Open Range Reviews

Simple yet rewarding tale of friendship and honour authentically steered in from the Wild West.

When cattle grazers Boss Spearman and Charley Waite (Robert Duval and Kevin Costner) find themselves under attack from aggravated landowner and general scumbag Denton Baxter (Michael Gambon), they decide it's about time someone stood up against the unscrupulous rulers of a small town in the American West. Unable to count on corrupt local Sheriff Poole (James Russo), the duo look to oppressed locals for support, most notably that of Doctor Barlow and his sister Sue (Annette Bening). Open Range celebrates a return to form for director Costner who for once is happy to share his screen time with old favourite Duval in this slow-burning, often touching tale of loyalty and belief. It might not convert those who generally avoid the genre, but for Western aficionados and those with an eye for quality film making, Open Range is as rewarding an experience as has rolled into your creaky old town in quite some time. Quality gunfight, too...

Classic Cowboy Film

Costner, Duvall, Bening & Gambon WELL WORTH WATCHING......Great, Full of Action and Feeling......THOROUGHLY ENJOYED 'OPEN RANGE'.

Amazing!! bring back the westerns!

I saw this last week and thought it was amazing! if they intend to bring the western back with this film then it surely will happen! The final showdown is possibly one of the best shootouts ever! 5 stars deffinately!!!

[Highly rated reviewer]

Not great

The very mixed other reviews above tell their own story.

This film is weighed down by a predictable but unpleasant sentimentality, and a wholly anachronistic degree of PC -- all it needed was a wise Native American (which thank God, we are spared).

It's praiseworthy in many ways that people try and show the warts-and-all side of the Heroic Western, but regrettably Kevin Costner hasn't enough charisma to carry it off: actually all you want to do is smack him, tiresome drip that he is.

This isn't an original or seriously thought-provoking film: it thinks it is, but it isn't.

And it's waaaay too long.

A western at its best

Costner & Duval both turn in good performances in this very good 'new' age western.

It show's how it was(so I'm told).. With two cowboys trying to take on the bad guy rancher. Don't be drawn in to thinking that this is a straight forward shoot-em up, with bullets flying everywere, and nobody getting shot except the bad guys, its not, far from it. It's a story, of loyalty, self belief, moral standing, and yes even a bit of love.

The fight scene at the end, is very clever, and nothing like your old fashion, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday type stand off.

I really enjoyed this, however be warned it is a bit slow in getting going, this is the only thing stopping me giving it a better rating.

On a more positive note, even my 13yrs old daughter sat right through it, and we got the 'cool' rating from her.

So to sum up, great acting, good story, a bit slow at the start, and a superb fight scene at the end.

Costner back in top form!

Kevin Costner stars and beautifully directs this thunder cracking reality western. From the opening scenes that are so wide they threaten to flow of the side of your TV, you know this is going to be a good movie.

Costner's detail is incredible, from the uneven roughness of his beard to the scratched rugged fire arms and dirty scruffy looking outfits. This is not a staged, Roy Rogers western, this is the real stuff!

The story; 2 cowboys (Freegrazers) live the open life wandering the western landscape with only concern for their cattle. Both men have decided to cut themselves of from civilization. All goes wrong when the next nearest town has a local Irish town bully who hates freegrazers and tries to put the boot to our 2 heroes.

Costner holds back till braking point not letting you know where he is going to go with the story, drama or action, but boy, when he lets go does the bullets rip. Not since Silverado have we seen such a wild display of old western gunfights.

Robert Duvall excels himself as usual. Being a big Bobbie Duvall fan I have seen most of his movies but I have to admit, this is one of the most touching rolls I have yet seen him perform.

All in all a top enjoyable western.

Forgiven!

Finally! The first Costner film that you can sit and watch with real pleasure for far too long.

Boss Freeman (Duvall) and Charley Waite (Costner) are Freegrazers (a kind of gypsy cowboy with no ranch) travelling with their herd and companions through the majestic scenery of the Wild West.

What follows has been seen many times before but rarely carried off with such aplomb. Duvall is, as usual, superb and Costner plays the taciturn cowpoke with a violent past much better than Eastwood managed in 'Unforgiven'. Gambon invests the evil town ‘guvnor’ with just the right amount of ham and menace and Bening is in fine fettle as the love interest.

The film builds up the tension slowly, helped by a haunting score, before probably the best shoot-out finale seen since the Westerns heyday.

Being a Costner film it obviously weighs in at over 2 hours but not one second of it drags, the DVD extras are nearly as good as the film particularly the deleted scenes.

This is a fabulous DVD, rent it immediately!

The Cowboy movie is back and better. This is a great film, full of action and feeling. A great cast with outstanding acting, making a very believeable and entertaining experience. One to watch.

All's well on the 'Western Front'

A fine return to form for director Costner, who goes back to basics for a stupendous, beautifully captured old fashioned western that compares favourably against another modern day masterpiece 'Unforgiven'.

Using a simple tale with simple dialogue, Open Range hits the spot with all the assurancy of a Winchester rifle, culminating in a thrilling final 'old style' shoot out. Great direction, wonderful acting turns by all concerned & swaythed in a colourful splash of America's open range....

Highly recommended.

Brilliant

Fans of cowboy fims like Unforgiven and W Earp will love this movie.

The 20 minute showdown is one of the best ever filmed.