Movie Review: Tombstone (1993)
Synopsis: Wyatt, Morgan and Virgil Earp move to Tombstone, Arizona, seeking to retire from law enforcement and make money at a variety of business ventures. The town, however, is under the control of a gang of outlaws known as "the Cowboys," and when the local marshal is shot, Virgil decides to take his place, putting the brothers and their friend, "Doc" Holliday, at war with the gang.
Who's in it? The movie stars Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Bill Paxton, Sam Elliott, Michael Rooker, Charlton Heston and Powers Boothe.
Review: It was my wife's turn to go to my daughter's play tonight (it would be too expensive if we went to all the shows together) so, while she was there, I decided to re-watch Tombstone for the first time in years. This movie ended up being everything I remembered it being, and I mean that in a good way.
This is the best kind of western, the kind that has a protagonist, in this case, Wyatt (Russell) who is more of an anti-hero than a cowboy in a white hat. For everything there was to like about him, there were equally things that were unlikable. His reluctance to step in and help people, for example, wasn't exactly an enduring trait, even though I'm sure he had plenty of reasons to want to stay out of trouble.
The action scenes in this movie are very memorable. I especially like how the gunfights are realistically chaotic, which made them fun and entertaining to watch. Plus, unlike too many other movies from this genre, there wasn't much in terms of lulls between the action. The build-up to the fight at the O. K. Corral was reasonably paced and, once that battle did happen, the movie keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat from the various retaliatory actions.
The infighting between the brothers, especially Wyatt and Virgil (Elliott) added a little something extra to the movie as well. It wasn't as simple as good guys versus the bad guys when the former seemed like they were going to kill each other at any moment.
I think the thing that really won me over with this movie though was the great performances from a talented cast and interesting supporting characters. Kilmer's version of Holliday is easily the best I've seen while Wyatt's common law wife, Mattie (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson), was intriguing because you could see the love between the two and the way her drug addiction was destroying the relationship, even before the potential love triangle involving Josephine (Dana Delany).
And, of course, movies like this only go as far as the main villain, in this case Curly Bill (Boothe) and his top gun, Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn). Both brought a mix of violence and cunning; with no apparent line they weren't afraid to cross. In this case, it helped the movie a lot by keeping Wyatt's revenge tactics in perspective, making him the hero solely by comparison.
Final Opinion: I am going to assume the movie took quite a few liberties with the historical accuracy. However, this re-telling of the Earps' story is entertaining and exciting while taking full advantage of a deep and talented cast. It's worth taking the time to watch or re-watch if you get a chance.
My Grade: A
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Here are some reviews of other movies from 1993:
Movie Review: Addams Family Values (1993)
Movie Review: The Fugitive (1993)
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