Wild Bill

Rating:
Summary: Wild Bill pulls off a good western
Review: Everyone seems to be a movie critic,and try to stay away from that,and consider myself much more of a movie/film enthusiast.If the movie sucks,I'll say it out right&point out all the major annoying flaws,if the movie is excellent...I inturn do the same and point out all the great stuff about it.

I've stated this before,and I'll say it again...good westerns are hard to come by.I don't know how acurate Wild Bill documents the final days of Bill Hitcock's life,so I'm sure alot of liberties were taken.However,this is a good western by "western film standards".Its hard to please everyone,and westerns I think are difficult to translate to the screen like Open Range,and Wyatt Erp.

Many western films tend to get too tied up into the plot,or the scenery...trying to get the audience to "soak in" the wild west.Wild Bill pretty much documents his last days/weeks,and how he might have lived them.Was he killed over a vendetta,or just because he made alot of enemies over the years?It's difficult to say.I don't think his actual life was documented very well,and you can't go by the old dime novels made back then.

I thought Wild Bill stuck to the important parts and cut out alot of nonsense.You see a gun fighter struggling with his demons,and ailing before his time(Hitcock suffered from glaucoma).He might have even dabbled with opium and chased the dragon as they say as well.

Wild Bill was very well portrayed by Jeff Bridges who managed to look a heck of alot like him.The film moves along very well,and it does'nt suffer what most other recent westerns typically do which is being extrodinarily long winded,slow&borring.This film is well worth watching,and if you like a semi biographical film with some great acting&action paced scenes,this one will satisfy any admirer of western films&history.

Rating:
Summary: a dissapointing departure from history
Review: Although Jeff bridges does a decent job of depicting the title character, the writers took great "artistic license". If you want to watch a fictionalized and somewhat depressing western this is fine, but if you are looking for either high adventure or historical facts don't look here.

Rating:
Summary: Wild Bill is rolling in his grave.
Review: Could be good as a stand-alone Western; excellent sets, costumes, etc., but has very little to do with Wild Bill Hickok. While Jeff Bridges makes a great Wild Bill, the story loses all credibility as soon as he steps off the stage in Deadwood and is met by Jack McCall, who announces his intentions to kill W.B., then rides off to gather a gang of hoodlems to help him accomplish the feat. Absolutely no semblence whatsoever to reality, especially in the final confrontation at the No.10 saloon. Contains scenes that have become cliche in films, such as (my favorite) when Wild Bill shoots it out with McCall's gang, firing at least thirty shots from each of his cap-n-ball six shooters without reloading. If you are interested in the real Wild Bill, I suggest you read "They Called Him Wild Bill - The Life and Times of Wild Bill Hickok" by Joseph G. Rosa - available from Amazon. If you want a well made western, this isn't bad, just keep in mind that this is FANTASY. If you are interested in Wild Bill Hickok, give this one a MAJOR pass.

Rating:
Summary: A STINKEROO!!
Review: Hollywood just can't make Westerns anymore. And believe me, this one is "living proof". What a stinkeroo! I bet the real "Wild Bill" is more than turning over in his grave! Granted, there are a lot of historical facts that creep into the story, like the fact that Hickok was developing glaucoma, and he spent time in a drug induced haze in the opium parlours. But the rest is pure hogwash. If this is the best that Jeff Daniels can do, then Jeff my boy, HANG IT UP. He staggered through this mess like a drunken man. Even more annoying were the flash backs that popped up. It wasn't so much that, it just made the story hard to follow. Maybe one day, Hollywood will regain it's stride like it did with SILVERADO, but ignore this one.

Rating:
Summary: A STINKEROO!!
Review: Hollywood just can't make Westerns anymore. And believe me, this one is "living proof". What a stinkeroo! I bet the real "Wild Bill" is more than turning over in his grave! Granted, there are a lot of historical facts that creep into the story, like the fact that Hickok was developing glaucoma, and he spent time in a drug induced haze in the opium parlours. But the rest is pure hogwash. If this is the best that Jeff Daniels can do, then Jeff my boy, HANG IT UP. He staggered through this mess like a drunken man. Even more annoying were the flash backs that popped up. It wasn't so much that, it just made the story hard to follow. Maybe one day, Hollywood will regain it's stride like it did with SILVERADO, but ignore this one.

Rating:
Summary: Great performance wasted
Review: I bought this film hoping for a biography of Wild Bill Hickock. The first ten minutes, which presents a short series of vignettes of his experiences, plus a few flashbacks throughout the story, was as close as I came to my wish. This muddled piece of filmmaking supposedly focuses on the last few days of Hickock's life before his shooting by Jack McCall. The only reason I gave this movie two stars is the performance by Jeff Bridges, simply the best portrayal of Hickock to date, only to be wasted. Had they used Bridges to give a life story of the best shootist of the West, they could have patted themselves on the back for a great achievement in Westerns. If you like 'quirky' or 'camp' films, by all means this is for you. But for historical enlightenment--skip it. The only other good thing I can say about this movie is the portrayal of Calamity Jane as more of a soiled dove than a Doris Day. The real Jane was a 'camp follower' and sometimes hooker. My best recomendation--if you must see it, rent it for the sake of seeing Jeff Bridges in one of his better performances.

Rating:
Summary: Makes "Tombstone" look like a documentary
Review: I couldn't wait to see this video, but found it to be a muddled mess of historical inaccuracy. It strives to be the story of how Hickcock, a major celebrity of his day, allowed himself to believe in his own legend, only to be reminded in the final hours of his life what he missed in trying to live up to it. It is a noble idea, but ultimately fails. I had hoped it would be along the lines of "Wyatt Earp", a sometimes plodding but at least historically accurate film, but it doesn't even get close.

Rating:
Summary: Testosterone booster...
Review: I loved this movie! It didn't do well until video. I had never even heard of it until I was at Blockbuster. Jeff Bridges plays an excellent Wild Bill. Tough, gritty and sure of his immortality. And Ellen Barkin is a lovable Calamity Jane (more women should be like her!! hehe) Anyways, this film could have delved more into the Life of Wild Bill as compared to his death. There are great scenes in this movie, but it is hard to digest on the first viewing. The first 2/3s of the movie is kinda hacked up bits and pieces of Bill's life. I would have liked to see more of his earlier years that led up to the man who became a legend. But, it is very enjoyable and makes for great testosterone boost. Ladies probably won't like it (my wife hates it), but a great movie for the guys and a lot of beer.!

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: I recently stumbled over this movie, and I'm glad I did it's a great movie.It ranks right up there with Tombstone,The long Riders, and Unforgiven as a great western, I just can't under stand why it didn't get the credit it deserved at the box office. Anyway it's a great flick maybe not completely historically accurate but come on it's a movie.

Rating:
Summary: Decent, but Dreary, Detailing of the Wild Bill Myth
Review: I wasn't too overly impressed with "Wild Bill" the first time I saw it. I was expecting better from the great Walter Hill. The storytelling is a bit awkward and non-detailed, resulting in a less-than-captivating experience. Not to mention the pic comes to a screeching halt in the third act wherein Bill is held up in a saloon in Deadwood as his would-be killers consider knocking him off. This final act left a bad taste the first time I saw the film.

Yet, I recently gave the flick a second chance at the advice of a fellow Amazon reviewer, and am glad I dead -- I mean did (it must be the effect of the movie). The first half hour involves a series of insult-in-the-saloon-leads-to-gunfight type episodes; as mentioned above, not enough detail is included in these scenes to render them truly thrilling but they're enjoyable nevertheless. The second act settles down a bit, but is essentially more of the same.

Jeff Bridges is fine as Bill but, as written, the character comes off rather dismal and unlikeable. Ellen Barkin is well cast as Calamity Jane; Diane Lane is beautiful as Bill's one-and-only (past) love and David Arquette is good but annoying as Lane's vengeful son (and possible son of Bill).

"Wild Bill" offers a very unattractive and dreary Wild West. This is not necessarily bad in-and-of-itself, but the awkward storytelling prevents it from attaining greatness. Still, in this era where there are so few Westerns to enjoy, "Wild Bill" is a must for Western fans. In my opinion it's leagues better than the soporific and overrated "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," at least as far as maintaining your interest goes.