Appaloosa Review

Boasting a strong cast which includes the likes of Viggo Mortensen and Renee Zellweger this film should leave you feeling as though this was a modern western classic but it never reaches the height of another recent western by the name of 3:10 To Yuma which had a fabulous cast, great performances and a very strong plot.  In many ways that is where Appaloosa trips over itself, its plot really isn't that intricate and doesn't get pulse racing as Yuma or any other classic western throughout cinematic history, despite great conviction from the cast.  

Directed by the critically acclaimed Ed Harris (Actor: A Beautiful Mind, The Truman Show & Gone Baby Gone).  He pulls out a fairly decent film in which he also stars along side Viggo and Renee, but maybe its his lack of directing expertise that means this film never really shifts into top gear and delivers the final knockout.  The bright side for him is that many directors would rather like to have this film in their armoury and its bodes well for the future if he wants to dip his toe in the pond of direction a little more in the future.  

The story, following a freelance sheriff (Harris) and his deputy (Viggo) who are hired by unruly towns to bring some law and order meet  a single woman (Renee) out of place in the town of Appaloosa.  A fruitful relationship between Harris and Renee ensues until a criminal is caught.  Thus sparking a chain of events that include the capturing of Renee, the ransom of Harris & Viggo to release the criminal.  They then set out to recapture the criminal ad end up in a shootout in a mexican town, both get injured and the criminal escapes to go back to Appaloosa and take over the running of the town.  Once they get back to Appaloosa Harris and Renee settle down but unrest follows.  Until the culmination of Viggo taking out the criminal in a shoot out.  Off he rides into the distance and a very open ending, a sequel maybe a possibility.

Overall this film does well with what it has, it thrills at times, but its big downfall is the lack of all guns blazing duel.  The only head to head one we see is at the the end but while it gives us some nice closure it doesn't really fulfill my need or whet my appetite.