Appaloosa (2008)

Excellent but underrated film

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

British actor Jeremy Irons got to do a western for his list of credits with Appaloosa. Let no one think that this is a remake of the Marlon Brando western from the Sixties. Appaloosa is not a breed of horse, it's a town in New Mexico territory where lawmen Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen have been hired to prevent the depredations of villain Jeremy Irons.Irons is a villain with some interesting connections. Right at the beginning of Appaloosa we're told that Irons came west from New York City where apparently he was part of Roscoe Conkling's political machine. He worked in the Customs House where the boss was the Collector for the Port Of New York one Chester Alan Arthur. Time and circumstance have sent Irons to New Mexico where he's bought himself a spread and hired a lot of guns who terrorize the town and surrounding area. Time and circumstance have also made Chester Alan Arthur President of the United States. Despite some rivalry over Renee Zellweger, Harris and Mortensen are a pair of no nonsense lawmen who do their best to clean up Appaloosa. Irons also shows that those connections to the White House are quite real.Arthur did not do a half bad job as president considering where he originated from. This film does cast him in a negative light because of an association with a skunk like Irons. Appaloosa is a good western with a good ensemble cast using a bit of historical trivia as part of the plot.

I found this movie a reasonable enjoyable western, with the usual cliques. A well made film. Fine sets and i was very impressed with the authenticity of the costumes and weapons. My only criticism was the roles played by Mortensen and Irons.Both very fine actors, but this was a buffer for both of them. Viggo Mortensen did not to me come across as a tough guy lawman. I thought Lance Henrickson would have been more suited. When i saw on the credits that Jeremy Irons was to play the bad guy, i thought again another English Actor playing the villain. A bit like Michael Gambon in Open Range, which was a better movie and played by veteran Western Actors, Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner.The problem with Irons was he was playing an American character, but sometimes you could hear his English accent coming through. Ed Harris was flawless. I was impressed by the fact this was his first Western. Not a bad movie, but i was disappointed with Viggo Mortensen and Jeremy Irons, especially as i am a fan of their works. For something to watch for a Saturday evening it is fine, but don't expect a classic.

Despite a few pacing issues and the woefully miscast Renée Zellweger, "Appaloosa" still comes out strong. What makes this movie worthwhile (and the movie seems to know this) is the relationship between the two main characters. Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch are two of the most interesting characters in a Western, and it also helps that they're extremely well cast (indeed, Ed Harris is the man I pictured when first reading the book). Jeremy Irons also plays a real douche of a bad guy, and there are a few well-done shootouts. But it's that bond between the mercenary lawmen that keeps me coming back. And I wish this movie had done well enough to merit more big-screen entries. 7/10

Appaloosa is certainly not a unwatchable film, but isn't a enjoyable one either. Is nearly pointless to watch this movie, to be honest. It don't brings nothing new or at least good or entertaining to the table at all. So lets start to talk about it:, three reasons of 'Why' Appaloosa don't works: 1. the characters actions are way too slow paced. There is almost no conflicts between the characters, and when you think that something "exciting" is finally going to happen, it just...don't happen. 2.The 'villain', the only element of conflict in the entire story, has absolutely no power and he almost don't shows up until the first hour of the movie. Way too much time. 3. One of the most annoying things in this film are certainly the pointless dialogues between the main characters. I love movies which are driven by good dialogues, but certainly Appaloosa is not one of them. Literally a dread western.