Review of Silverado (1985) by Shane V — 03 Feb 2010

As they approach the town of Silverado, four different men with different motives join forces to battle the injustice that has gripped the fine little town.

I don't think I've ever seen a movie that can take so long to say so little. The characters are all typical one-note supermen that you couldn't possibly dislike. But at least they're all different notes. Good performances from the whole cast, but the characters are so shallow it feels like the actors were hired simply because they needed people to hold the guns. It's nothing great, but it's enjoyable and the writing seems about the same. The odd thing about this flick is that it lacks so much, but makes every little bit that it has quite fun. Good creative action in every instance and a nice little score to accompany it. The plot is pretty straightforward, unfolding without any hitches and tying the fates of all our characters together quite well at a good pace. Usually one of my biggest criticisms about a film is it's runtime and how it's used. The movie is two hours and ten minutes long. Looking back that seems way to long for a film of this sort, but absolutely every scene was essential to giving us what little characters we had, so I really can't complain. Overall, it's a nice little flick that brings us on a good fun ride without succumbing to all the cheesy things the 80's were so famous for. Good acting with flat characters about even each other out. The plot is good fun and the action is great. It keeps a light enough tone to enjoy while still making for a decent serious movie. it's kind of like buttered toast. It's not great; it's not a meal; and it's not very good for you. It's just a casual snack that you can enjoy every now then. So I'll just give "Silverado" 6.5 bottles of "the good stuff" out of 10.