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Desperado: The Outlaw Wars

  • TV Movie
  • 1989
  • TV-PG
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
240
YOUR RATING
Desperado: The Outlaw Wars (1989)
Western

Duell McCall visits his old girlfriend, Nora, and learns that she gave birth to his child. He wants to stay but he is still a wanted man. So, Sheriff Campbell suggests that if he brings in t... Read allDuell McCall visits his old girlfriend, Nora, and learns that she gave birth to his child. He wants to stay but he is still a wanted man. So, Sheriff Campbell suggests that if he brings in this notorious criminal, who's been plaguing the territory, he might be able to get a pardo... Read allDuell McCall visits his old girlfriend, Nora, and learns that she gave birth to his child. He wants to stay but he is still a wanted man. So, Sheriff Campbell suggests that if he brings in this notorious criminal, who's been plaguing the territory, he might be able to get a pardon.

  • Director
    • E.W. Swackhamer
  • Writers
    • Elmore Leonard
    • Andrew Mirisch
    • William Wisher
  • Stars
    • Alex McArthur
    • Richard Farnsworth
    • James Remar
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    240
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • E.W. Swackhamer
    • Writers
      • Elmore Leonard
      • Andrew Mirisch
      • William Wisher
    • Stars
      • Alex McArthur
      • Richard Farnsworth
      • James Remar
    • 5User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos1

    View Poster

    Top cast30

    Edit
    Alex McArthur
    • Duell McCall
    Richard Farnsworth
    Richard Farnsworth
    • Sheriff Campbell, Bisby Arizona
    James Remar
    James Remar
    • John Sikes
    Brad Dourif
    Brad Dourif
    • Camillus Fly
    Tom Bower
    Tom Bower
    • Billy Dobbs
    Whip Hubley
    Whip Hubley
    • Charlie Cates
    Brion James
    Brion James
    • Roy Grimes
    Debra Feuer
    Debra Feuer
    • Maggie, Sikes' Woman
    Buck Taylor
    Buck Taylor
    • Wes Porter
    Deon Richmond
    Deon Richmond
    • Thomas Jefferson III
    Lise Cutter
    • Nora
    Geoffrey Lewis
    Geoffrey Lewis
    • Oliver Ostrow
    Maria Richwine
    • Prostitute
    Kenneth Bridges
    • Moses Fortune, Bootmaker
    Mike Casper
    • Russell
    Caesar Paul Del Trecco
    • 1st Townsman
    • (as Caesar Del Trecco)
    George Dobbs
    • Hardin
    David Kantner
    • Brady
    • Director
      • E.W. Swackhamer
    • Writers
      • Elmore Leonard
      • Andrew Mirisch
      • William Wisher
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews5

    6.4240
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    Featured reviews

    10kellaway84

    A pretty fair TV western

    Basic story of your anti-hero who discovers he has a son and wants to turn good, though is on the run from bounty hunters. The local marshal offers him the chance for a pardon if he takes out a local outlaw who killed the marshals wife.

    The acting is solid and the plot follows common formulae but still an enjoyable film.

    I saw aspects of the dollars trilogy especially 'a few dolalrs more'...main character infiltrates gang to take out etc, and also elements seen in unforgiven (although this predates it) of the old hand turning good and going out one last time.
    7davidwile

    A Good Western With Excitement

    Hey folks,

    The four Desperado films from the late 1980s really are pretty good oaters, and they are a lot more exciting than many of the ones I enjoyed as a youth. Alex McArthur's Duell McCall is exciting to watch as the good "bad guy," and Richard Farnsworth is also always a safe bet to create a credible character. McCall's love interest, Nora (played by Lise Cutter), is here once again and, as ever, is very easy on the eyes.

    There have been very few reviews of the four films, and the forum boards for them have also had little written there. There are always negative comments made about any film, but these are pretty good westerns, and I would think more folks would be finding and reporting the same message.

    Best wishes, Dave Wile
    2jkm0119

    It just an Okay movie not recommended for those who like westerns.

    The movie begins with something like there maybe some action. If you are looking for action in a western you will be disappointed. i could not decide if this was supposed to be a romance or an action or a moral story. It failed everyone of them. No action, romance was idiotic and the moral was stupid. I suggest this to people who have no understanding of anything and wish to think that leaving your wife and child is a good thing. Bad morals in this movie. The best part of the movie was the Eagles singing Desperado.
    gkhege

    What a waste of film

    I'm 69 years old and when I was a young boy, we walked three miles to town, just to watch all day westerns. The cost, three Pepsi bottle caps. That's right, three bottle caps, got you all day at the " Picture Show." My point, " I was watching westerns before mokst of you were born. This is one of the worst attempts at making a western I have ever seen. I only gave it a two because I'm old and senile.
    1aimless-46

    Avoid at all Costs

    I'll be brief: There's nothing good about this movie-if you can actually classify it as a movie; it's like a montage of poor reenactments of scenes from other Westerns. It looks like the producer saw the armored wagon from John Waynes's "The War Wagen" sitting around gathering dust in a studio garage and decided to film a bunch of extra's watching it blow up. Note I said "watching" because it blows up when a small log full of powder swings down on a rope and hits it. Add in the rainstorm in the canyon, (the one where the DP failed to notice a patch of sunlight showing on the edge of the frame), shake out the cheapest looking avalanche sequence since "Sky King", mix in a lot of atrocious acting and matching dialogue that can only aspire to comic book quality, and edit into oblivion.

    Nothing exciting, nothing remotely interesting (except Richard Farmsworth's embarrassed presence-hopefully he was well paid). Blech.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Quotes

      Wes Porter: He's crazy. But then out here it might make him the sanest man around.

    • Connections
      Followed by Desperado: Badlands Justice (1989)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 10, 1989 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Desperat: Walka poza prawem
    • Filming locations
      • Mescal, Arizona, USA
    • Production company
      • Universal Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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