craigold

A very well-written and well-acted, beautifully produced story that moves fast and rides hard-but stops here and there for some truly awesome moments of drama, and even some humor in well-placed spots. There are certain scenes and shots that literally made me and my fellow viewers gasp. Satisfying and well-rounded in the classic Western style but with some new twists. The cinematography captures the epic sweep of the Old West and the characters are larger than life but in a very authentic way, the way a great Western should be. I highly recommend it!

"Buddy" grabbed my attention right away with the charming, very real and human presence of the title character, a young boy whose fluid expressions convey every nuance of his feelings. This is very enjoyable to watch, because he finds himself being presented with some pretty big lessons, and to see the simple, unaffected transparency with which he mulls over the constantly new and sometimes uncomfortable information, is by turns funny, profound, and always real. He is supported by a wonderful fellow youngster, whose different take on things is equally obvious and enjoyable, if somewhat divergent. The two boys really capture that ephemeral quality of youth that is at its most poignant even as it begins to diminish under the onslaught of life's unavoidable lessons and subsequent growth. Surrounding these two adventurers are well drawn and acted characters and superb production values. The writing is a delight, a tight, clean, thoroughly enjoyable story that is entertaining and moving, and dare I say enlightening as we learn the same lesson Buddy learns, and as we are given a very valuable moral for folks of any age to ponder.