hit men.)
Because the plot of CROSSFIRE TRAIL offered no surprises at all, I was tempted to award only three stars. However, playing the stolid, principled and reluctant gunfighter is Selleck's forte, and he does it as well as The Duke, Alan Ladd, or Gary Cooper ever did. Harmon is particularly oily as the charming Barkow, and there's a crusty performance by the aging Wilford Brimley, one of my favorite character actors, as Joe, Ann's ex-ranch hand. And it was good to see Barry Corbin as Barkow's toady Sheriff Moncrieff. (Corbin was Chris Cooper's deputy in LONESOME DOVE.) So, I'm awarding a reluctant four stars.
The scenery is absolutely gorgeous, and mated to an uplifting score. I was all set to saddle-up for Wyoming when the credits rolled and informed me that the film was shot in Calgary, Alberta, and at the Western Studio and Backlot, which, according to its website, is 35 minutes west of the city. Hummph! Pretty soon they'll be pretending it's Tombstone's OK Corral with Mt. Fuji in the background. At least SHANE had the Grand Tetons.
Movie Review: Another great Western from TNT and Tom Selleck
Summary: 4 Stars
This is the second of three outstanding Westerns that Tom Selleck filmed for TNT between 1997 and 2003. Selleck revisited his early Louis L'Amour, TV-Western roots with "Crossfire Trail" and also re-teamed with director Simon Wincer, who directed Selleck's best big-screen effort - "Quigley Down Under" - as well as the all-time classic Western "Lonesome Dove". The result is an excellent film that, while breaking no new ground, contributes to the rich mythology and legacy of the American cowboy.
Selleck plays Rafe Covington who, at the beginning of the film, promises a dying friend that he will take care of the friend's wife and ranch. Selleck and two partners set out to do just that, and they add a new friend from the nearby town, played by Wilford Brimley, shortly after their arrival. The film is predictable: the widow is suspicious of Rafe's motives, the town bad guy has been wooing the widow in order to get at her land, the bad guy hires a hit man to eliminate Rafe, and so on. And yet, even though the viewer can see right through the plot to the end of the film, every element is so well handled that it is a pleasure to watch the movie.
I read several articles just before the film was released about the painstaking efforts made to have authentic costumes, props, sets, etc., and I must say that the filmmakers' efforts certainly paid off. The film is set in Wyoming, but was filmed in Alberta, Canada, which gives the film some of the best mountain vistas in a Western since the real Grand Tetons were featured in "Shane".
There is one small negative element in the film, which is why I couldn't quite bring myself to rate it a 5, and that is occasional strong profanity. I realize that real cowboys weren't always the most genteel people in their society, and I know that our modern society tolerates a lot of profanity; however, in a movie that continually emphasizes honor and integrity, profanity seems unusually out of place. There are DVD players and devices available that filter out profanity; if you are like me, then you can simply get such a player or device and still enjoy this first-rate Western.
Movie Review: Good L'Amour adaptation!
Summary: 4 Stars
This is one of those westerns where you might have seen the story a dozen times in different westerns. (Man with honorable intentions and man with dishonorable intentions are after the same beautiful woman with valuable land.) One would think that a movie that follows the "standard" formula would be rather boring but, I am happy to say, this is not! The main reason for this is the strong cast of Tom Selleck and Mark Harmon.
Selleck plays a perfect western hero and I have really started to appreciate him in that role. Harmon plays the perfect sleaze ball and carries his weight in the show. Add Virginia Madsen and Wilford Brimley to the mix, and you have a good recipe for success!
Aside from the good acting, though, the sets are colorful and nice, and the story is just fun--like the Louis L'Amour story it was taken from. If you want to divulge yourself in some light "shoot `em up" western entertainment, go no further than Crossfire Trail!
Movie Review: Even women may enjoy this movie
Summary: 4 Stars
Crossfire Trail is a film that even women will enjoy; it's a return to the old days of cowboys with honor and a great shootout at the end. The cast is excellent, with Mark Harmon adding another outstanding job as a villain to his resume. But to me the primary reason to see it is the up-and-coming young actor Christian Kane, who plays J.T. Langston, one of Tom's sidekicks. Girls, watch for the woodchopping scene!!! There is a reason which I won't reveal here why I gave this movie 4 stars instead of 5, but I know that a lot of Christian's fans will agree.