Review of Appaloosa (2008) by Jamie B — 05 Aug 2010

It's a throwback to the old Western films of the 50s and 60s with the hero and his sidekick who are both hugely talented at wielding guns and using them in the right situations. As far as the storyline goes, I think fans of old style westerns will enjoy this similarly to "3:10 to Yuma". However, if you're looking for a strong female lead, Renee Zellweger doesn't give it. I never realised how absolutely annoying she is. She doesn't fit in the part, her character is shallow and naive, and she acts terribly too.

I'm also not a fan of putting British actors who can't do accents effectively into Westerns. Someone like Christian Bale I understand. Jeremy Irons and Timothy Spall? No. Both very British. Both very 'un-western'. Perhaps Ed Harris was limited to his selection due to it being only his second directing attempt, but there were better ideas for parts who would have cost less.

Without giving any spoilers away, I can't say much more. It is not a complete movie, it has parts that leave you wishing for more, and wishing for less. If you like westerns as a rule, you'll probably enjoy a lot of it.

6/10.