Potter's Ground

Umm what did I just watch? It's not sure what it is, but I sure know it's not good. The lack of budget is evident, and the story is just shallow and somewhat bizarre.

It's not worth your time. Because it was a really bad movie.

Once upon a time there were very good cowboy movies. Exciting legendary movies where Indians and Cowboys fight. Today's cowboy movies are like Chinese made... These kinds of movies have no taste anymore. It's really a pity.

Well now, this is not what I expected. This certainly is a mixed bag of genres, and dare I say I believe it mixed pretty well.

This is probably the type of movie I've been waiting for: an action adventure fantasy western horror drama thriller. That might be a mouth full, but this film really surprised me. The film features really good performances, good dialogue, good cinematography, and an eerie and foreboding atmosphere. We have cowboys, Indians, good guys, bad guys, skin walkers, monsters... I guess this won't satisfy everyone's palate, but I was thoroughly entertained.

We follow three officials in search of pieces of an amulet that - according to legend - contains a map to a city of gold. These pieces are scattered, and the only person who knows where they are, is Doloroas, whose ancestors created the amulet, so she's along for the ride as well. On their journey, they stumble across more unsavory characters than they can handle, and their every move is a fight for survival.

I love treasure hunting movies. Now add the Western adventure element and I'm in heaven! I really loved this. If you're looking for an old-fashioned Western movie, though, this is not it. This is a very different kind of Western, so you're either going to love it or hate it.

Would I watch it again? Yes.

Potter's Ground is one of the more interesting indies I've viewed lately and I think that its deserving of attention. The story is a simple one, which works for it as much as it works against it but it undoubtedly manages to deliver on the fun.

With a cast of mostly unknown actors and a crew of people you have never heard of, we should all appreciate that something was put out that is clearly punching above its weight class. The action works when it wants to, the jokes mostly land, and the movie flows at a mostly even pace that makes it fly by and never bores.

My only complaint would be the idea of the monsters in the world. They are alluded to on more that one occasion when referencing a supposedly terrifying location that they must travel to and you even get to catch a glimpse one or two times in the movie, but they are lacking everywhere else. This isn't necessarily a big problem, but it feels at times like Potter's Ground would like to be a monster movie but is scared to give in, ultimately building excitement for something that never comes. If not for this minor disappointment I would probably rate the movie 8.

Either way it isn't a bad find on Amazon and is worth the rental if you find yourself in search of easy entertainment.