This film is a rugged Western with plenty of action. The premise is that four men are released from prison and set out to find the loot they were arrested for stealing. The fact is that one of the four (Hodiak) was actually just an innocent bystander and happened to get mistaken for the fourth gang member while on his horse on honest work. He has to fight his way through years of jail time with the other three, and joins them on their quest, figuring he has a right to the money now. Hodiak represents the heroic Everyman, dealing with the situation. The other characters are very well drawn, and Derek is perfect as the rebel without a cause kid, who struggles with the three different adults in his life-two who are helpful(Hodiak and Teal, representing the "Sgt Lyle" character more) and Brian (defintely the "Sgt Barnes" character). To watch it today, you would think "Platoon" had some roots in this movie. I won't give away the end, but self sacrifice is involved, and a great twist in the overall quest.
Review of Ambush at Tomahawk Gap
