Doc West

I love the movies Terence Hill put out in the '70s and '80s, and I was curious to see an example of what Hill has been putting out in the present day, which explains why I rented "Doc West". Sadly, I didn't think too much of this effort. Hill still has his piercing blue eyes, but now in his senior citizen years, he looks extremely worn out and tired in this movie. The movie's sense of humor also seems worn out and tired, with the attempted humor not even generating a mild chuckle. In fact, much of the movie is (oddly) played pretty straight. I will admit that for a made-for-TV (Italian TV) movie, the production values are fairly good, from the western sets to the New Mexico countryside. But good production values can only carry a movie so far, and this movie ends up being a big disappointment.

I am a hard core fan of Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name trilogy and the two thoughtful follow-ups he controlled: High Plains Drifter and Pale Rider. I disliked Terrence Hill's corruption of the genre with his grinning, overdubbed, hip "whatever" character and was glad when he went away. But then, fast forward to 2009 and he returns, pleasantly grizzled, speaking careful second language English and playing a serious character with just enough humor to comfort his old fans.

"Doc West" and the unfortunately named second episode "Triggerman" are a genuinely excellent and authentic Spaghetti Western with good production values and music that does not attempt to mimic Morricone. And of all things, it was filmed on location in New Mexico by an Italian crew.

Hill has one Eastwood moment in the movie when a poker competitor realizes Doc West has drawn him. When Doc is confronted, he glints back with no hint of a smile and says: "I'm not the one who thought he had a sucker on his hands." with his hand on his gun. I expected to hear the Eastwood tympani/chime strike followed by the wind blowing.

I rated the movie 8 only because he was more merciful with the Bad Guys than Clint would have been, but then, he IS a doctor. Anyone who remembers and likes the Clint trilogy should view this with an open mind. It's a little like going home. I wish Hill would do another before the years catch up.

The acting is not very good but it adds charm to this little PG gem. Its a cute little generic western movie, very clean. Docs character is a one of a kind.

I saw this TV movie on a UK TV channel, where it was called DOC WEST'S CHALLENGE and split into two parts over two consecutive nights. The film is of interest to spaghetti westerns for marking the return of popular spaghetti western actor Terence Hill to the genre, some decades since he was last famed around the world for his comedy westerns.

I never really warmed to Hill as an actor, much preferring his sparring partner Bud Spencer, although the sad news is that Spencer doesn't return for whatever reason here. Instead, he's replaced with lookalike Paul Sorvino, who I admit does an excellent job of playing the likable town sheriff. The story is a straightforward and dare I say it rather clichéd one. Hill plays a card sharp who once happened to be a surgeon, until alcoholism caused the death of one of his patients. You can work out the storyline from there, except to say that there are the usual criminal bad guys to be taken care of and a little romance along the way.

The worst thing about DOC WEST'S CHALLENGE is the family-friendly rating and feel, which has much in common with the usual horrid American TV movies. Still, the Italian influence makes this one to watch, and the filming locations - in New Mexico - are spot on. Plus, Hill is a delight to watch. He's aged very well (much like fellow western actor Franco Nero), and his character is warm and charismatic throughout. A fitting swansong for the star, then.

Chasing some bandits, a mysterious man who drinks tea (Terence Hill), not alcohol, comes to Holy Sand, New Mexico, where he provokes the ire of delinquents (e.g. Alessio Di Clemente), the friendship of the Sheriff (Paul Sorvino), the romantic desires of a woman (Clare Carey) and the respect of the citizens in general.

"Doc West" was released to TV in 2009 and has a sequel, "Triggerman," released the same year (actually they're two parts of the same 'mini-series'). These movies marked the return of Terence Hill to the Western genre after fifteen years. He had (and has) movie-star good looks and was known for Spaghetti Westerns in the 60s-70s, like "God Forgives... I don't" (1967), "Django, Prepare a Coffin" (1968), "Boot Hill" (1969) and the Trinity flicks. I suppose you could call him the Euro version of Clint Eastwood, but not really since he never attained Eastwood's fame and clout. His voice was dubbed in all those old Westerns due to his thick accent, but here you can finally hear his real voice.

Being a TV Western, "Doc West" lacks the technical proficiency of Sergio Leone's "My Name is Nobody" (1973) and has a few cartoonish CGI elements (the snake, the fire, etc.), but it's certainly watchable, has a great Western town set, plus additional glorious Southwestern locations. The story is interesting enough, but it could've been more compelling with a rewrite or two. It's the likableness of the protagonists and the warmhearted tone where the movie shines. Sorvino as the Sheriff basically takes Bud Spencer's role as Terence's burly sidekick.

The movie runs 1 hour, 37 minutes and was shot at Bonanza Creek, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

GRADE: B-