Okay ... SPOILERS I don't think any of the spoilers will "spoil" the film but ...
If you don't like westerns ... don't watch. If you don't like revenge movies ... don't watch. The Thibodaux Massacre actually happened. This movie was inspired by that, which means, the film bears no relationship with truth.
Civil War hero re-encounters the slavery issue after the war, intervenes and things go horribly wrong. Horribly. Loses all in the most intense meaning of the word. Way stereotypical sent-to-prison-for-the-wrong-reasons sets it up for escape and revenge (see title).
Mr. Braeden in the title role. My wife is a fan of his soap. I am not. But because of my wife's addiction, I am "by osmosis" exposed to the community. Mr. Braeden has never impressed me except as a writer/illustrator-flyfisher-movie freak (in that order)I have always loved his face. His face and his "main expression" are perfect for this film.
If I wanted to sketch a face and expression that says: "I'm ten times more deadly than you think I am and you underestimate me"; I'd do his face. And ... that's about it for Eric. But he does it so well and that's what his character needs in this film.
This isn't an "time quirk" martial arts film or a typical "revenge hero" film. Reese Paxton (Eric Braeden) is human. He isn't physically superior. He isn't about walking into impossible situations and kicking tail (ala Chuck, Arnold, Jean Claude, etc.); he's about orchestrating his moments. He wasn't a warrior, he was an assassin.
It's cliché riddled, for sure, and there is a soap opera-ish element to the whole tale; even the love of a golden-hearted whore.
But you know what? I love films that reach for something ... even if they miss. I guess I enjoy their "lunge" with them.
Some of the racial stuff is scary (because it thrives into today's undercurrent) and there's a line referring to "What bad can happen when good people do nothing" that is slap-your-face relevant in today's headlines. No, this film didn't address that. A coincidence.
Best line ... "Where is Reese Preston?" And then, from off scene "I'm right here".
Missed the mark ... but only by a little bit.
If you don't like westerns ... don't watch. If you don't like revenge movies ... don't watch. The Thibodaux Massacre actually happened. This movie was inspired by that, which means, the film bears no relationship with truth.
Civil War hero re-encounters the slavery issue after the war, intervenes and things go horribly wrong. Horribly. Loses all in the most intense meaning of the word. Way stereotypical sent-to-prison-for-the-wrong-reasons sets it up for escape and revenge (see title).
Mr. Braeden in the title role. My wife is a fan of his soap. I am not. But because of my wife's addiction, I am "by osmosis" exposed to the community. Mr. Braeden has never impressed me except as a writer/illustrator-flyfisher-movie freak (in that order)I have always loved his face. His face and his "main expression" are perfect for this film.
If I wanted to sketch a face and expression that says: "I'm ten times more deadly than you think I am and you underestimate me"; I'd do his face. And ... that's about it for Eric. But he does it so well and that's what his character needs in this film.
This isn't an "time quirk" martial arts film or a typical "revenge hero" film. Reese Paxton (Eric Braeden) is human. He isn't physically superior. He isn't about walking into impossible situations and kicking tail (ala Chuck, Arnold, Jean Claude, etc.); he's about orchestrating his moments. He wasn't a warrior, he was an assassin.
It's cliché riddled, for sure, and there is a soap opera-ish element to the whole tale; even the love of a golden-hearted whore.
But you know what? I love films that reach for something ... even if they miss. I guess I enjoy their "lunge" with them.
Some of the racial stuff is scary (because it thrives into today's undercurrent) and there's a line referring to "What bad can happen when good people do nothing" that is slap-your-face relevant in today's headlines. No, this film didn't address that. A coincidence.
Best line ... "Where is Reese Preston?" And then, from off scene "I'm right here".
Missed the mark ... but only by a little bit.