Rating: 
Summary: Lonesome Dove: King of Westerns
Review: "Lonesome Dove" works very well at depicting the lives of farmers who had the not-so-easy life. The products of their lives are dove deeply into successfully, each character facing dramatic problems that make us care. Though not a farmer, this is very convincingly real and believable, at the same time unpredictable. With a movie this long, you don't notice how long it is because it sucks you into it, and is one of the better westerns that the public has ever seen.
Rating: 
Summary: A Fair Made For TV Movie
Review: I guess I'll take the hit in offering up my review which is counter to the majority. Poor video/dvd quality aside, the movie itself is fair at best. This is particularly dissapointing considering the subject matter and casting. I found the script to be banal and the cast uninspired in their performances. I consider myself a Duvall fan and was dissappointed in his wooden performace, inconsistent with the "character" ( I was continually reminded throughout the film that he was "acting"). This holds true for most of the principals in the film. I can only assume that this was a result of a poor script, directing or both. This is not a bad movie, just woefully pedestrian. I felt that some of the best performances in the movie were offered by the lessser known actors, perhaps the director was star struck in his execution. I expected more from this movie. I could go on and on, citing continuity/logic problems (how do you keep those linens so white on the trail); Po (cook) deciding to join the cattle drive with complete strangers in less than two seconds; arrrrggggh the miserable nonsense throw-away lines that offer nothing yet help guide a viewer who may not be paying attention or relieve an actor of having to act or the director from having to direct. Certainly this is not the best mini-series made! I did however enjoy watching some of my favorite actors honing thier skills or was it paying their dues?
Rating: 
Summary: Beyond a mere Western -- simply a great American epic
Review: I was indifferent when my mother first suggested watching a videotaped miniseries a friend had loaned her. All I knew of Larry McMurtry was that he'd written "Terms of Endearment," and that didn't exactly entice me. Besides, I hadn't seen a good Western in years (this was before Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven," of course) and thought of them as a played-out genre, only watched by old men who had no interest in contemporary fiction.How wrong I was. "Lonesome Dove" is an astonishing miniseries about heroism, friendship, dreams, men, women and everything in between. This extraordinary series drove me to the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, which I've read repeatedly (no mean feat, since it's a hefty book). The characters are as real to me as any I've ever encountered in fiction, and even now, years after first meeting them on that tape, they can make me laugh and bring me to tears, every time. Because even though McMurtry and the miniseries do a good job of conveying the amazing sweep of the West, and the action is shocking and brutal, it's the characters that make this work. Robert Duvall has said that Augustus McCrae is his favorite role of all time, and it's easy to see why: Gus and Call embody the two extremes of fictional heroes -- the rogue and the straight arrow -- but McMurtry, Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones bring them to life as fully fleshed-out men, with internal contradictions, fatal flaws while still being extremely admirable and charismatic heroes. Many people have praised McMurtry's women, and I'll echo that sentiment. Diane Lane and Angelica Houston in particular shine in their roles, which may not be starring ones, but are substantial and meaty, loving without being unrealistic. Their characters are plot engines but, as with Call and Gus, they're fully realized people. "Lonesome Dove" stands the test of time as one of the greatest TV miniseries ever and, more importantly, a wonderful American saga. Buy this DVD and watch it again and again, then dive into McMurtry's four "Lonesome Dove" novels.
Rating:
Summary: Lonesome Dove is in a class unto itself..a TEN STAR effort!
Review: I finally bought the DVD version of this epic and like many here was a little disappointed in the quality of the picture and the sound but could never be disappointed in the substance. I have never been a fan of mini-series because of being tied to watching it over a long period of time. I'm not sure what prompted me to watch this one 11 years ago, but I did. I am amazed how I am drawned into the story and how even though I have seen it at least 15 times since the first viewing I see it as fresh as the first time. Last night as I was watching the final part I had forgotten what it was that caused Gus to go away from the herd and I found myself trying to will that he would remain with them. The writing is superb, the acting is beyond description, especially that of Duvall but that is not meant to minimize any of the others. The word classic is loosely thrown around many times. Lonesome Dove is a true classic in every sense of the word.
Rating:
Summary: The best TV miniseries ever made.
Review: No other miniseries has the combination of epic sweep and perfectly realized performances that Lonesome Dove has. A few British miniseries--"I, Claudius" and "Brideshead Revisited"--may come close in the acting department, and "Streets of Laredo," McMurtry's own sequel to Lonesome Dove, may capture some of the original's sweep and intensity. But Lonesome Dove is winner and still champ, and the main reason for it is Robert Duvall's performance as Gus McCrae, surely one of the greatest performances ever recorded for posterity. The rest of the supporting cast--Tommy Lee Jones, Anjelica Huston, even Robert Urich--is a hand-and-glove match for Duvall, and all of the actors more than do justice to the superb screenplay. I love the characters--and the actors who played them--so much that I find myself taking almost a familial interest in them; when I read of Diane Lane's success in "The Perfect Storm," or Rick Schroder's in "NYPD Blue," I feel happy that Lorie and Newt are making their way in the world!
Rating:
Summary: the case for television miniseries
Review: The beauty of a miniseries, which can only happen with television, is that you can truly develop a multitude of interesting characters, whereas even the best movie released in a theater is limited by time. Lonesome Dove had a budget of over $20 million--on par at the time with big Hollywood movies--so the production and settings are excellent, although the picture quality leaves something to be desired. I think that this is one of the most engaging movies made. The characters are all so great, each with their own history, faults, personalities, and storylines. Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall give the best performances and it's hard to think of anyone else playing their roles (although James Gardiner and Jon Voight both play Jone's character in later movies). This movie is a thorough enjoyment, especially if one already has an interest in the Old West.
Rating:
Summary: Best Western! (no pun intended)
Review: I first saw this movie when it was released on national tv as a mini series. It immediately became one of my favorite movies. The best thing about this movie is how most of the characters become immortalized in death. We, the viewers, will always remember them and the saga they shared with each other and, more importantly, with we the viewers. Some people simply don't like the film because it is a western....but I say to you, if you make it past the first hour then you're hooked....and after some more time it doesn't even seem like a western anymore...it just seems like a great flick.
Rating:
Summary: The best movie on a poor tape.
Review: I just watched the movie again on satalite and Duvall and Jones were as good as ever. I purchased three diffrent VHS tapes of this movie and they are of the poorest quality of any tape I have. I would be willing to pay a higher price to get a good copy of this movie. One of the best western movies ever made, you would think someone could make a quality VHS.
Rating:
Summary: Lonesome Dove
Review: The day I finished the book Lonesome Dove I headed straight to Blockbuster to see the movie. I was extremely surprised and impressed. Like most movies based on books they usually change the entire storyline and make the characters exactly the opposite of what you thought of them. Lonesome Dove was totally not like that. I looked at the box and by seeing the faces I could tell which person was which character. Robert Duvall was AMAZING! He had the same lazy face, extremely talkative, always arguing with Call etc. Tommy Lee Jones at his best. I couldn't have imagined him better. He didn't talk much, had a very stern face etc. Danny Glover as Deets was brilliant! Same w/ Pea Eye, Lorena and Clara Everything was perfect. Surprisingly, the storyline didn't change a bit. It was even the same dialogue. Of course some stuff from the book just couldn't be included in the movie. There was two minor big parts that weren't included in the movie. One, Wilbarger was not in the movie. Two, instead of meeting the barber at the end he met the reporter from San Antonio. Lonesome Dove I guarantee you if you loved the book as much as I did you will not bed disappointed. Every second of the six hour movie is worth it. A must see movie for all McMurtry fans!
Rating:
Summary: If you own a DVD player... you have to get this movie!
Review: Point blank... the best western ever! Oh... you aren't a big fan of westerns? Well that's okay. Lonesome Dove holds it's own against any drama, action adventure or comedy. It's everything wrapped into one. The only negative thing about this movie happens to be the very thing that makes it so good... it's 6 hour length. That is why the DVD version is a must. You don't have to mess around with 3 or 4 video tapes. This is one of the few "westerns" that the ladies truly enjoy. Lonesome Dove is not all gunfights and saloon brawls, but it's not at all boring either. It is filled with witty dialogue and humor. It's perfect for lazy rainy days. The actors chosen were perfect for their parts. Trust me on this one. I'm not some nerd who loves splattering my movie reviews all over the internet. In fact this is the only movie review I've ever done. Get it!
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