Desolation Canyon

I give this TV movie 10 stars because it's a refreshing change of pace for a Hallmark movie!

Instead of a working woman romance which is the status quo for Hallmark movies these days, the main relationship in this film has to do with fathers and sons, and the story focuses on men more than women; while the acting may not be Emmy material, I still enjoyed the actors, from Courtney Gains to Patrick Duffy.

It's a standard story as far as westerns go and I wouldn't say the writing is awful, but it's not the same as older westerns from the '50s or '60s.

It's a clean movie with no sex, innuendos, or swear language; there is gun play of course, but that's to be expected in a western, yet it's not over-the-top, tough-guy action; all reasons why I enjoyed it for the 80 minutes it was on.

Thanks to the Starz Encore channel for airing it in high definition without commercials!

I thought it was pretty darn decent western. I've seen a lot worse. I thought there were some great comedic moments. Edwin being a "rooster" was funny. I love Duffy and Steach. The woman who played the mom couldn't act her way out of a paper bag but otherwise, good entertainment.

This little western surprised me with a few twists and I reluctantly found myself buying into the heart of the story. Though the budget was obviously modest, the film was at times beautifully photographed and the dialogue took me back to old westerns I watched on lazy weekends as a kid. Old-fashioned and easy to watch, even if at times cliché and predictable. There were a few one liners that worked and the general story of child abduction seems to me unique to the western genre. How about that? A storyline with some originality in the western genre. Basically, a must-see for true western fans. Could have been much more fascinating on the big screen with more grit and money behind it, but all-in-all a nice little ditty for the Hallmark Channel. Easily the most engaging western I've seen on Hallmark. Worth watching even to the casual fan of westerns. Oh yeah, Patrick Duffy makes a very credible cowboy. Who knew? and watch out for David Snell, he turns in a fascinating portrayal of Edwin. I got my hands on a screener and watched it in advance, but am about to tune in again tonight to the premier...

I happened upon this modern traditional Western by accident, and it turned out to be well worth watching, indeed, a movie that I would watch again...and again. The plot is a good one, with a number of quirks that keep one involved and wondering what just might happen next. I found the script writing to be terse and believable. Duffy and Keach work well together, and, in fact, the entire cast does well. Photography is almost entirely outside, with good shots of mountainous scenery and good camera work. Additionally, this is a movie that you can watch with the entire family, without fear that over-the-top "adult" situations will mar the viewing. I hope that it will show up on DVD.

It may not be awarded as a "classic western", but this is a great flick. Albeit simple dialog (to help those woke kids understand what a western is), Keach and Duffy make a great team. Edwin the Eastern wimp turns out to have more grit than anyone expected.

If you are a good-old-boy like me who enjoy's westerns, and want to see one not repeated over the last 40 years, this will not dissapoint.

If you are a anal movie critic and do not care about the "spirit of the west", and western movies in general, then skip it and go get an ice-cream with Joey-Biden. A good movie doesn't have to "rate" with critics to be a good movie, lol.