Rating: 
Summary: The X-Treme Old West...
Review: This isn't your average Western movie. One look at who directed it will tell you that much. Horror/fantasy specialist Sam Raimi takes his first jaunt into the Old West (at least, since 'Brisco County Jr.') and it's actually pretty good. The plot's pretty basic; a female gunfighter (perish the thought!) comes to a small town to get herself a little revenge from the town's corrupt mayor for "ruining her life" back in the day. She does this by entering the local "gunfighters' tournament". The story basically goes from there and leads to an explosive finish, pitting "The Lady" against the mayor. One would think that Raimi would enter a fantasy element of some kind into a movie like this, but amazingly, there's none. Just a simple Western action flick with a couple of plot twists here and there to keep you watching. And the action's pretty cool, too; Raimi adds some interesting elements to the gunfights themselves, without needing any real "special effects". The best part about this film, though, is the cast. They bring the main and supporting characters to life wonderfully. Sharon Stone makes a great leading "tough gal", and Gene Hackman, always a terrific villain, plays out one of the most despicable, evil people ever created as the town's mayor. (I spent the entire movie hating him!) Leo DiCaprio's a winner as the mayor's "son" as well. Russell Crowe also turns in a breakthrough performance as a reformed killer-turned-preacher. The rest of the cast is aces and look as well as play their parts to a T. There are a couple of "down notes", though; first of which being the dialogue. Some of it's pretty cheesy and doesn't fit the image of the film very well. (I didn't know they said things like "why don't you come get some" in the Old West.) But hey, that's Sam Raimi's style; you either like it or you don't. The story, while a little different, is very predictable; pretty much from the beginning you know how it's going to end. The movie's a fun ride nonetheless, though, and it's got lots of action, and gets the blood flowing. Fans of Westerns should dig it.
Rating: 
Summary: Director Sam Raimi Does A Wonderful Job
Review: In a western town, a female gun-slinger appears with a chip on her shoulder and vengance in her heart. She enters a quick draw contest and quickly climbs toward the finals. Excellent acting by Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, and Russell Crowe. Sam Raimi fills this movie with amazingly interesting and effective shots, keeping you at the edge of your seat. Would definately watch over and over again.
Rating: 
Summary: Worse than your Average Western
Review: I've seen this movie twice and I only watched it a second time because I wanted to be extra fair in forming an opinion about it. The story is pretty simple: Bloodsport with revolvers. The actors are mostly there to pick up their paychecks (except for Russell, he does a decent job but that is far from enough to save the movie), and the screenwriter is 4. In a previous review someone mentioned that Hackman gave a good performance...that is not true as far as I can tell. He is in his default "yelling old dude" mode and it isn't all that interesting. He didn't want to do Westerns anymore...even to the point that when Eastwood approached him with Unforgiven he refused...multiple times. His lack of enthusiasm shows. If you're feeling the need for some good Western action then check out Unforgiven, High Noon, Stagecoach, The Searchers, The Wild Bunch, Shane, High Plains Drifter, Pale Rider, or any number of other quality Westerns. Put this one low on your list.
Rating: 
Summary: A Visually Amazing, Gun's a Blazing Original.
Review: Being that this film stars Russell Crown AND Leonardo de Caprio in their Pre-Megastar days, I feel that this film deserves another look from it's critics, maybe now you'll see it for what it is.. A Revisionist Setting his sights on the west, much like Sergio Leone and Robert Rodriguez, only their visions fared better Critically and at the Box Office. It is a Daring Film from a Daring Film maker, The Acting is Top Drawer, with the 2 actors mentioned about as standouts. If you still haven't seen it, see it now, if you saw it and were displeased, give it another go.
Rating:
Summary: Liked the film more than I expected
Review: I did like the film more than I expected. Russell did his usual great job. Was glad to have the film letterboxed. Wish Sharon could have kept her clothes on.
Rating:
Summary: Cropped
Review: WARNING: This is a shortened/censored version of the film (at least compared to the one we have seen in Europe
Rating:
Summary: A Miss from Raimi
Review: Slow and unsatisfying film from Sam Raimi, with Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman in a western town where they kill a person every five minutes. Handsomely made but lacks substance, any film with Leo DeCapprio would. A better film from Sam Raimi is Darkman.
Rating:
Summary: Best in the West
Review: I have watch this movie at less 10 times. The actors are very good and Stone is at her best. It too bad she doesn,t make more movies I have been going to movies for 50 years and I think she is one person I would rather watch than anyone else. She does a great job.
Rating:
Summary: Raimi and his actors have some serious fun
Review: In the town of Redemption, the ultimate gunfighter tournament is held, organized annually by the town's fascistic dictator, Herod (Gene Hackman). Every hour on the hour, a duel is fought. Those who win ("The Quick") live to duel again tomorrow, and are another day closer to claiming the ultimate jackpot. Those who lose ("The Dead") end up as corpses, stripped bare by the town's penniless vultures. Among those entered in the contest are Herod himself (the unrelenting defending champion many times over), the Kid (he of questionable birth), Cort (an ex-virtuoso gunfighter who's now a man of the cloth entered in the contest against his will), and most mysteriously, Ellen (who's come to Redemption for redemption, natch). It is a fabulous setup for a movie, providing excellent sustained suspense during the tournament, and enough time between duels to flesh out the relationships between the characters and to try and understand what has gone on in their pasts to bring them to such an unenviable present. Most of the actors are wonderful here, understanding that beyond the seriousness of the subject matter, the movie is really a comic book come to life, and should be imbued with a sense of fun. Hackman and DiCaprio (the Kid) give the best performances. The former is evil personified, fully relishing his role as the object of everyone's hatred, and knowing that he can crush the town like a bug if he chose to. The latter is brimming with youthful ego and energy, sure of his gunplay but tormented by his misidentity. Russell Crowe is also good as the brooding Cort. He is an actor of such visceral intensity that he could go through an entire film without saying a word, and you'd still be sure that he was a serious badass. Also good, in smaller parts, are Lance Henriksen and Keith David as arrogant gunslingers, and Gary Sinise as Ellen's father in flashback. His scenes are emotional and painful to watch, but quite central to the movie's themes. Sharon Stone, well, what to say about her. Her overacting renders her bland. I guess the best impression I can give you about her performance is that, even though she is the central character and the above-the-title star, when I think of this movie I always forget that she's even in it. At least she doesn't get in the way of the other actors. That says it all, I suppose. Anyone who's familiar with Sam Raimi's early work (the 'Evil Dead' films come directly to mind) will recognize his distinctive visual style. It's like Sergio Leone on acid. His camera moves this way and that, in a very kinetic and addictively campy manner. He gives you camera angles and shots that few others would dare to try (the famous bullet's-eye-view shot as it travels through a gunfighter's eye socket comes readily to mind). It's his directing that elevates this movie above the standard spaghetti western rip-off. He makes it great fun.
Rating:
Summary: So very quick!
Review: You got to be thankful for director Sam Evil Dead Raimi for giving us his vision of modern western. Though more than freshly welcome on its release, this baroque western stands as an example of Raimi comfort with the old western myths.Gene Hackmann is perfect as the bad guy as always, Sharon Stone astonishing in the Eastwood part of woman with no name, and Russell Crowe stands as the repentant former gunslinger, turned into a priest, in chain for almost the entire movie and crawling in mud searching for water. Even without the scene cut in the US between Crowe/Stone, a great piece of work.
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