Good film but over-rated

Rating: 6/10 (17 September 2007)

People must really be dying for a good Western for this film to receive the acclaim it has. Very good characters (Kane's right hand man is incredible), beautiful cinematography, and a pretty clear-cut theme, that's been done many times before. The film broaches lots of dark topics (Indian massacre, Civil War experiences, dark pasts) but never to any degree of satisfaction. The plot points, however, are where it falls very short. There are holes big enough to drive a truck through, with both the good guys & the bad guys making bonehead errors reminiscent of 60's Bond films (or even mores, Austin Powers films:) At its core, Kane's 'transformation' comes across as unbelievable and pretty random. The end of the movie is a letdown. Good film that fails to ever take a risk, suggest as a rental.