DVD review of Open Range? (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Adams]

Yeah, I can't wait to pick this up today. This film is #4 in my top ten list of th year. This is such a great film and as others have metioned, one of the best shootouts ever caught on film. Open Range and Heat have the two most intense realistic shootouts I have ever seen.


I almost agree with this statement but there was that other little western movie that came out a year after Unforgiven called Tombstone. And IMO IS the best western movie ever made. Not only is it the best western it is my favorite movie of all time. So IMO Open Range is the best western since Tombstone and that was a very long time ago 93.
I am not a huge fan of the western genre but Open Range, Tombstone and Unforgiven are such GREAT films that you can really enjoy them without being a fan of the genre. I can't wait for this Friday,my in laws are coming over to watch Open Range,they have been hearing me go on and on about it since I watched it this past summer.

 

[John Hodson]

Good, but flawed; and I rate Unforgiven, Tombstone and Wyatt Earp higher.

I thought Duvall was excellent (though he was heavily in Lonesome Dove mode, which is not by definition a bad thing), and Costner was very brave to give his co-star four-fifths of the movie, while making the final, explosive, fifth all his own.

But some of the characters were barely sketched in; Michael Gambon deserved more, and Annette Benning (and I'm amazed to say this) lacked passion.

The gunfight is incredible; but having just come off the back of My Darling Clementine - which Costner tips his stetson too quite heavily - it suffered quite badly in my eyes.

Maybe I'll warm to it more on a second viewing. BTW, the ending has been criticised, but I quite liked it. Costner tried very hard to make a traditonal western eschewing the cynicism which infects some films; and on that score he largely succeeded. And, bless him, he's breathing life into a genre which has suffered quite badly in recent years.

Costner is not John Ford or Howard Hawks, but I understand he's going to write and direct another western; who knows..?

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So many films, so little time...

 

[Jonny P]

Costner is at his best when he plays laconic western heroes.

He isn't a particularly great actor, or deep actor. He struggles with material in genres that requires an actor of emotional depth. I think he just plain struggle when he is in a movie that isn't of personal interest to him involving a subject he is passionate about.

The two types of films that Costner is best in are baseball movies and westerns. If that was all he did, audiences would seemingly be content.

Most of his films have a corny quality to him. That suits certain types of films, but works to his detriment in others.

The movie "Thirteen Days" was interesting, but Costner's insistence on doing a New England accent was incredibly annoying...so too was his attempt at a British one in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves."

He is better when he can play an All-American Everyman.

Costner also likes to be in control. We saw that with both "Robin Hood..." and "Waterworld" when he took over the reins in the editing room.

I think he prefers to be in charge.

"Open Range" was one of the better films I saw last summer. It was a throwback type of movie, but the film kept me entertained throughout. I am an admitted fan of the Western.

Westerns are partly about mood and scenery. This movie has plenty of both. Robert Duvall is always good in this sort of role. I think it was fantastic that Costner gave his character so much screen time throughout.

Yes, he often comes across like Gus McRae in "Lonesome Dove," but I think that is just part of who he is. Watch "Secondhand Lions" and you will see what I mean.

I also like the fact that he opted for a sentimental ending.

"Unforgiven" was a film that we analyzed in my Film Theory and Criticism class in college, and according to the professor it isn't really a "Western" when you consider the formula, but more of an "Anti-Western." The movie doesn't follow the principles of good vs. evil that usually are at play in a horse opera, but tries to be more morally ambiguous all around.

"Open Range" tends to follow the more standard formula. I think it works very well.

For those of you that have widescreen TVs, I would consider this a "must buy" if for nothingakine than the scenery is beautiful.

 

[T r o y]

Jeff, I agree with you 100%. I simply love Tombstone.
In fact, I love this movie so much, that I bought an auctioned Ebay "signed by the cast" Tombstone poster.

Some of the best one liners and memorable dialogue in a film ever!!

I can't wait to check out Open Range.

Later!
Troy

 

[EricW]

i just bought this; will be watching it tonight.

not to be anal, but very bad cover i mean, it looks like a direct-to-video cover.

 

[David Illingworth II]

I also rate this one directly behind Tombstone as best modern western EVER. How could Val Kilmer not be nominated for Tombstone?! Tragic.
I may like this one even more though, having seen it only once. It's definitely one of the 3 best films I've seen this year, and I like Robert Duvall in it even more than Lonesome Dove.
I also wish to comment on the sound. Rarely has it been used so effectively. I go to a lot of action movies, but when Costner uses that first gunshot in the bar I definitely jumped it was so loud! Part of it was that there had been no guns used so far, and I had kind of forgotten about that element ... so when Costner lets loose it's all the more jarring.
Great film, don't miss it.

 

[Jeff Adams]

I couldn't agree more. They totally screwed up the great original movieposter art. Why do they do that????????????

 

[David Illingworth II]

Just watched the movie and the main making-of, plus the deleted scenes.
For once, the deleted scenes actually seemed like scenes with several being a couple minutes long (not like the few second snippets that made up 98% of X2 deleted scenes), and I think there were about 10 or 12. Costner gives very brief introduction to almost all of them. Nothing spectacular though. I was glad to see them because I love the characters, but there wasn't anything that shouldn't have been cut.
The real revelation is the making of: Beyong the Open Range. Man, Coster is real honest and sincere in this. He's up front about financing problems, directorial insecurities, and health problems. It's mostly behind the scenes footage that Costner comments over, with a few cast and crew interviews thrown in for good measure. Really charts the beginning to the end with a ton of great behind the scenes, rehearsal footage, and some really great insights from Costner. He really gets a bad rap a lot, but from this he seems like a really natural, humble guy who makes movies because he wants to make something great to leave behind. A lot of times I don't bother with the making of stuff, but this was one of the best I've seen.

 

[Justin Bauer]

I saw this movie twice in theaters and just bought it. I have not checked out the DVD yet, but I cannot wait. I am going to have to download a new cover for this one because it is just awful.

I am just thrilled to see Coster make a great movie again, I have been pulling for him for years.

My Western rankings of the past 12 years:

1. Unforgiven
2. Open Range
3. Wyatt Earp
4. Tombstone

Edit: Thanks for pointing that out Troy

 

[T r o y]

Justin, I know you probably meant this anyway, but shouldn't one of your Unforgiven's be a Tombstone ?

I noticed you have Unforgiven down twice.


BTW, your list covers my top four as well.

Peace Out,

Troy

 

[Martin Jeeves]

Sounds like a good movie and a good DVD.

I can't believe that BV are leaving off the trailer AGAIN! It is SO annoying.

Does anyone know what the Sneek Peeks are on the Open Range DVD? Is Under The Tuscan Sun one of them? I want to buy Tuscan Sun but I bet the trailer isn't on that either! Why Disney can't put the relevant trailers on their releases is anyones guess. Please let me know. Thanks.

 

[Jeremy Anderson]

Watched this last night and LOVED it. This definitely ranks in my top 5 westerns.

But more than that, the sound... Oh, the sound! In my opinion, the gunshots in this movie are more realistic sounding than any other movie I've heard. When Costner fires the shotgun at the saloon, it felt like I was standing next to someone firing a real shotgun. There was concussive bass and that CRACK of the report. Absolutely an outstanding job of making it feel real. It made me happy I have a SVS sub, 'cause BOOM!

 

[Jeff Adams]

I didn't watch the entire movie last night but I did watch the shootout at the end. Wow, wow, wow! Very accurate, very detailed and those gun shots, they are the loudest most impactful gunshots I have ever heard. Each time a round went off Demo material for sure! I felt like there was a shootout going on in my living room.

 

[Jeff Adams]

I accidentally hit enter before I was done posting. Anyway, each time a round went off I could feel it hit me in the chest. My subwoofers got a serious workout. And the bass from the gunshots were not an overbloated, sloppy boom sound, it was very clean,tight and accurate. I also liked how the bullets sounded hitting wood, and other background things. The echo of the shots were also really cool. Even if you did not like this movie, which is impossible IMO, the end scene is worth the purchase alone.

 

[Jeff Adams]

Yes, it does fo rme too!
My list goes like this.
1. Tombstone
2. Unforgiven
3. Open Range
4. Once Upon a time in the West
5. The Good the Bad and the Ugly

 

[Charlie B. Ch.]

Watched the dvd last night and WOW. It has been a while since I saw a new release movie that is as engaging as this although I sometimes felt like I was watching the combination of Lonesome Dove and Unforgiven. The cinematography is excellent. I won't hesitate to purchase a HD-DVD version of this movie once the time comes.

 

[David Judah]

I hope The Searchers is #6.

DJ

 

[John Hodson]

On my list, that's right at the top. And Kevin Costner directing a better movie than Leone's masterpiece? That'll be the day...

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So many films, so little time...

 

[Ernest Rister]

My Favorite Westerns

1. The Ox-Bow Incident
2. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
3. Unforgiven
4. Lonesome Dove
5. Dances With Wolves
6. The Man from Laramie
7. The Searchers
8. Shane
9. Open Range
10. Big Jake
11. My Darling Clementine
12. A Fistful of Dollars
13. Rio Bravo
14. The Magnificent Seven
15. The Wild Bunch
16. Blazing Saddles
17. Red River
18. High Noon
19. The Outlaw Josey Wales
20. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
21. Cat Ballou
22. Silverado
23. Little Big Man
24. Winchester '73
25. Tombstone

Crazy Honorable Mentions: The Apple Dumpling Gang and Hot Lead and Cold Feet (shoot me, I find them innocent and fun)

Least Favorite Westerns

1. Bad Girls
2. Wild Wild West
3. Young Guns
4. Posse
5. Any Western starrring Kenny Rogers

 

[Blu]

Very good movie!
Beautifuly shot!

I would recommend it to anyone who really doesn't care for westerns and especially to people who do care for westerns!

I would like to know though is where it was to be depicted at and where it was shot?

Was this in the States or in Canada?