Rating: 
Summary: Worth Your While
Review: I thouht that this movie was a delight to watch. Not only does it do quite a job presenting what it was like in the 20's, it also showed a (what I thought was a hearfelt story) of how brothers stick together. The Newton Boys (Willis, Dock, Jess, and Joe) go through years of robbing banks, until they're caught after robbing a train. Without giving away any of the plot, all I can say is that the Newton Boys bring you through a whole bunch of interesting and entertaining ordeals that will leave you feeling satisfied with the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Newton Boys is Awesome!!!!!
Review: If there was a person that knew this movie inside and out, it would be me!! This movie is one of my all-time favorites. If you like Comedies, Action, Drama, or Flat-out great movies, then this is the one for you. Take it from me, Skeet and Matthew are absolutely wonderful in this movie!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Finally, a fun, action-packed movie for Everyone!
Review: If you are looking for a good-time movie, look no further than The Newton Boys! Based on a true story, this movie has it all, comedy, drama, action and an overall sense of fun! The great thing about it is, it is all true. Watch the movie, read the book that it is based on and settle in for a great time!
Rating: 
Summary: An affectionate Western. No more, no less.
Review: It's with obvious fondness for his native Texas that legendary narrative-avoiding director Richard Linklater has chosen to make a narrative-driven Western, based on the activities of the most successful bank robbers in the ol' west. It's a long way from "Slacker", that's for sure. If his tendency towards plotlessness is present anywhere, it's in the first 20 minutes, the needlessly protracted build-up to the "action" providing nothing in the way of characterization, motive or any other filmic elements that exist purely to drive narrative and plot. Once the plot reveals itself, however, the story becomes quietly engaging and entertaining, coaxing some uniquely average (and possibly tongue-in-cheek) performances from the pretty-boy cast. Once the dynamite starts exploding, the guns start firing, and the beers crack open to ubiquitous "Yee-ha"s, the story becomes slyly enjoyable, in an action movie kind of way. To say that this is Linklater's "sell-out" film is to deny the pleasures that this film has to offer, namely the flair for period and location, the affectionate sympathy Linklater has with his bank-robbing protagonists, and the oft-noted end credits sequence which features interview footage with the "real" Newton Boys. It's a bold step for a filmmaker formerly associated with narrativeless character observations to make a film that compresses time enormously (the film spans many years), and that is so driven by plot that characterization seems to take second, even third position in this movie. It must have been a challenge for him to be this conventional, and it's an admirable effort.
Rating:
Summary: Almost there but not quite "great" Linklater
Review: Linklater's one of the best and most underrated filmmakers working and here he has yet another film where he breaks every cliche in the book, gets superb performances out of his actors (especially McConaughey) , creates a meticulous period look, even puts forward his own sustained view of the goings-on cinematically and subtly, but somehow, in the end, he can't make the leap to a truly great film. If you want to see a much better film about real happenings and a somewhat similar subject (conman vs. bankrobbers here)which goes beyond what Linklater achieves here, then check out Alan Resnais' 1974 film "Stavisky." Resnais doesn't get stuck in his subject but uses it to leap into another zone cinematically. Linklater tries but never manages to make his characters interesting enough, fast enough, and they're all too similar to provide enough contrast as, for example, the-nerds-who-thought-they-were-cool, the stoners, the jocks, etc., of "Dazed and Confused" (still Linklater's best film) instantly did. Here you have the superb performance of Dwight Yokam who's only a bit different than the farm-boy brothers in that he has a streak of cowardice in him. Who cares? Also, what I wish Linklater had done, considering how superb the rest of the film is, I wish he'd concentrated more on the McConaughey character and developed him in relation to his brothers. Also a single bank heist would've served fine as the background action (maybe even "Rififi" like) and all the different heists Linklater shows don't really add up to all that much. Still if you're willing to dig a little this film has a lot to offer, and teach, as to how to make an 'almost great' film. It's an original film at least, and that's more than you can say for 99% of the stuff out there. The DVD picture is superb and I suggest people rent it on DVD. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie!
Review: Matt at his best! Funny, insightful, historical (for the most part). Worth seeing time & time again!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie!
Review: Matt at his best! Funny, insightful, historical (for the most part). Worth seeing time & time again!
Rating:
Summary: A little slow at times, but enjoyable
Review: Most of the movies about crime these days involve any number of gratuitous bloody shootouts, with the inevitable trail of dead bodies. "The Newton Boys" was quite a change. I found it enjoyable, though it requires a some patience. It was a little slow paced in parts and could have used some editing. However, in the end, it was time well spent. A nice surprise here, by the way, is Dwight Yoakam's performance.
Rating:
Summary: It was the best movie ever!
Review: Newton Boys was full of great actors and actresses. It is my favorite movie because besides being a true story, it was funny and historical at the same time.
Rating:
Summary: An underrated film if there ever was one!
Review: Richard Linklater's The Newton Boys eschews much of the post-modern trappings that have defined the western genre in the nineties. Sure, it begins with a credits sequence that mimics the style of an old silent serial (complete with a fisheye lens), and it has one scene in which some of the eponymous boys are accused of stealing from a movie house (though they are never convicted), but the film's sensibilities seem much closer to those of the 1920's in which the film was set. It's an old-fashioned work, and that feeling is compounded by some wonderful documentary footage that plays during the credits. The comments of those involved in the actual events lend an immeasurable air of authenticity to the film. It might be tempting to classify the film's identification with the bank robbers as post-modern, especially since Bonnie and Clyde essentially kicked off the modern era of filmmaking, but consider the fact that even 1903's The Great Train Robbery gave more screen time to its criminals than its posse. That screen time tells a fairly standard story, and there are few genuine surprises to be found in that respect. Still, the movie isn't so much about plot as mood and character. This is the closest Linklater has come to making a Hollywood film, and he uses the resources to enhance, rather than ignore, his worldview. The cast is fairly excellent, with Ethan Hawke's drunkard being the standout. Matthew McConaughey has the largest role, and shows more charm here than in nearly any other film that he has been in. Although the film's setting is far from the modern day slacker world of Linklater's other films, the prevailing attitude seems to be the same. It's a mix of Texan charm and genteel sophistication. This treatment of the subject matter doesn't ever come off as cocky. It creates a wonderful sense of respect toward history. Several times, the Newton boys are allowed to state their socio-political justification for robbing banks. That they use flawed logic isn't the point. That they get a chance to make their case is. Linklater really isn't an astounding visualist (though the film is attractive) nor does he have a tremendous sense of pacing. What he does have is a humanist streak that runs throughout his films. Even when a double cross occurs in the film, he pauses to note that the traitor continued to assert his innocence. That genuine regard for his characters and fidelity to his setting are his strongest directorial traits. I'll take that over puffed up set pieces and quick cutting any day.
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