Noble failure

Rating: 5/10 (7 October 2006)

A much anticipated updating of the Alamo story touted to be historically accurate in every respect. A very tall order for a topic which to this day motivates extreme passions. In brief, the production team tried to do too much. The subject matter required a long running time to set up the plot, which today is much less understood - or misunderstood (!) than when John Wayne's film neatly followed Republic's "The Last Command" and Disney's Davy Crockett shows. Randy Quaid's Sam Houston, and the post-climax Battle of San Jacinto were poor choices. Old Samjacinto - and the film - would have been better served by a briefer cameo like that provided by Richard Boone in the 1960 version. Clearly the most compelling character in this offering was Thornton's Crockett; not surprising since he's the defender most written about by Alamofiles. Frankly Thornton's performance is the only element raising this production to 5-star. It is superb and really captures the essence of Crockett as described in various histories. The title should have been "Davy Crockett at the Alamo," but perhaps would have needed Disney's paid release. Even the Alamo set, proclaimed in pre-production hype to be historically accurate in all details fell short. Most disappointing, as set designers reduced the size of the courtyard in front of the chapel; I suppose for photography purposes. Wayne's production did the same, in an even more inaccurate rendition of the mission. Finally, a production like this really, really needed a Sam Peckinpaw to accurately depict the savagery of the final battle. Mexican accounts (the only reliable eye-witness ones) are pretty clear and self-damning as to the butchery that took place. According to their written reports and letters, the real battle was even more brutal than the final shootout in The Wild Bunch; but I suppose needed to be cut short to make time for San Jacinto, and to avoid violating PC rules whereby savagery not imposed by Anglo-Saxons must be muted or eliminated altogether. Watch this one for Thornton and when he's not on the screen fast forward with the remote!!