Review of Hard Ground (2003) by Kevin R — 13 Feb 2011

Sit light in your saddle and don't bruise your brain.

John "Chill" McKay and Billy Bucklin are convicted criminals on their way to Yuma Federal Prison. John was wrongfully accused while Billy is a ruthless outlaw. Friends of Billy's breaks him out of jail, and in doing so, also release John. John is fine with never seeing Billy again until he discovers that his son is one of the individuals responsible for bringing him in. It looks like John will need to find his son and help him bring Billy to justice despite being an outlaw himself.

"There ain't no women within 20 miles from here and there ain't no pretty women in twice that distance.".

Frank Q. Dobbs, director of Enter the Devil, Hotwire, and Up Hill All of the Way, delivers Hard Ground. The storyline for this picture is interesting and well presented. The story wasn't particularly unique but it was worth following. The script was fairly clever and well delivered and the cast delivers better than average performances. The cast includes Burt Reynolds, Bruce Dern, Martin Kove, Seth Peterson, and Amy Jo Johnson.

"It's a white woman. You can't sell a white woman.".

Hard Ground was a film I came across while flicking through the channels last night. I thought it would be fun to see Burt Reynolds in a western and was not disappointed with this movie. The villain was excellent and presented well and the action scenes were better than anticipated. Overall, this won't be the best western you have ever seen but it is definitely worth your time.

"I ain't got no use for drunks. Undependable.".

Grade: C+.