Skinwalkers (2002)

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

From my favorite movies..

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

A made-for-TV film, based on a book by Tony Hillerman. A writer of whom I've read nothing yet, nor seen any of the other adaptations of his work. So I can't compare this film to the book. It's about an Indian legend involving "Skinwalkers" or shape-shifters, or more commonly called, "bad medicine men". Indian residents of the state Utah are getting murdered. Evidence points toward such a being with mythical powers as the the evil-doer. Or could it just be a human killer, working his own, personal agenda?A decent film, that, while featuring little action and tension, never gets boring. The murder mystery plot (with two investigating police officers teaming up, both with native roots) unfolds at a decent pace and feels cleverly enough put together. It's more about the characters and story. About the only actor I was familiar with, was Wes Studi, playing the grumpy Lt. Leaphorn. The one actress I probably liked the most, was Sheila Tousey, who played his wife. She had such a kind, honest and spirited character. The rest of the cast was a mixed bunch. Adam Beach did a fair job in carrying the film as a semi-leading character (Lt. Leaphorn's local help, officer Jim Chee). There's little to no violence & bloodshed in this one. Something worth watching on TV when it comes on, but I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to seek it out. I got my copy during sales period for about $3, so I have no regrets. An okay watch.

I just caught this on PBS for the first time and immediately noticed all the errors and shortcomings I had planned to document before seeing they had been mentioned by viewers already. Morris Bitsie in particular has commented accurately, as have all the people who vastly preferred the book(s).It just begs the question to have the benefit of Tony Hillerman's own acknowledgement in the afterword that the process of making a movie is very different from that of writing a novel. But to see the movie set on the low desert instead of the high plateau of the Navajo nation is almost as sacrilegious as giving short shrift to the actual language, religion, and culture of the Dine themselves.As a former student at Northern Arizona University with many friends on the nation, I was dismayed to see Hillerman's sensitive and intricate plot and characters chopped up, re-sorted, and spat out as yet another Hollywood style detective yarn. Only the mere fact that all the main characters were at least Native Americans saved it, though the usual all-Indians-look-alike-so-why-bother-to-get-real-Navajos aspect is so obvious as to be ludicrous.Because I want to see better versions of Hillerman in the future, and I think Adam Beach has an appealing start toward a real Jim Chee, I rated this about four points too high at a 7 of 10. Next time I want to see real Navajos, however.

When you love characters in books, it sometimes makes you cringe to think some Hollywood types might ruin what makes them so interesting in the books. Fortunately, that's not the case here with Lt. Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee as created so memorably in Tony Hillerman's brilliant mysteries about the Navajo Tribal Police. While much had to be cut from the book to fit into a 90+ minute time slot on PBS, enough character remains and it bodes well if PBS continues to adapt these mysteries. Fans of the books will know what's coming in the character arcs, and the casting for this production, for all characters, is exemplary. Particularly Wes Studi ("Last of the Mohicans" and "Mystery Men") as Leaphorn. Also, nice directorial work from Chris Eyre. Highly recommended.

I grew up on the Navajo Nation, and right away in the first 30 minutes I see that the movie was filmed over 200 miles away from the Navajo Nation where the story takes place.The movie has been filmed in the Phoenix area and the buildings that were shown were not anywhere near where they should have been.The first movie based on a Tony Hillerman movie had actually been filmed on the Navajo Nation. Too bad Redford decided to stray from the book.The casting is very dissapointing to see only people who succeed in butchering the beautiful language that we speak.The Navajo Police cars and uniforms are correct, but Joe Leaphorn is a Navajo character that does not know the lanuguage and customs. This is not correct... Leaphorn in all the Hillerman novels knows the customs and traditions.In the Dark Wind, Leaphorn was played by a Non-Indian who was able to speak Navajo. Lou Diamond PHillips did a much better job in attempting to speak Navajo. It appears that Adam Beach who butchered Navajo in Wind Talkers is doing a great job of butchering Navajo again here.it's now 44 minutes into the movie and i'm very dissapointed that i missed Malcom in the Middle.