Review of Appaloosa (2008) by Andy S — 09 Jun 2009

To be fair I must admit that I've seen very few westerns and this is certain to decrease my credibility as I attempt to duel with Appaloosa. However, I have seen a few good ones (Unforgiven and 3:10 to Yuma, to name two) and Appaloosa is a poor shot in comparison. A few bullets missing from this film's chambers are 1) beautiful cinematography (aren't westerns supposed to have amazing images of snow-capped mountains, rugged peaks, and perhaps a few random tumbleweeds?), 2) a compelling story, and 3) good characters and/or character development. Certainly, Appaloosa has a first rate cast and a talented director, but the cinematography is uninspiring, the story is a bore, and the characters are pretty one-dimensional (except perhaps Harris' Marshall Cole). Over the course of the film it didn't seem like any of the characters changed significantly and this left me wondering, "why then tell this story at all?".

Appaloosa is a bland film that feels much longer than its 115 minutes. My recommendation is to walk away from this film and see if you can find the latest version of 3:10 to Yuma instead. Trust me, it will be far less painful.