The Shooter

"The Shooter" was a different type of film for Michael Dudikoff. Although normally associated with action flicks that incorporate martial arts, this film , because it was a western, enabled him to display that he is a far more capable actor than certain formula story lines have allowed.

The major problem, of course, is that the film does not allow any solid character development. The fleshing in is really left to the viewer . We can only guess at the sadness that has made the Shooter, whose real name is Michael Atherton, the killer that he is- a killer, mind you, that a little town, terrorized by a local bully, welcomes as a hero who can release it from its misery.

Hell must be freezing over as Fred Olen Ray has made a good movie... In a career spanning 40 years and 167 movies, all of them bottom of the barell style bad. Movies so bad they make Uwe Boll's House of the Dead seem like Martin Scorsese made it in comparison.

The Shooter 1997 is the outlier to the 167. This was very good. A clear 6/10 movie but given the surprise of who made it. I gave it an 8.

Michael Dudikoff from American Ninja fame plays a lone gunslinger passing through town who hears a woman being assaulted on the outskirts and comes to her rescue, killing the five men attacking her in the process. It turns out one of the men he killed was the son of an infamous criminal, played by William Smith, who had been menacing and terrorising over the town. On hearing his son is dead he swears revenge on Dudikoff.

This film had a vibe similar to Clint Eastwoods High Plains Drifter, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It made me eager for more Michael Dudikoff westerns.

If Mr Olen Ray ever reads this review, please make some more Westerns as these seem to fit your style of direction.

Action, horror, sci-fi, exploitation director Fred Olen Ray shows he has some talent as a director. Character actor William Smith is one of the best tough/bad guys in the industry. He treats the viewer with the best acting performance of his career. As for Randy Travis he gives his best Lee Van Cleef impression. He's not bad in the film. Smith and Travis make the movie. As for the rest of the cast none of them really stand out. Ray did a great job directing this flick, Smith and Travis were good, I'd give this B western on a scale of one to ten(ten being the best) a seven.

This film begins with a cowboy by the name of "Michael Atherton" (Michael Dudikoff) riding alone in the wilderness when he hears a strange noise in the distance. Deciding to check it out he witnesses a young woman being tied up and whipped by four men. A gunfight subsequently ensues which results in him killing all of the men and rescuing the woman. It is then learned that the woman is a prostitute by the name of "Wendy" (Valerie Wildman) who works in a town nearby and one of the men Michael had just shot and killed was the son of a powerful rancher named "Jerry Kranz" (William Smith) who now swears to get his revenge upon Michael--along with anybody who helps him out. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was an okay Western which had an interesting plot but lacked any sense of reality. Likewise, the acting--although adequate--wasn't especially convincing and for that reason I have rated this film accordingly. Slightly below average.

The Shooter is a surprisingly solid, albeit unwholesome western that defies expectations. This is thanks in large to a an over the top performance from Randy Travis as the antagonist, and he plays the part so well. Overall, the movie holds its own as a much better film than one might expect from a direct-to-video western from the late 90s.

The film seems to takes some liberties with historical accuracy, particularly concerning the depiction of brothels and prostitution in the west. The movie portrays the prostitutes as a lower class, when in fact, they were usually the richest in town and owned their own businesses. Furthermore, the dark twist in the mayor's story adds another layer of intrigue, as he goes from a symbol of authority to just another villain.

The film is also notable for the presence of veteran actor William Smith, who plays a gruff old cowboy seeking vengeance. It's a great chance to see the famous actor, and his powerful presence on screen is a testament to his impressive fifty-year career at the time of the film's release.