The Duel

At first I was hesitant to give this movie the time of day given the poor score. Now, I am glad I did, and what a time well spent! The story is built on a simple idea that unwound masterfully from beginning to end. There is no over-the-top action scene, no flashy CGIs, no pretentious idealistic message, or downright propaganda that plagues Hollywood today. It offer fun entertainment and that is IT! Kudos to the surprisingly talented and underrated actors here. Their characters were all charmingly unique that I was easily invested in what their outcome would be. And, the awsome musical score is the juicy cherry on top. At any rate, don't take my word for it. Watch and decide for yourself.

The Duel, starring Dylan Sprouse and Patrick Warburton, poses an interesting question, namely, can or should modern problems be solved with historic solutions. Specifically, was the antebellum tradition of dueling a bonafide, or even an honorable way for real men to settle serious personal disputes? While this may seem outrageous on its face to modern audiences, the film goes to great lengths to explain, after a fashion, the philosophical basis for a practice that presumably spanned many centuries. Of course, the idea that SoCal beach bums would readily adopt the Code Duello may strain the credulity of the viewer. Undoubtedly inspired, to some degree or another, by the success and notoriety of Hamilton on Broadway, The Duel posits an improbable question in a very engaging and watchable package. Patrick Warburton as the dueling expert is reason enough to watch this!

I was lucky enough to attend the premier in Indy. Knowing little about the plot, I was surprised by how much humor and heart was in this dark comedy. Warburton is fantastic in everything, and he shines alongside the younger cast members. The leads bring a lot of gravity to some of the more surreal plot lines, and there's a lot of tongue in cheek moments that play well to anyone who lives in Indiana and knows the landmarks where this was filmed. I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys indie films. It's smart, fun and you leave it feeling like you've had a great time with your crazy friends.

Reading twenty reviews or so, to see if this is worth watching or not, but I found them unhelpful. They all seem to be written by people close to the cast and/or crew. To give you an idea of what you're getting into, this movie is mostly dialog and little action. The storyline is about a guy who finds out his best friend has been sleeping with his girlfriend, thus taking him into a duel like it's the wild west!! It did not make sense even after I finished watching. You wonder why can't men resolve their differences in civil manner, or is that intentional propaganda? I'm all for independent filmmaking and do recognize the effort here. Budget-wise, it's a good production. Dialog is engaging, but it's nothing exceptional. I loved Patrick Warburton's performance. Would I recommend it to someone like me? Probably not. I'd skip it. But if you just wanted to pass time, it wouldn't be a total waste. There's great attempt from the filmmakers to make quality production here, from the writing, to the acting and cinematography. Therefore, I'm not giving it a rating lower than 5/10.

Masterfully shot. Great acting by a superb cast. Awesome sound. Innovative plot line for sure! And the complex ending toys with one's emotions. Funny and horrifying at the same time.

Warburton is phenomenal. Sprouse and Macaullife provide nuanced believable characters. Guttman is glorious. At any given point, any member of this large cast is doing the heavy lifting of carrying the movie!

Set in California and Mexico, with mysterious and opulent settings, this film was shot almost entirely in Indiana by up and coming Pigasus Pictures!

If you want to catch it on the big screen... it'll be on 500 screens nationwide on July 31 only! (Followed by a smaller number of theatres for a longer run). Will be a bit before it's streaming.

So put on your tux with tails and white tie (like the characters), grab a red Solo cup, and get to a theatre soon!