Rating: 
Summary: Streets of Laredo, or is it?
Review: A marvellous film, I enjoyed it so much that I ordered it from the USA. James Garner's performance is impecable, but the production of the actual DVD itself leaves much to be desired!
No background information on the making of the film, no interviews, nothing, and whoever did the research for the packageing should be stood infront of a wall and shot by Joey Garza,SLOWLY! The frontpiece of the DVD shows James Garner, good, but the reverse, the inset, and the actual DVD's show scenes of John Voight et al in a totally different film "Return to Lonesome Dove", which wasn't even written by Larry McMurtry!! To me this is unforgiveable, and heads should roll for this sloppy work.
I've given the film four stars, the DVD gets a big fat zero.
Ed Martin
Rating: 
Summary: Wasted potential
Review: Although cast in the mighty shadow of Lonesome Dove, Streets of Laredo had the potential to be another great Western based upon Larry McMurtry's beloved series. Unfortunately, it failed to live up to that potential. While Lonesome Dove was a sprawling epic steeped in the mystique of the American frontier, Streets of Laredo is a crime drama. Instead of a cattle-drive across a thousand miles of harsh country, we get a hunt for a pre-pubescent brat with a taste for blood. That in itself could have made for some compelling film making if the pace wasn't so slow. There was also the failure of any of the faces from Lonesome Dove to return. This gives Streets of Laredo a disappointing lack of continuity. No doubt the biggest disappointment was Tommy Lee Jones's failing to return to the role of Captain Woodrow F. Call. Although James Garner is talented, he is too sympathetic, too personable to be such a brooding loner. Shepard's Pea Eye is too smart, too, well, handsome. Cruz's portrayl of the murderous Garza was far too tame, too detached. Big mistake. Randy Quaid's John Wesley Hardin was interesting, but a total waste of film. There was no reason for him to be here. George Carlin was a surprise, one of the few bright moments. Also worth noting is that the sepia tones of Lonesome Dove have been replaced with rich, vibrant colors straight out of the Technicolor Westerns of yore. As far as the DVD itself: much less care was put into the making of this DVD than its predecessor. It's basically bare bones. That pretty much sums up the film itself.
Rating: 
Summary: Best Western
Review: Create the wickedest bad-guy ever, and put him with a motley crew of bad-guys, good-guys, and others. This is a great western
Rating:
Summary: Just what a western should be!
Review: For all you who think that the movie was too gory,bloody,cruel and unreal YOU NEED TO SWALLOW THE REALITY PILL! Life is too gory,bloody,cruel and sometimes unreal.The movie itself was totally beleiveable. It WAS like that back then no matter how weird it seems,not that the movie is weird.IT'S AWESOME! I don't think it ruined lonesome dove,it perfected it. I highly recommened this movie.And the fact that there is a VERY hot,young,killer in the movie does not color my views!
Rating:
Summary: A solid, if downbeat chapter in the magnificent series
Review: Granted,both the original Lonesome Dove novel and film were unique works of extremely fascinating classic story-telling. Streets of Laredo obviously has a great deal to live up to and, when viewed or read in conjunction with Dove it does suffer in the sense that our familiarity is slightly snubbed. Obviously this is something that cannot be helped so I must say that Streets of Laredo as a film stands firmly upon its own merits which are quite impressive. Firstly, the cast is sublime. James Garner, always a vastly underrated actor creates a stoic, yet tragic Call.His final scene (don't worry I won't give it all away)is at once heart breaking and filled with a quiet hope. His performance is all about what film acting aspires: he moves mountains without words. The rest of the cast is on equal footing with Garner (who deserved at least something of an Emmy nod) Playwright Sam Shepard's Pea Eye, although losing much of Tim Scott's Bentonesque forlorn rube, is filled with earthy heroism and poetry. Sissy Spacek as the whore re-encarnated as a schoolmarm Lorena produces the tough backbone needed to survive the Texas prairie. Comedian George Carlin's finely drawn panhandle scamp solidifies the theory that the border between comedy and tragedy is narrow at best. These are just a few of the excellent standouts in a sound ensemble. Secondly is the very narrative itself. It plays like a Sunday funeral dirge- ever aware of the passing of an era, yet peering on into a glimmering future of optimism and hope. In McMurtry's world everyone has a shot at redemption. Grace isn't free but it is availble to all willing to run the gauntlet who have at least a pure heart. The evil villians are evil and deserving of damnation and the good, although pure of heart are not pure of deed. This film is already mostly forgotten by the minions,but richly deserving of an audience. Enjoy and savor.
Rating:
Summary: great old west and realistic
Review: great old west stuff. roy bean was not hanged like in the movie. this is a realistic presentation of how it was. the clothes and weapons and people were right on. this is a novel not real, but accurate. just read and look at pictures of that time. what do you want in this movie? we all could not have handled those times. garner was better than tommy jones. wake up and read and look. rob
Rating:
Summary: Great film, DVD falls short
Review: Having reviewed this film's VHS version, I will limit my comments to the DVD version. Errors were made here. While the front outside jacket shows James Garner and Sissy Spacek, the inside of the jacket and the back, show scenes of John Voight and Rick Schroder in "Return to Lonesome Dove." Whats this all about. As in the "Dead Man's Walk" DVD, this one is in the full screen format. I would have perferred the wide-screen version. There are no special features on this DVD, something one has come to expect. As in the DVD version of "Dead Man's Walk," I found the quality of the video far superior to the extended play VHS versions. Dead Man's Walk at least has a short interview with McMurtry as a special feature, but thats about it. I am quite content with these DVD's video quality, but then again, anything will be better than an extended play tape. Having said all of this, I still recommend these DVDs, as the only other option for obtaining these films is the extended play VHS format. Aside from the above complaints, I found the DVDs well worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: A Solid Western
Review: I only wish "Lonesome Dove" had been spared its sequels and prequels (After all, what could possibly measure up to the original masterpiece?), but if any chip off the old block bears watching, it's STREETS OF LAREDO. This mini-series revives Larry McMurtry's imagery, dialogue, and savagery of the Old West: a place that was bleak and brutal, where death comes as easy as the pulling of a trigger. The cast is solid, if not spectacular. James Garner is a poor substitute for Tommy Lee Jones' Captain Woodrow F. Call, but has enough range to make the role believable. Sam Shepard brings a quiet dignity to the character of Pea Eye Parker, while Sissy Spacek as the prostitue-turned-teacher/housewife Lorena Parker nags and gripes through the entire film. Sonia Braga is brilliant as Maria Garza, a complex woman whose hatred for Call and concern for her outlaw son cannot overcome a true heart of gold. Yet it's the second tier of characters that makes STREETS OF LAREDO entertaining (much like the book). George Carlin does a wonderful job as Billy Williams, an aging, almost blind frontiersman; Wes Studi as Famous Shoes, the Kickapoo tracker, delivers delightful one-liners; Ned Beatty is hysterical as the grizzled old coot Judge Roy Bean; Kevin Conway totally evil as Mox Mox, the manburner; and Randy Quaid steals the show as John Wesley Hardin, a cold-blooded, whiskey-sippin' gunslinger with a philosophy all his own. STREETS OF LAREDO recreates McMurtry's harsh, compelling story and delivers it with the all the vigor of a runaway mare. While it doesn't come close to "Lonesome Dove," this film still stands admirably on its own.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: I own and have seen all the "Lonesome Dove" films at least three times. I have also given reviews on all except this one. I might as well give my opinion on "Streets of Laredo." Of all the "Lonesome Dove" series, this one probably takes the viewer away from the original story the most. One can pretty much forget "Lonesome Dove", "Return to Lonesome Dove" and "Dead Man's Walk" and go it alone with James Garner as Call. Once the viewer does this, he/she will find an excellent western. As in the other three,the harshness of the land, the people and the times are all here. The realism and authentic scenes makes us glad to be in the present time period. I gave this film only 4 stars for two reasons, one;-- it is recorded in EP, making for poor video quality. Two;-- for some reason the film maker chose to include a useless foray into a snippet of real life Judge Roy Bean's life and totally botched it. To say that the film maker didn't let Roy Bean facts get in the way of making the film is an understatement.The judge did not die the way depicted, we've known it for almost 100 years,it's probably written in 100 books, people in Pakistan know how the Judge died, don't these film makers look into the facts? Why do they do this? Aside from the above, I recommend the film to anyone who enjoyed Lonesome Dove for its realism, settings and harshness, because this film is "a la Lonesome Dove." I particularly liked Wes Studi's character, going about his life and ways, oblivious to the violence and harshness around him. I got myself fired up here, I think I'll view this film tonight.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: I own and have seen all the "Lonesome Dove" films at least three times. I have also given reviews on all except this one. I might as well give my opinion on "Streets of Laredo." Of all the "Lonesome Dove" series, this one probably takes the viewer away from the original story the most. One can pretty much forget "Lonesome Dove", "Return to Lonesome Dove" and "Dead Man's Walk" and go it alone with James Garner as Call. Once the viewer does this, he/she will find an excellent western. As in the other three,the harshness of the land, the people and the times are all here. The realism and authentic scenes makes us glad to be in the present time period. I gave this film only 4 stars for two reasons, one;-- it is recorded in EP, making for poor video quality. Two;-- for some reason the film maker chose to include a useless foray into a snippet of real life Judge Roy Bean's life and totally botched it. To say that the film maker didn't let Roy Bean facts get in the way of making the film is an understatement.The judge did not die the way depicted, we've known it for almost 100 years,it's probably written in 100 books, people in Pakistan know how the Judge died, don't these film makers look into the facts? Why do they do this? Aside from the above, I recommend the film to anyone who enjoyed Lonesome Dove for its realism, settings and harshness, because this film is "a la Lonesome Dove." I particularly liked Wes Studi's character, going about his life and ways, oblivious to the violence and harshness around him. I got myself fired up here, I think I'll view this film tonight.
|
