This Canadian production was completed in 1984, but held back from release. During the next few years, its star, Kevin Costner, became a superstar, but the movie still wasn't released. It took a few more years before the movie was finally released, being dumped straight to video. Watching the movie, it becomes clear pretty soon why no one was gung ho about releasing the movie. For a cheapie, the production values replicating 1920s Montreal are generally adequate, though a few scenes looks slightly skimpy. And the movie has the novelty of being about a communist hero. Though considering how brutal communist governments have been through history, it's kind of hard to root for this hero, especially since it's hard to get an idea of his various thoughts and feelings about many things. This may explain why Kevin Costner gives a very bland and colorless performance, having nothing to work with. The biggest problems about the movie, however, are that it's both incredibly slow and extremely boring. Most viewers will probably fall asleep before it reaches the end. Even fans of Costner (if there are any left at this point) would best leave this movie unwatched.
Review of The Gunrunner
