Not great, but capable

Rating: Null/10 (30 November 1999)

AI would say that THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY, GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL, UNFORGIVEN and SHANE are among the best westerns that I've ever seen. TOMBSTONE shares with these films a sense of history, great action and cineamatorgraphy. Where it falls flat with me is in how it develops relationships. Wyatt's relationship with the actress is weak, but that can be forgiven, as it is a subplot. What begged to be developed is the relationship between Wyatt and Doc, the central core of this story that everything revolved around (or should have). Why did Doc and Wyatt become friends, what drew them together - nothing is explained. That said, Val Kilmer steals the show as Doc. I might go so far as saying he was a better Doc than Kirk Douglas in GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL. Michael Biehn is pathetic as Ringo, but Powers Boothe does some remarkly sinister tongue movements in his role.