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Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers

List Price: $14.99
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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Texas Rangers
Review: If these actors are Texas Rangers then Charlie's Angels are real detectives. I am a Western fan and this movie has no redeeming value. Tom Skerritt should be ashamed to appear in this film. If I could have rated this video at -5 I would have done so.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: RANDY TRAVIS' BIGEST FAN
Review: In my opinion the best thing about this movie is Randy Travis.
He did a good job and looked great!
I anxiously await his next movie.
The Practice star needs to stick with TV.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Misses the Bullet
Review: In the after-effects of the Civil War, Texas is a sleeping giant falling prey to vicious marauding and theft by Mexican invaders. The Rangers were disbanded to fight for the South; now they are to be regrouped, with a former pastor-turned-lawman, Leander McNelly (Dylan McDermott), in he lead. Persuaded by the government to undertake the training and leadership of thirty rag-taggled, half-bit schoolboy-turned-lawmen, McNelly finds himself at odds not only with his own priorities and shaken faith, but his inability in leadership.

One member of this poor crop of unshaven boys is Dunnison (James Van Der Beek), whose family was slaughtered by the Mexicans. Due to his writing talents, he is chosen as McNelly's personal aid and undertakes documenting all of the reports to Washington.

With very little time for training, the Rangers saddle up and ride off to meet their fates. But prejudice, poor shooting skills and mistakes are the least of McNelly's problems. There is also a traitor among them... a character who will turncoat... and a violent climax in Mexico.

Texas Rangers (PG13) has a good heart and could have been a great film. It's been a long time since there's been a truly excellent western on the market -- not since Jimmy Stewart donned his white hat and rode into the west. Sadly, this one will not fill the void. The fact that the film was not pre-released for the press is a dead giveaway that something is lacking. The acting is excellent -- pity the scriptwriters didn't give Dylan McDermott and Rachael Leigh Cook more to work with. The soundtrack is gorgeous -- will it be released? Probably not, considering the big-screen failure of the film.
  
The movie abounds with clever camera angles, gorgeous photography and costuming, and truly unanticipated moments -- ambushes, traitors, and clever banter. Sadly it is based more on gunfights and cheap thrills than pliable emotional conflict. Characters are under-developed; we hope they don't get killed but don't really have a reason why. The female leads in particular are too overlooked, the actresses unable to exhibit their full potential. What this film desperately needed was a side plot or a stronger main plot to draw from -- more emotion, less coldness. Perhaps a stronger romance; more background information. Too many characters are left in the lurch, their personalities trailing off as if the writer didn't know what to do with them. 

In conclusion, it was worth a matinee. I came away sorry for the under-development and violence, but willing to watch it again on video or DVD (prefurably a Director's Cut). If you like the tradition of old westerns, "Texas Rangers" fits the bill. But if you shy away from nonstop violence and cheap character development, you may want to pass this one over for a Christmas blockbuster. It had a lot of potential... but was too slow on the draw.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: At last "TEXAS RANGERS" will be released
Review: James Van Der Beek (the main character Dawson on "Dawson's Creek") will be back on theaters with a new movie called "TEXAS RANGERS". It would be released almost two years ago, but post-production problems made canceled the movie until now, well, until november 30th.
I loved the previous movie of James called "Varsity Blues" and I am waiting impatiently for this new movie.
Other actors in "TEXAS RANGERS" are Rachael Leigh Cook (She's All That), Leonor Varela, Ashton Kutchner(Dude, Where's My car?), and Dylan McDermott(The Practice) among others.
Directed by Steve Miner who directed films like "Halloween H20",
"Lake Placid" and others.
I hope that this movie be a blockbuster and if the trailer is not good enough, doesn't matter. Maybe the film is much more incredible than people thinks.
I rate this film with four stars because I can't rate with four and a half. This movie deserves these stars.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: At last "TEXAS RANGERS" will be released
Review: James Van Der Beek (the main character Dawson on "Dawson's Creek") will be back on theaters with a new movie called "TEXAS RANGERS". It would be released almost two years ago, but post-production problems made canceled the movie until now, well, until november 30th.
I loved the previous movie of James called "Varsity Blues" and I am waiting impatiently for this new movie.
Other actors in "TEXAS RANGERS" are Rachael Leigh Cook (She's All That), Leonor Varela, Ashton Kutchner(Dude, Where's My car?), and Dylan McDermott(The Practice) among others.
Directed by Steve Miner who directed films like "Halloween H20",
"Lake Placid" and others.
I hope that this movie be a blockbuster and if the trailer is not good enough, doesn't matter. Maybe the film is much more incredible than people thinks.
I rate this film with four stars because I can't rate with four and a half. This movie deserves these stars.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: How the West Was...Politely Tamed
Review: Talk about your bland movies. At times Texas Rangers exhibits some cool action scenes, a few epic camera angles, some decent acting, and a good storyline--at times. Mainly it resembles a period telenovela on Telemundo: bad acting, long pauses, hot chicks.

This movie looks and feels truncated. It was entertaining, but I would be very curious to see the original Director's Cut; and I can only hope it would be better as this movie was once on Sam Peckinpah's "to do" pile.

Now, while the movie is entertaining, it really, really screws up history (while looking very Canadian).

Spoilers below:

-McNelly's wife and kids were never taken by bandits

-Captain King was never killed

-King Fisher wasn't killed until years later, and not by a Texas Ranger

-The Rangers were not left in some young upstart's hands

All in all, the filmmakers seem to have compressed years of Ranger history into an 80 minute film, essentially creating a Texas Rangers: Greatest Hits.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Good Movie - McDermont Does Well!
Review: Texas Rangers is a very thoughtful film. Kyle McDermont gives a very good performer as the captain of the now failing Texas Rangers Corr commissioned by the US President in the mid 1800's. These men were there to protect the Texas landowners land, cattle and homes. (Including their wives and children.)
Steve Minor who has done a lot of low budget films but actually carried this film to its end directed the movie.

The characters and they way they developed with their convictions was very well done. The performances were genuine and honest. It's a film that has a small - but honest - heart.

The DVD extras include a nice little behind the scenes docudrama about the making of the film and the interviews with the cast and director are quite interesting. This is a film that if you like westerns you will enjoy it. It has action, drama, life, death, friendship, loyalty and heroism. (It's no Rio Grande or Unforgiven, but it's a good TV movie for the family.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: King Vidor It Isn't, But Still Enjoyable To Some Degree
Review: Texas Rangers, one of the earliest organized law enforcement in America, has been treated in movie industry, and probably the best one remains King Vidor's version made in 1936. Since then, the name has been used as a TV series, and even as a baseball team, so it is time for someone to pick up this ledendary figures to make a film out of their eventful history. And here is a film based on this important part of American history again.

The film starts with massive killings of innocent people by the villainous John King Fisher (Alfred Molina). And in order to regain the justice in the land of Texas, young gunmen get together under the command of Leander McNelly (Dylan McDermott), whose way of carrying out justice seems sometimes very dubious. James Van Der Beek is one of these brave youths recruited for the purpose, as are Usher Raymond and Ashton Kusher. Robert Patrick also appears as Sgt. John Armstrong who supports McNelly, and you will find Rachel Leigh Cook, who falls in love with one of them. Also, Leonor Verela ("Blade 2") appears, but her role is a very painful one, I warn you, fans.

OK, and about the film ... well, first, don't expect something that might enlarge your knowledge about American history. Though the character of McNelly is a real one, and the location of the film is very beautiful and authentic, the story itself is nothing new, nothing inspired, just what you have seen in other western films. Though the film at least doens't stop to muse, and during this short running time there are enough shootings to keep you absorbed, you will feel something missing in it.

The actors including Van Deer Beek are not bad, but it is McDermott who attracts the viewers most, with his comparatively complex characterization. However, I find Alfred Molina, usually a very reliable actor, is fatally miscast as a villain, and Rachael Leigh Cook looks very uncomfortable (though she was once in a costume drama "True Women.") Probably it is because we know (and she knows) that her role is just an obligatory one.

Director Steve Miner, like his "Lake Placid," keeps the story going anyway, but he neither hits the right mark, nor misses it too wide. Surely "Texas Rangers" is entertaining, but needs something more to be really original.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: King Vidor It Isn't, But Still Enjoyable To Some Degree
Review: Texas Rangers, one of the earliest organized law enforcement in America, has been treated in movie industry, and probably the best one remains King Vidor's version made in 1936. Since then, the name has been used as a TV series, and even as a baseball team, so it is time for someone to pick up this ledendary figures to make a film out of their eventful history. And here is a film based on this important part of American history again.

The film starts with massive killings of innocent people by the villainous John King Fisher (Alfred Molina). And in order to regain the justice in the land of Texas, young gunmen get together under the command of Leander McNelly (Dylan McDermott), whose way of carrying out justice seems sometimes very dubious. James Van Der Beek is one of these brave youths recruited for the purpose, as are Usher Raymond and Ashton Kusher. Robert Patrick also appears as Sgt. John Armstrong who supports McNelly, and you will find Rachel Leigh Cook, who falls in love with one of them. Also, Leonor Verela ("Blade 2") appears, but her role is a very painful one, I warn you, fans.

OK, and about the film ... well, first, don't expect something that might enlarge your knowledge about American history. Though the character of McNelly is a real one, and the location of the film is very beautiful and authentic, the story itself is nothing new, nothing inspired, just what you have seen in other western films. Though the film at least doens't stop to muse, and during this short running time there are enough shootings to keep you absorbed, you will feel something missing in it.

The actors including Van Deer Beek are not bad, but it is McDermott who attracts the viewers most, with his comparatively complex characterization. However, I find Alfred Molina, usually a very reliable actor, is fatally miscast as a villain, and Rachael Leigh Cook looks very uncomfortable (though she was once in a costume drama "True Women.") Probably it is because we know (and she knows) that her role is just an obligatory one.

Director Steve Miner, like his "Lake Placid," keeps the story going anyway, but he neither hits the right mark, nor misses it too wide. Surely "Texas Rangers" is entertaining, but needs something more to be really original.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Only Reason
Review: The Only reason that I think I am going to go see it when It comes out is because my favorite singer Usher Raymond is going to be in it. Other than that, It doesnt seem like a movie that I would want to see. Based on the trailer, it seems like every other country western movie out there and it seems kind of boring. So I'm glad that they put Usher in the preview or else they would have one less spectator.


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