User reviews

As a native New Yorker I always look askance at The Cowboy Way because that last chase scene involving our heroes Kiefer Sutherland and Woody Harrelson is geographically impossible. Anyone who has some knowledge of the New York City Subway System can tell you that. Still The Cowboy Way is rollicking good entertainment.

The rollicking part is courtesy of its two leads. They play a pair of feuding rodeo cowboys. Sutherland is mad at Harrelson because of his general irresponsibility. But a good friend of their's is in trouble and Sutherland's got to put aside his attitude about Harrelson in order to help out. Harrelson of course doesn't make it easy.

Tomas Millian has paid money to smuggle his daughter Cara Buono from Cuba and now the coyotes are holding him up for more. He goes to New York and gets killed for his trouble. When Harrelson and Sutherland discover that, they're not about to wait for regular law enforcement to do its thing. That's just not The Cowboy Way.

As a sideline fashion designer Marg Helgenberger thinks Harrelson has possibilities as an underwear model and maybe she'd like to explore that with him. They also have a wonderful scene at the Waldorf Astoria hotel and restaurant where these two think its just your basic motel, a little upscale.

The guy who carries the serious part of the film is villain Dylan McDermott and he's as serious as a crutch. But apparently he's starting to listen to his crotch before his head where Buono is concerned. It's a weakness of the film, because when the good guys are closing in, McDermott probably could get away if he wasn't dragging Buono along with him.

Of course the highlight for me is that wonderful scene at the Central Park Petting Zoo where Sutherland and Harrelson teach McDermott henchman Luis Guzman the way Pancho Villa used to get information from people not willing to give it up. It involves a weaning calf and it's hilarious and a little frightening to the male of the species.

Despite its story weaknesses, The Cowboy Way is one hysterical film and you'll have a good time seeing it. And since this film is about rodeo cowboys, this review is dedicated to the recently retired Justin McBride of the Professional Bullriders. A man definitely dedicated to The Cowboy Way in his sport and in life.

Catching up on Keifer Sutherland films since being mesmerized by his "24" series. This one is lots of fun, as the two cowboys head from New Mexico to New York City to see what happened to their friend, who came from Cuba and is trying to get his daughter to the states. He does but there are complications. The boys are drawn into the sweatshop force labor problem and other unsavory doings. But their bravado and guts save the day. Nothing earth shattering here, but a good ole boy buddy film with two likable guys.

Ive rewatched a few older movies of late and have sadly been left underwhelmed by most of them. Thankfully The Cowboy Way ended that trend.

Its funny, has some nice action pieces and most importantly kept me properly entertained for the entire movie.

Woody is an absolute star :)

This movie is great for a fun night in if you want some light-hearted entertainment. The actors do they job well, they are believable as Sonny and Pepper. They make a good acting team and the storyline is entertaining, but not great and you don't have to solve any difficult plots, which i like to do. Despite this, it is worth watching,it has lots of fun moments, but really it is only for cowboy and western fans.

This is by no means the best movie I've ever seen, but I must confess (however guiltily) that I enjoyed it a great deal more than the reviewers I consulted led me to expect I might. -- Kiefer Sutherland and Woody Harrelson are appealing as the two male leads, old rodeo friends who had a major falling out years before but now find themselves teamed up to help an old friend find his daughter. Their adventures in urban New York City are, by turns, humorous and suspenseful. Dylan McDermott demonstrates some considerable acting range as a sleazy weasel. The inevitable chase scene through downtown Manhattan somehow seems fresh and exciting. -- No one will confuse this piece with High Art, but one could spend one's time in worse ways...

I have always enjoyed watching this movie. This and a couple of others pay homage to Kiefer's interest in ranching. In real life, he is a real life cowboy, owning a fairly large ranch. He is truly a multifaceted individual, and this film takes most of its humor from the culture clash between the Ranch lifestyle and the New York City lifestyle. It is the type of conflict you see in more light hearted films such as the City Mouse and the Country Mouse. Interestingly, the country, cowboy lifestyle, while first out of place, ends up dominating those who adhere to the city ethos, and results in unique solutions to bad situations. There is a definite chemistry between Harrelson and Sutherland. One would hope Harrelson would be asked to star in future episodes of "24".

If they would have just dropped the whole slavery ring idea, the Dylan McDermott character and most of the nastiness, this could have been a great movie. As it is, though, "The Cowboy Way" is only half-good, which is a shame seeing how good the good parts are.

As Pepper, Woody Harrelson has his best movie part in a long time. His raunchy, ready-for-anything cowpoke is one funny character. He contributes some of the best scenes here, as observed before; like when he entices the lady in the string quartet, does the "no-hands" trick with the hat, licks salt off of Marg Helgenberger's neck or dances around on a model's runway. He's quite a show, that Woody.

Sutherland doesn't come off quite a swell as Sonny, the more sensible of the duo. He's all seriousness and grim necessity - the exact opposite of Pepper. That he gets the bum end of the deal is no fault of Sutherland's or ever Harrelson's. They both do their best under the circumstances, yet have to fight a no-win situation against the script, which gives them only a couple of scenes where they actually get along.

But then there's the whole situation of WHY they are in New York - the white slavery, vice, corruption, beatings, shootings and deaths have no place in a movie whose biggest parts aim for a "'Crocodile' Dundee" flavor. Confusing? Definitely.

Five stars for "The Cowboy Way", only half-good, but half-bad, too.

sometimes the best movies are the most unpretentious, simple ones. This one follows a tried and trusted formula, its a buddy movie, woody harrelson and kiefer sutherland are chalk and cheese personalities but they unbeknown to each other complement each other and then they have the fish out of water experience as good ol boy cowboys in new york city. Woody is a scream in his role and kiefer plays the straight man and while you know exactly how its going to end, its a fun film from start to finish, probably suitable for all the family too. I liked how the guys were able to use their rodeo "skills" in the city and I laughed out loud at the final shot of the film, all-in-all a very easy way to spend an hour and three quarters.

This movie was so bad that by the time it was over I felt angry. The "good ol' country boys one-upping the city slickers" theme has been done so much that I guess there were no more intelligent ways to do it. So they came up with The Cowboy Way.

I generally like both Woody Harrelson and Kiefer Sutherland. And despite the weak plot, Sutherland does a good job with his role. But Harrelson employs every good ol' boy cliché ever imagined. Right down to the overbearing mush-mouthed twang in every word he utters.

The plot has our two good ol' countrified cowpokes going to NY City to rescue a girl from the big bad city slicker bad guys. In the process, Harrelson ends up at a posh fashion party. Naturally, the hostess is so overwhelmed by the charm of this rube that she hangs all over him while ignoring the rest of her well-to-do guests.

Of course, the good ol' cowpokes have a big ol' gunfight with the city slicker bad guys. And there are no legal ramifications. Ernie Hudson plays a mounted NY City cop. He is so enamored of the good ol' cowpokes that he abandons his patrol area to follow Harrelson through town on horseback. Later, he rides his horse INTO the police station shouting some blather about forming a posse. Later still, he gives away his horse and a horse of a fellow officer to the cowpokes so that we viewers can be treated to the sight of our good ol' boys galloping through NY City in pursuit of a train carrying the city slicker bad guys. Incredibly, after galloping all over town, the horses still have enough left to overtake the train. Also, incredibly, Hudson's cop is not fired for his bizarre and irresponsible actions.

And just to make sure the point is hammered home that the good ol' countrified cowboy way is superior to the city slicker way, our cowpokes save the day by employing their rope tricks.

This movie is so unbelievable that it seems better suited to a cartoon. Maybe a Heckle and Jeckle plot. If you're the type that just has to have that notion validated that the good ol' boys are always better than the city slickers regardless of how absurd the story is, then this one's for you. Otherwise, you'll find better entertainment in Heckle and Jeckle.

You can't take this movie seriously, but it is a riot. Don't expect a lot and you'll find yourself laughing like crazy. Weak plot with under developed characters but the Harrelson/ Sutherland comedy team could go a long way! The restaurant scene is a howl.

Sort of a buddy action film that's focal point is the rocky relationship between the two main protagonists (who just happen to be modern day cowboys) as they find out just how much they rely on each other. The friendship might consist largely of bickering between the two actors; Woody Harrelson (who mugs it up) and Kiefer Sutherland, but the combination naturally flows and their performances are truly fitting with amusing comical exchanges. And even heartfelt too. Two New Mexico rodeo cowboy friends (strained at that) Sonny and Pepper head to New York City to find a missing friend Nacho and his Cuban immigrant daughter Teresa. What they uncover is that Nacho had got himself in some serious trouble that seems him ending up in a morgue and his daughter working in a sweatshop.

This Hollywood dross is something rather light-weight and blunt with a message to boot. Still rather enjoyable even with its sugar-coating and stereotypical traits. The script throws about priceless dialogues and sets up the situation with aplomb. These characters are right out their comfort zone, but go about getting the job done the cowboy way and going all out. Had me thinking of the 1968 feature "Coogan's Bluff". Atypical but amusing if a little a silly. Some good action set-pieces standout (namely the climatic chase) and you can't beat good dummy work. Flavoured country soundtrack finds its way in. The rest of the performances are acceptable with a likable Ernie Hudson as a horse riding New York cop and Dylan McDermott as the sly criminal behind Nacho's death. Also popping up are Tomas Milan, Marg Helgenberger, Cara Buono and Luis Guzman.

"You cowboys are a dying breed."

Moronic, formulaic, and dull, this offering has Woody and Keifer as bickering Cowboys who come to New York. That's it. Really. What can you say about a movie that aspires to be as deep as Crocodile Dundee? Woody deserves better.

I enjoyed this movie it has a good cast with Kiefer Sutherland/Woody Harrelson having to help their friend Poncho get his daughter back from the evil Dylan McDermott who played a really good bad guy in this one. Erie Hudson played a good role as the cop on the horse. Woody was the hilarious one though especially when he was dancing like a cowboy at that lady's party. Then the best scene of them all was when Woody and Kiefer were at the restaurant Woody was making gestures to the lady with the violin that was hilarious.

The Cowboy Way is a 1994 action comedy about two cowboys from New Mexico who travel to New York City in search for their good friend, only to then discover his murder and attempt to save his daughter from human traffickers.

This is a great movie with a terrific cast and a lot more heart behind it than perceived. Although maybe not for everyone, I've always found this film entertaining and full of fun moments intertwined with good characters. Woody Harrelson and Kiefer Sutherland play off each other so well that you would have thought they'd been best friends with a love hate relationship their whole lives. It's got good action, good laughs, and enough story to bring everything together quite nicely.

If you've never seen this movie before, I would recommend checking it out.

I saw this movie running on cable recently, without commercials, or censorship, which is the only way to watch it. I highly recommended it for Woody Harrelson freaks and Kiefer Sutherland freaks and maybe even Luis Guzman freaks,and, certainly Dylan McDermot freaks will like seeing him as an excellent bad guy. Snappy dialogue and situations, a common plot with the story of two modern cowboys dropped into The Rotten Apple on a mission of search and rescue, this movie is best viewed on widescreen TV. It doesn't break down too much near the end, which is usual for fictions of this type. The writers did a fine job blending the clash of cultures and the director manages to keep control of the project. It will probably be the centerpiece of this director's career, since he's moved into directing "made for TV" movies.

All the incidental characters are well chosen and make the most of their roles. Check it out, really, my wife usually dislikes this kind of movie and she liked it a lot! Remember, however, this is completely fictional, any resemblance to real life style dramas should not be expected.

Keifer Sutherland and Woody Harrelson make a great team in this action/comedy! The story is good and the jokes are plenty! Not over the top funny but definitely makes you laugh. Cam watch this movie anytime...

This film essentially begins with two rodeo cowboys by the name "Sonny Gilstrap" (Kiefer Sutherland) and "Pepper Lewis" (Woody Harrelson) teaming up to win a state championship. Unfortunately, even though they have been friends for a long time, when Pepper fails to show up for an important event this creates a great amount of friction between them. Yet even though Sonny wants nothing to do with him, things change dramatically when a mutual friend by the name of "Nacho Salazar" (Joaquin Martinez) unexpectedly goes to New York City and doesn't come back. So after learning that his daughter "Teresa Salazar" (Cara Buono) may be in serious trouble the two of them reunite and head to New York to render their assistance. What they don't realize, however, is that a local mobster by the name of "John Stark" (Dylan McDermott) has essentially kidnapped Teresa and plans to force her into prostitution to pay off a nonexistent debt. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film started off well enough but became more and more unrealistic as the movie progressed with the character of "Officer Sam Shaw" (Ernie Hudson) being especially ridiculous. Even so, this wasn't a bad film necessarily and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

"The Cowboy Way" is a movie tailor made for Woody Harrelson to star, once again as the mindless redneck with a heart of gold, a bit slow to understand things around, but capable to ultimately save the day. Here he was paired with Kiefer Sutherland, playing the big brother type, the wise and restrained of the duo, even if in real life, Kiefer is about 5 years younger than Woody, but sporting a manly moustache and acting mature and it worked.

The story is like a "48 Hrs." buddy flick meets "Crocodile Dundee", a fish outta water action / comedy about two naive cowboys from New Mexico which came to the Big Apple searching for their elderly Cuban friend that went missing trying to find his illegal immigrant daughter, in a plot that focus on human trafficking led by Tomás Milián and his sleazy henchman, played by Dylan McDermott in a surprising scene-stealing performance.

The movie flows well and the two leads have on-screen chemistry together (not as much as Woody / Wesley Snipes in "White Men Can't Jump" and "The Money Train", but yet adequate) with Woody faring better than Kiefer in his usual ingenuous / childish behavior type (think Paul "Crocodile Dundee" Hogan or Tom Hanks in "Big") that made him a star when he was cast in "Cheers" and he's always watchable to follow. Kiefer is okay, but he was never as solid playing the good guy as he was playing villains (like in "Stand By Me"; "The Lost Boys"; "Eye for an Eye"; "A Few Good Men" or "A Time to Kill"). Ernie Hudson offers a fine support as the NYC Cop who helps the two cowboys in their asphalt jungle adventure.

In short, "The Cowboy Way" is a passable, however harmless flick with a couple of good scenes that don't mesmerize the viewer, but neither bores him. It's a case of "been there, done that" that can satisfy a less demanding audience and especially, fans of Woody and Kiefer, but if you're looking for something new or creative in the action / comedy genre stay away of this one, because it just limits on ressurging the old formula.

I thoroughly enjoy this movie every time I watch it. It was my introduction to Woody Harrelson and since then I've been a huge fan.

Woody Harrelson is fabulous as Pepper ('cures what ails ya') and provides much of the comic relief beside Keifer Sutherland. These two actors have a great chemistry - their friendship on screen is very believable. The movie works because of this relationship.

The script is witty and the movie is entertaining, providing heaps of laughs. This is just a fun movie - not brain challenging, but that's why I like it.

A great film to watch on a rainy afternoon. Two thumbs up.

Pepper Lewis (Woody Harrelson) and Sonny Gilstrap (Kiefer Sutherland) are competitive best friends on the rodeo circuit. Their friend Nacho travels to NYC to rescue his daughter Theresa (Cara Buono) from smugglers holding her after she escaped Cuba. Ruthless criminal John Stark (Dylan McDermott) is keeping Theresa to work in his sweatshop. Sonny finds Nacho's note and goes to join him with Pepper riding along. Pepper catches the eye of socialite Margarette (Marg Helgenberger). The guys befriend police horse patrolman Sam Shaw (Ernie Hudson). Sadly, Nacho has been murdered.

This is a fish out of water action comedy. There is the charismatic duo of Harrelson and Sutherland. They are fun together. The material isn't quite as good as those guys. There is little humor other than the bits generated by Harrelson with Sutherland as the straight man. The story is straight 90's good guys and bad guys. It's not anything great but there is good enough chemistry with the boys.

The Cowboy Way (1994)

*** (out of 4)

Pepper (Woody Harrelson) and Sonny (Kiefer Sutherland) are two buddies who just happen to also be rodeo partners. When a friend of theirs goes missing in New York City, the cowboys head up there and get involved with some crooked sweat shops.

If you're looking for a hard-hitting drama that takes a look at the evil underbelly of New York City then sadly THE COWBOY WAY won't be for you. If you're looking for an intelligent comedy that has smart writing and terrific characters.... again, THE COWYBOY WAY might not be for you. If you're just looking for some mild entertaining that isn't meant to be taken overly serious then THE COWBOY WAY will be for you.

I think the basic fish out of water premise works quite well and especially when you've got two leads who are just so much fun and have a great chemistry together. There's no question that Harrelson and Sutherland make the film worth viewing because they really do get into their cowboy roles and I think their comic timing is right on the mark. The two of them are often put into silly situations but both handle them qutie well and deliver the laughs.

The story itself really isn't all that special since we've seen this type of film countless times before. Originality certainly isn't the strong point but the two leads are fun enough to where they overcome the somewhat tired script. Ernie Hudson offers up nice support as well.