Rated R for some violence and language.
115 Minutes
Directed By: Ed Harris
Written By: Ed Harris and Robert Knott
Staring: Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Renee Zellweger, Jeremy Irons, Timothy Spall, Tom Bower, and James Gammon
Life has a way of making the foreseeable that which never happens… and the unforeseeable that which your life becomes. -Everett Hitch
Review
Appaloosa looked the kind of movie that was going to be impossible not to like. A western with the likes of Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Irons, and Renee Zellweger? This was not a long shot. None of these actors really make bad movies or play roles that aren’t interesting. Appaloosa seemed like it was going to be amazing, but reality shook with cliche moments and a snooze-fest of scenes. There was nothing special or tragically romantic about it. It seemed without any heart. You could feel what Ed Harris was going for, something epic and important but it was incredibly dull instead.
The sheriff and his deputy in the old west are faced with a hardened criminal who not only manages to evade being obtained by the law, even after he commits murder. When he is finally brought in on his charges by two local officers he manages to evade imprisonment. Defying the law and snubbing it in the most disrespectful way possible and continuing his carnage of violence and mayhem. The lawmen must defy their own laws if they are to take the criminal down, but won’t that make them criminals as well?
The saving grace of the film, that kept me from falling asleep was Viggo Mortensen. He gave his character something a little extra that the rest of the cast never really captured. Ed Harris was solid in his role as the hardened lawman, unafraid of anything, and though he showed his human side when it came to Renee Zellweger it was somehow a predictable beat that seemed too obvious. It was essential for the story to end as it did, but Viggo’s character Everett was complex and human, and while seeming more vulnerable was the perfect partner for Harris’s stoic attitude. Zellweger’s character felt forced and awkward, really no depth or interest to who she was, but more or less utilized as a pawn to push to plot points forward. I may not love Zellweger, but she is a lot more talented then her character allowed her to be. Her character became a source of annoyance.
Jeremy Irons as the archenemies bad guy made for a great villain, but even though it initially showed itself as a provocative source of conflict, drizzled into a mass of mundane moments that were not at all compelling. Some of the dialogue and the way events unraveled didn’t flow well together, making it difficult to connect with the story and with the characters. The pacing was all off and much felt plenty wrong.
There was nothing of a specific nature that separated Appaloosa from other Westerns. Even though Viggo had a few moments of stardom it wasn’t anything in comparison to Russell Crowe’s riveting performance in 3:10 To Yuma last year. The pacing and originality was vacant and made for a film that was far from anything astounding. I may have been cool to watch Ed Harris and Viggo be bad asses, but the good pretty much ended there. Appaloosa was an underwhelming movie that seemed to have potential but never fulfilled any of it.
I agree, this is not the best Western movie as of late. I loved 3:10 To Yuma. If you have not seen The Magnificent Seven or The Wild Bunch!!!!
Ahhh 3:10 To Yuma was just so damn good. One of the few Westerns that I’m just in love with.
Totally agree! 3:10 was awesome! That and my other favorite recent Western is Open Range – so damn good. Costner, The West, Duvall ..yup, I’m in:)
Ugh!!!! I thought although it could have been so much better, there still is a lot of good stuff for this film. Great performances from Harris and Mortensen, also a nice pace like Unforgiven. Sorry to disagree, but i just liked this film a lot more.
There were parts of it I liked, but more that I just couldn’t and it felt long to me, and that is never a good sign.
Renee Zellweger was the problem….
I’ve never thought her a strong actress and she is very much so the wrong casting here, definitely a distraction more than anything. Viggo was the best part for me.
I just felt the whole time it was trying to be this epic production and it forgot to just tell the damn story.
I’ve never really gotten the Renee hate, I don’t love her by any means, but I usually find her to be fine in everything before 03. After that it was all downhill.
The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre —Best Zellwegger EVER!
One star?! A little harsh here, no? Even your review mentions a number of things that is good about this picture.Yes, Zellweger (who I don’t like either) is forced here. True. That subplot was not needed. But Harris does tell a decent story here and it is a solid western. Not terrifc — maybe 2 1/2 stars…but not a 1-star film by any means.
Ha. Ouch, I love Harris and Viggo and Renee but I never felt inclined to see this and I guess I wasn’t missing anything. The only western I can admit to loving is The Assassination of Jesse James, that is pure excellence.
This movie held a lot of weak sauce. The cast was brilliant but I find myself – yet again – hating everything about Renee Zellwigger.
I can’t love her, and I don’t think she’s very diverse of an actress.
I deem you to be correct about Zellwegger….diversity? No. But she can do a country bumpkin accent purdy good.
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I really liked her as Bridget Jones, but aside from that she’s ok to me. It also perturbs me that she got credit for gaining weight for the role. Really? She ate a sandwich that day and instead of looking emaciated we are going to mock the fact that she is STILL smaller than your average sized woman. Ick.
She’s starting to ruin Chicago for me. Although I think she plays that character well, a sniveling little bitch.
Watching Richard Gere in that film is like listening to Durran Durran’s “Girls on Film”. Don’t ask why.
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I liked it in that for that very reason, I was allowed to hate her.
Wow, the Renee hatred is intense. Gere ALMOST spoils that movie for me.
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When she’s all emaciated skinny she looks like she has two eggs packed in each of her cheeks.
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This was so disappointing and boring that I had to turn it off. I guess it was more representative of the West than say Tombstone, but I prefer my Westerns to have a bit of life…call me shallow for even wanting something fun like Young Guns II and Back to the Future:P
Shallow or no, it did certainly lack a lot of life. If Viggo wasn’t in it, it would have been a completely lost cause.
Ninja.
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