The Gunfighters

Canadian-filmed television western which fails to make the most of its lush location and attractive cast. In Kansas, hunky young Tony Addabbo (as Matt Everett) visits a girlfriend; there, in self-defense, he shoots the man he finds in her boudoir. Unfortunately, the lass happens to be the sheriff's daughter, which contributes to Mr. Addabbo's becoming the outlaw known as "The Kansas Kid". Soon, he is joined by brother Art Hindle (as Cole Everett) and cousin Reiner Schoene (as Dutch Everett). The Everett Gang's main adversary is gravitas-lending veteran George Kennedy (as Deke Turner). Addabbo and duplicitous pal Howard Kruschke (as Jake Morant) lead the players in having excellent hair days.

**** The Gunfighters (10/27/87) Clay Borris ~ Tony Addabbo, Art Hindle, George Kennedy, Reiner Schoene

Look at any western and you can tell when it was made. How? Simply look at the haircuts and judge when they were in style. Two of the protagonists in this movie have eighties-style hockey-hair, and the older protagonist has kept his hippie-days hair. That means the film was made in the eighties. The costumes and makeup are also terribly anachronistic with Matt wearing a Levi's low cut jean jacket and tight jeans and his old girlfriend wearing lip gloss. And is that Ronnie Hawkins singing a nauseating bluesy crossover country tune from the start of the film to the end? Did they sing like that in 1870 which this film is trying to depict? The story jumps from one melodrama to the next, bouncing from a power hungry evil villain stopping honest cowpunchers from watering their cattle, to a bar fight with whips, to a self-defense killing, to stage-coach robbing, to train robbing, to jail-train breaks, to... well, when the three are assisting a birth for a hapless woman on a runaway stagecoach you get the feeling you are watching a combination of ER and the Titanic, with horses floating around in the background. One asks when they might resort to yelling "Code Blue, Ranch Shack Six, Stat" with the jiggle-cam jumping to odd corners of the room at violent jerky angles. Everything in this movie was done before, in several genres! Like Sam Goldwyn said, "Gimme some new cliches." I must find a hobby. One which requires the usage of glue and unusable DVD's. It would be a better way to spend my time.

Several minuses (silly plot, typical TV-movie production values), several pluses (a fight scene in a bar that is truly unique, good Canadian locations), and quick pacing add up to a decent time-waster.

Whatever you do, don't follow the story, actually look at a map, and think about the distances these people need to cover on horseback. It'd be hard enough to do in a Ford Mustang, let alone on a four-legged one. But what the heck.

One big plus is a ripping theme song; might've become a dance-club hit--in some alternate universe.

Overall, this movie is okay.

Just watched this on TV and I think it is great! So what if it doesn't look like Kansas, and the jeans aren't 1870. Good grief!! The story line was terrific and I only wish they had made sequels....a whole bunch, as far as I'm concerned. What was happening was typical of the old west and what they did was really unique and made for a great movie. Everyone should give it a chance and not be so "nit-picky". The actors that played the brothers were a perfect combination..they couldn't have done any better..especially Reiner Schone who added such a special twist to the story, with his way of fighting. He is my favorite. I am now going to do my best to track down the DVD and get it so I can add it to my collection, proof I think it is that good.

A direct-to-video pilot for a cowboy series that apparently didn't sell. Pretty conventional TV Western benefits from plenty action sequences and straight-forward acting by all concerned. Improbable plot twists manage to get salvaged by general motivational drive and inherent decency of main characters. Good to see George Kennedy make one last film as a heavy.

Some nice location camera work. Editing is professional and the script not too talky.

One minor drawback: the pacifist character Dutch is a real bore, and played by the weakest actor in the cast. Fortunately his lectures are kept to brief lines about "violence never solves anything." Other than Dutch, the characters are pretty likable and fast on the draw.

Wholly unmemorable, but not a complete waste of time. Still, feels like a throwback to another era - more than a little out of date, even given its release year.