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Frank and Jesse

Frank and Jesse

List Price: $9.98
Your Price: $9.98
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best movie EVER!!!
Review: This is a pretty good movie...but it has absolutely nothing to do with Frank and Jesse James other than using their names.

The movie stars Bill Paxton as Frank James and he does a wonderful job being the moody but sensible one. Rob Lowe as Jesse James is also excellent, playing him as the on-the-edge dangerous one who has a softer, human side. Randy Travis plays Cole Younger as a darkly cold killer. He's also the narrator of the movie. Such a good cast holds together the film.

The story departs from reality right from the start and never does return to the real story of the James or Youngers. They do use a few real incidents but even those they twist around and change. If you can watch the film as pure fiction, it's not bad. Just bear in mind IT'S NOT HISTORY. An easy example is the Northfield, Minnesota robbery attempt. They do it in the film but, in this version, it's a pre-planned ambush by Allen Pinkerton who got the info from Charlie Ford (never minding that in reality the Fords joined up _after_ the Youngers were lost to the gang at Northfield). Even in the context of the movie it's a reach that Charlie Ford could know about Jesse James' plan as Charlie was in prison when the plan was made. Anyhow, they arrive in Northfield to an ambush. I counted at least 12 townspeople killed by the gang but not the bank clerk (reality--bank clerk murdered, one townsperson killed in the crossfire). Clell Miller and Fletch Taylor were killed (Fletch Taylor wasn't there). And as they're fleeing they have the scene where Jesse wants to kill the wounded Bob Younger...except in this movie Cole Younger does kill his brother! (Bob Younger really died in prison in 1889). One example out of a movie full of contorted non-history.

If you can mentally divorce yourself from any sense of history and watch this as a totally fictional film about two guys who happen to be named Frank and Jesse James, it's pretty good. The guys are cute and ride around on horses shooting things and acting moody and tortured. Nice scenery and atmosphere but a few low budget trick slip through--like showing the guys romping over a hill in slow motion on their horses while a series of newspaper headlines update the story.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good Movie/Bad History
Review: This is a pretty good movie...but it has absolutely nothing to do with Frank and Jesse James other than using their names.

The movie stars Bill Paxton as Frank James and he does a wonderful job being the moody but sensible one. Rob Lowe as Jesse James is also excellent, playing him as the on-the-edge dangerous one who has a softer, human side. Randy Travis plays Cole Younger as a darkly cold killer. He's also the narrator of the movie. Such a good cast holds together the film.

The story departs from reality right from the start and never does return to the real story of the James or Youngers. They do use a few real incidents but even those they twist around and change. If you can watch the film as pure fiction, it's not bad. Just bear in mind IT'S NOT HISTORY. An easy example is the Northfield, Minnesota robbery attempt. They do it in the film but, in this version, it's a pre-planned ambush by Allen Pinkerton who got the info from Charlie Ford (never minding that in reality the Fords joined up _after_ the Youngers were lost to the gang at Northfield). Even in the context of the movie it's a reach that Charlie Ford could know about Jesse James' plan as Charlie was in prison when the plan was made. Anyhow, they arrive in Northfield to an ambush. I counted at least 12 townspeople killed by the gang but not the bank clerk (reality--bank clerk murdered, one townsperson killed in the crossfire). Clell Miller and Fletch Taylor were killed (Fletch Taylor wasn't there). And as they're fleeing they have the scene where Jesse wants to kill the wounded Bob Younger...except in this movie Cole Younger does kill his brother! (Bob Younger really died in prison in 1889). One example out of a movie full of contorted non-history.

If you can mentally divorce yourself from any sense of history and watch this as a totally fictional film about two guys who happen to be named Frank and Jesse James, it's pretty good. The guys are cute and ride around on horses shooting things and acting moody and tortured. Nice scenery and atmosphere but a few low budget trick slip through--like showing the guys romping over a hill in slow motion on their horses while a series of newspaper headlines update the story.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Huh?
Review: This is an awful movie. Westerns which attempt to portray actual characters, or events, ought to do a better job with their history. The Long Riders is a good western, and really good history, with the same subject which shows it can be done.

Movies are movies, though, and Gladiator doesn't suffer from its laughable depiction Roman Imperial politics. This movie, instead, suffers from bad acting, a bad script, silly dialogue, and every other ill which generally plagues bad movies.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: the james gang
Review: this movie captured the james gang perfectly,this film is worth owning.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: FRANK AND JESSE- THE BEST MOVIE EVER ABOUT THE JAMES'
Review: THIS MOVIE ROCKS- ill write a longer review late

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great performances, great movie!
Review: Well, I caught a glimpse of this film the other night on the Westerns channels, but just a glimpse. The next day, I saw in a store being sold as a bargain DVD at $5.99. "Well," I thought, "it's probably pretty cheesy and inaccurate, but it's only six bucks." So I bought it and, boy, was I surprised! As with most historical movies, it does take heavy liberties with many of the particulars, but the events and the basic storyline are accurate for the most part. Jesse James remains a highly controversial figure in history; America's Robin Hood to some, a vicious cold-blooded killer to others. This film seems to encompass a little of both, but usually sticks to the "hero of the south" legend, which works out because he was supported by the southerners. As I said, the basic storyline is accurate. But the real shining part is the acting, especially from Bill Paxton. You're bound to love every scene he's in. So, the historical quibbles aside, it's just an awesome movie and western, and I highly recommend it! (another western featuring Bill Paxton that I highly recommend is "Tombstone", which is an accurate depiction of the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday in 1880's Arizona Territory)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great performances, great movie!
Review: Well, I caught a glimpse of this film the other night on the Westerns channels, but just a glimpse. The next day, I saw in a store being sold as a bargain DVD at $5.99. "Well," I thought, "it's probably pretty cheesy and inaccurate, but it's only six bucks." So I bought it and, boy, was I surprised! As with most historical movies, it does take heavy liberties with many of the particulars, but the events and the basic storyline are accurate for the most part. Jesse James remains a highly controversial figure in history; America's Robin Hood to some, a vicious cold-blooded killer to others. This film seems to encompass a little of both, but usually sticks to the "hero of the south" legend, which works out because he was supported by the southerners. As I said, the basic storyline is accurate. But the real shining part is the acting, especially from Bill Paxton. You're bound to love every scene he's in. So, the historical quibbles aside, it's just an awesome movie and western, and I highly recommend it! (another western featuring Bill Paxton that I highly recommend is "Tombstone", which is an accurate depiction of the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday in 1880's Arizona Territory)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best movie EVER!!!
Review: When i rented this movie i didnt know what to expect. But its the coolest movie. Its the true life story of Jesse James and is gang. It has lots of blood and gore. And Rob Lowe and Bill Paxton do award-winning acting. Ive never seen a movie a better story line, and i like it cause its historicly acurate. And that guy from texas that wrote a review saying that it was horrible. He was probably too busy making moonshine in his basement to notice what a great movie it was.


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