A Western for Anybody

Rating: 9/10 (28 August 2012)

This is a very good film, whether you like westerns or not. It's the perfect balance of historical accuracy and artistic license. While I enjoy Kurt Russell, I thought Kevin Costner made a better Wyatt Earp overall. Russell does a great job showing the human side of a legend though. Val Kilmer gives a great performance as Doc Holiday, and Dennis Quaid did an equally fine job in the Wyatt Earp film.
Tombstone has all the things you'd expect in a classic western film-- action, romance, some comedy, etc., but it's played in a way that steps out of the box. Not, perhaps, as much as something like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but you won't be disappointed. The good guys are clearly the good guys, but they are also human. The bad guys are clearly bad guys, and they are human, but evil.
This is an R-rated film, but is not overly violent. It does contain some language (only one f-bomb), so it's actually decent for the older kids. A very enjoyable film with some fine performances.