Rating: 
Summary: Kevin Costner once again captures the magic of Westerns!
Review: A cloudless sky. Long green grass. Dirty boots. Worn hands. What is a film western? It's not those things, they make up a western, but what a western is is magic. Not the magic you find in a "Harry Potter" film, but real-life magic. The magic of going to a forgotten time, living with it's citizens, etc. "Open Range" captures that magic.Kevin Costner's sure directorial hands guide the amazing stars (Including Costner, himself) through a script filled with old west flair. The technical crew capture the beauty of the Old West in all it's glory and craft an intense, bloody, and memorable gunfight. "Open Range," despite it's minor flaws, is a modern Western classic. If you're a fan of the genre, you should definitely purchase it. It's a tale of love, war, and life in the good ol' west. Welcome back western genre! I missed ya!
Rating: 
Summary: Open Range-Great Movie
Review: This was a great film. The story was good. Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall were wonderful. Kevin Costner is a true cowboy at heart. If he had lived during the time of the old west, it is no doubt that he would have been a standing hero. Robert Duvall is nothing short of a man's man. I do have to say that the film location was absolutely breath taking. I could not believe that such a beautiful location exsisted. I would recommend this film to anyone that likes cowboys, a little romance, and beautiful scenery.
Rating: 
Summary: Old fashioned dependable
Review: A solid western constructed of essential elements with a simple but effective message, far more palatable than Kostner's two bloated and pompous Western epics Dances with Wolves and Wyatt Earp.
This is a western without a phony sales pitch, like those tonic salesman of the Old West. There are no arching political or cultural lessons here.
You get what you pay for, a good decent story with smart script and well-staged bang bang. This is Western as oldie but goodie.
Rating:
Summary: Great Western
Review: This movie has great acting and some good action. Costner and Duvall are a good match for seriousness and humor. The movie is a little slow overall, but it's too good to matter. If you like westerns, this is a must see.
Rating:
Summary: The Costner Pattern
Review: Costner always makes a movie where it starts off slow, picks up, the tension between the good guys and bad guys starts, meets the girl, falls in love with the girl, kills the bad guys, runs off with the girl, and lives happily ever after. Trim it down to so that it picks up right away, the tension between the good guys and bad guys starts, meets the girl, kills the bad guys, and lives. Makes for a shorter and more action-packed movie, from 2 and a half hours down to 2 hours. Then it gets at least 4 stars. Oh yeah, Duvall is good in this, but so is Costner.
Rating:
Summary: He's baaaaaaack!!!
Review: Wide open skies... historical significance... loyalty and friendship... tragedy... love... the lighning crack and visual realities of real gunfire... Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall, Michael Jeter, Annette Bening... all in concert telling a tale that will live on with the best of the genre. Bravo!!!
Rating:
Summary: Costner Does A good Attempt - A Little Slow - But Good.
Review: Directed by Kevin Costner (Dances With Wolves, The Postman) himself tells a new story around the time when the west was still controlled by Marshals and the land was claimed by settlers. Starring Kevin and Robert Duvall (Secondhand Lions, Deep Impact, Sling Blade) as two life long friends with a quiet and peaceful dimeener and a sense of Justice that no one will interfere with. Each character has a past and each character has an expertise and emotional stick of dynomite inside them. Kevin's character finds comfort and trust in the sister of a Doctor, actress Annette Benning (The American President, Mars Attacks, Bugsy) plays the most warming and strong sister to her brother a Doctor played by Dean McDermott (Critical Choices, Evidence Of Blood) who together patch up scrapes, scars and wounds. This is a gritty film about the lives of people on the range and even gives you a perspective a young mans ambitions and abilities in wanting to emulate Kevins and Robert's characters...played by Diego Luna (Frida, Los Vampires). Overall the film is interesting but it didn't hold the majesty of Costner's Dances With Wolves. Good performances by Duvall, Benning, Luna and Costner and even the films bad guy played by James Russo (Stealing Sinatra, Redemption). There is even a charming performance by Abraham Benrubi (ER, Twister) as the side kick who trains Luna character - although something does happene to him. Good film for the family, but it runs a little long in couple of places but I liked the chemistry the characters had which really made the film interesting. A good video movie - I'm sure. Check it out. (11-10-03)
Rating:
Summary: A celebration of America and an honest look at our folklore
Review: Open Range There's just something about a good old-fashioned Western. The standard formula never really gets old: underdog good guys vs powerful landowner bad guys, a righteous cause, and a showdown on main street. Add a dose of rugged individualism and a lovely lady to stir things up a bit, and you have the makings of a classic American story. The things about Open Range that differ from past Westerns are in the silent details. The first thing that impressed me was the stunning cinematography of our unspoiled American landscape. I don't know if it's because of improved moviemaking technology or not, but OR just looks much more beautiful than any other film of its type. Perhaps the location scouts have gotten more sophisticated in recent years - or more daring. We are treated to some views of the West that depart from the traditional deserts, canyons and prairies; raw mountainsides, green foothills, semi-forested valleys, etc. that were common sights back in the days of the cattle runs. Another new aspect of OR is in the way the cowboys' everyday existence is portrayed in all its gritty hardness. Little things like how they makeshifted shelters out in a downpour, the numbing cold at night, what tasks and drudgeries made up their in-between times, and the gruff camaraderie between them lends an intimate sense of the actual times and pace of life for cowhands back in the 1800s. Life was at once a struggle and a precious thing, and we are not spared the starkness of it all in this movie. While I'm mentioning departures from tradition, I'd like to congratulate the makers of this film for choosing some leads that don't fit the cookie-cutter 20 something image of most heroes and heroines. Robert Duvall, Kevin Costner and Annette Bening play level-headed, mature people that have experienced enough of life to know how not to waste it. Yes, there's a romantic subplot between Costner and Bening, neither of whom are any less sexy for being past their 30s. Of course, Duvall is talilor-made for the role of the toughened, cynical older cowboy that has become Costner's mentor and best friend. There is some uneven pacing in this film that would put off some people who might be expecting the sort of action-packed rollercoaster rides that made up the last decade's few Western films. See this film instead for its honesty and fascination with another century's way of life, and you will get some action as a bonus along the way. And, if at all possible, see this movie on a very large screen for the maximum visual effect it has to offer.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle
Rating: 
Summary: Kevin, for God's Sake GET A NEW PLOT!!!
Review: "The Postman", "Waterworld", "Open Range". What do these three movies have in common? They are the SAME movie!! Villain comes in and takes over the country/ocean/old West town. Good guy and friends must re-take country/ocean/Old West town by force. Jeez, just change the names, costumes and locale and you have a new movie! I was able to sit through this re-hash for only 30 minutes and I left hubby and (...). Reason being it was complete cliche'. Robert Duvall as the old crusty cowboy/philosopher firing off euphomisms every few minutes that were about as profound as a fortune cookie message! And the cowardly hand with them, also a cliche'. When I came back to my husband at the end of "Open Range" I asked him if the kid redeemed himself by coming to the rescue. He said "You guessed it." I didn't have to guess. This story has been done a million times. I knew where the story was going, I just couldn't bear sitting that long to get to where we all knew it would end up. Kevin, pleeeeeease find another plot. Find another ORIGINAL gem like "Dancing With Wolves." Put this oooollllllld, tired plot to sleep. Or stop making movies, OK? Deal?
Rating:
Summary: The western is alive and well
Review: The western movie has returned in "Open Range." Finally, Costner has come up with a film in the genre he seems to know best. Here one finds the classic elements: An injustice perpetrated by a more powerful entity. A strong, silent hero with a less than perfect past. His older and equally strong mentor. And a woman with a secret. In the west in the 1880s free grazing was legal, but rich ranchers were beginning to lay claim to large tracts of land. The resentment of the ranchers against those who "steal" their grass leads to violence. When Mose, who is as gentle as he is big, is killed by hooded raiders, and a 16-year-old wrangler is badly wounded, what can two honest men, bred to violence, do? They must seek vengeance and protect the herd that is their life's blood, in a town where the people both sympathize with and support them. However, they, too must act to ensure their own survival. Duvall is wonderful as always. The role of the ruthless gunman seems tailor-made for Costner. Benning is lovely and warm as the love interest. Jeter (who died shortly after the movie was made) is a joy to watch. The final shootout has its own idiosyncracies and level of brutality. Although the story may seem predictable to some, the way in which it is presented is such a pleasure, it is easy to forgive. The land is beautiful (but is not filmed in sweeping, over-long camera shots), the cinematography lends interest to the action, and the time that is portrayed is fascinating in its own right. Welcome back, Kevin Costner.
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