The star of the movie really is Dean Cain. Maybe it's because his character is the outsider(in more ways than one) and therefore we pay more attention. Maybe it's just because he looks like he's having a ball playing Shea McCall, a child who learned to shoot growing up in the carnival circuit and whose father used to shoot plates off his head. I think it's an equal mix character and actor: it's hard to not pay total attention to Dean/Shea when he comes on screen. Actually, all the actors involved looked like they were having fun with this movie. I liked that even the minor characters weren't treated as simple window dressing. They all had a voice, a POV, and we cared about them because they care about their boss, played by James Tupper, who takes an immediate dislike to Cain's character. It's a fun movie, nothing ground breaking or too original, and the ending is predictable. But it's the getting there that makes for two hours of escapist fun. I really liked the chemistry between Tupper and Cain, and wouldn't mind a sequel(or two) at all.
The Gambler, the Girl and the Gunslinger
(2009 TV Movie)
Overall enjoyable and fun western
20 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers