Beautifully engaging with magnificent performances by Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer

Rating: 8/10 (11 October 2016)

Labeling this biopic-based western epic directed by George P. Cosmatos a classic may feel somewhat of an overstatement, but with engaging storytelling by Kevin Jarre and lively performances by such a likable cast (most notably Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer); it almost feels like one. With the Golden Age of Hollywood several decades in the rear-view mirror and the glory days of western actors like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood in the past, it seems the livelihood of the western genre has been slowly dying out with a progressing shortage of memorable or even engaging westerns outings looming year after year. However, this 90s biopic centering on the story of western lawman Wyatt Earp shows good proof that though the western genre is running low on fuel, its not out of the game yet. Set in the 1800s American West, this film tells the story of former lawmen Wyatt Earp (played by Kurt Russell) who has set to retire from law enforcement duty and settle down in the old town of Tombstone, Arizona where he reunites with his old friend Doc Holliday (played by Val Kilmer) and his brothers: Virgil (played by Sam Elliot), the town marshal, and Morgan (played by Bill Paxton), the town sheriff. Everything in town goes pretty peaceful, that is until a gang of corrupt outlaws lead by the ruthless Curly Bill Brocious (played by Powers Booth) arrive in town and cause tyranny. With the lives of their loved ones threaten, Wyatt and his gang must pick their guns back and serve justice against the unlawful gang.
What do you come to expect when hopping aboard the western genre? Bearded men in ten gallon hats? Gunslingers engaging in violent shootouts? Thick Southern accents? As common tropes they are, they all of these happens to be here. But director George P. Cosmotos has much more engaging aspects to offer here than the usual western conventions. Based on an inspiring screenplay by Kevin Jarre partially based on true events, the film boasts a gripping biopic story with mostly solid pacing and charismatic characters, and ventures through the harsh odyssey of former lawmen Wyatt Earp and his call for heroism when the ones he loved become the target of corruption and the life he thought he left behind comes back to grab him by his throat. This all comes down to some bloodshed conflict between his town and the ruthless outlaws of the wild west who threaten to tear him apart. This is not to say the story doesn't offer moments of levity and humor in the midst of its overall solemn atmosphere, particularly from Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday who sprinkles in some comic relief. But the murderous outlaws are not only trouble Wyatt is gutted with, he is also caught in the unexpected love triangle with his narcotic common-law wife Josephine Marcus (played by Dana Delany) and Matty Blaylock (played by Dana Wheeler-Nicholson), which forms to a subplot this story sadly leaves underdeveloped and less dynamic than it should have been. Overall, the story is a spectacle. Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer are both genuine and highly rigid in their roles, and the chemistry these leads show is equally moving, though nothing in the Oscar territory, nothing remotely disappointing. Sam Elliot and Bill Paxton are fine, but quite as memorable as the former duo in the performance department, nor is Powers Booth as the gun-slinging antagonist with a thirst of blood.
Tombstone is a beautifully engaging western epic with lively performances by Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer, and boasts a powerful, if flawed direction by George G. Cosmatos and a gripping script by Kevin Jarre. Though this film may be not be what I consider a masterpiece, there are plenty of reasons why this film is worth your time, even if the western genre doesn't quite spark your interest.