Don't be confused, this is nothing like the old Jimmy Cliff movie of the same name. So what have we got here? I found this to be a rollicking and highly entertaining ride, from go to whoa. If you are looking for a dose of reality, look elsewhere, escapism doesn't get much purer than this. Grab some popcorn, start munching and settle down to a rollicking good ride. The opening sets not only the scene but also the prevailing mood, with deaths and violence that are swift and sudden. It is a clear signpost of what is to come. At the times the violence is way over the top, to the extent where it sometimes appears cartoonish, and when viewed from that angle it isn't too over the top at all.
The film has a nod towards Sergio Leone who rewrote the book on westerns, most notably l detected elements of Once Upon a Time in America, and the Trinity/My Name is Nobody series. There is also a nod or few to Tarantino, but this movie excels over his recent releases in the western genre, Django Unchained and the Hateful 8. This film is also an attempt to change the landscape of the western and it succeeds admirably, by acknowledging the presence of African Americans. Until now Hollywood has largely ignored their presence in Westerns, with the notable exception of the civil war epic, Glory. There are plenty of gritty characters, and what a memorable lot they are. Attention must be paid at the beginning to note who is who, bravado is in no short supply and trash talk abounds in the whip cracking smart script. At times some of the dialogue was a little hard to hear or decipher, but l am sure meaning would be rewarded with repeat viewings.
Then there are the characters, and what a memorable lot they are. Attention must be paid at the beginning to note who is who, there is plenty of bravado and trash talk abounds. Of the main characters the one who stands out above and beyond all others is Idris Elba as Rufus Buck. A large part of the action centres around him and he is more than capable of shouldering the attention. The other stand out performance is by the redoubtable Delroy Lindo as marshall Bass Reeves. It isn't only the men who turn in memorable performances, Zazie Beetz as Stagecoach Mary is resilient in a no nonsense kind of way, but she is overshadowed on screen by the menacing presence of Regina King as the lethal Trudy Smith. These are two women among others who are every bit as powerful and dangerous as any of the male characters they share the screen with. The only actor l found who lacked the necessary gravitas was Jonathon Majors as Nat Love, who didn't generate the sort of screen presence his character needed.
One other small example of this shift in the approach to the genre is through the creative use of song and music, from the opening music hall number, through to the final, lilting folk song and many stops in between. But there is also humour, as in the use of colour, and the inevitable climactic shoot out which is the main example of the cartoon style violence. Here one large gang of killers prove themselves to be totally incompetent at hitting targets, while the other side can hardly miss a kill shot. If you are looking for realism, look elsewhere, just enjoy this movie for what it is, a rip roaring 'shoot 'em up', and you won't be disappointed.
The film has a nod towards Sergio Leone who rewrote the book on westerns, most notably l detected elements of Once Upon a Time in America, and the Trinity/My Name is Nobody series. There is also a nod or few to Tarantino, but this movie excels over his recent releases in the western genre, Django Unchained and the Hateful 8. This film is also an attempt to change the landscape of the western and it succeeds admirably, by acknowledging the presence of African Americans. Until now Hollywood has largely ignored their presence in Westerns, with the notable exception of the civil war epic, Glory. There are plenty of gritty characters, and what a memorable lot they are. Attention must be paid at the beginning to note who is who, bravado is in no short supply and trash talk abounds in the whip cracking smart script. At times some of the dialogue was a little hard to hear or decipher, but l am sure meaning would be rewarded with repeat viewings.
Then there are the characters, and what a memorable lot they are. Attention must be paid at the beginning to note who is who, there is plenty of bravado and trash talk abounds. Of the main characters the one who stands out above and beyond all others is Idris Elba as Rufus Buck. A large part of the action centres around him and he is more than capable of shouldering the attention. The other stand out performance is by the redoubtable Delroy Lindo as marshall Bass Reeves. It isn't only the men who turn in memorable performances, Zazie Beetz as Stagecoach Mary is resilient in a no nonsense kind of way, but she is overshadowed on screen by the menacing presence of Regina King as the lethal Trudy Smith. These are two women among others who are every bit as powerful and dangerous as any of the male characters they share the screen with. The only actor l found who lacked the necessary gravitas was Jonathon Majors as Nat Love, who didn't generate the sort of screen presence his character needed.
One other small example of this shift in the approach to the genre is through the creative use of song and music, from the opening music hall number, through to the final, lilting folk song and many stops in between. But there is also humour, as in the use of colour, and the inevitable climactic shoot out which is the main example of the cartoon style violence. Here one large gang of killers prove themselves to be totally incompetent at hitting targets, while the other side can hardly miss a kill shot. If you are looking for realism, look elsewhere, just enjoy this movie for what it is, a rip roaring 'shoot 'em up', and you won't be disappointed.