Review of The Long Riders (1980) by Benoît R — 22 Mar 2010
Solid, but unspectacular take on the James gang.
The Long Riders (1980) 6.4/10.
Director - Walter Hill.
Cast - David Carradine, Keith Carradine, Robert Carradine, Stacy Keach, James Keach, Randy Quaid, Dennis Quaid, Christopher Guest, Nicholas Guest, Harry Carey Jr., Pamela Reed, James Remar, Fran Ryan.
Directed by Walter Hill, The Long Riders is another take on the famous James-Younger outlaw gang. Hill casts real-life brothers to play the brothers in the gang. James and Stacy Keach play Jesse and Frank James, respectively. The Younger brothers are played by David, Keith and Robert Carradine. The Hill brothers are played by Randy and Dennis Quaid. The Ford brothers by Christopher and Nicholas Guest.
The film itself is solid, but unspectacular. The problem has more to do with the writing than anything else. You would think the focus should be on Jesse James, but there really isn't any emphasis on one character. While casting real-life brothers certainly was an interesting idea, it shouldn't drive the entire film. You could have used the same cast and had a more focused story. That said it is inetersting watching all the brothers perform. David Carradine fares best, thanks mostly to a subplot with Pamela Reed.
Fans of Westerns will probably find this worthwhile but it's hardly necessary viewing for anybody else.
This review of The Long Riders (1980) was written by Benoît R on 22 Mar 2010.
The Long Riders has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
