The first 15 or so minutes of this has to be the most pure cringe I've seen in a movie in a long time with some pretty bad acting all the way around. It gets better after that, but, sadly none of the bad guys get whats coming to them especially the great Bo Hopkins playing yet another evil country sheriff as the film pretty much just ends.
6 Reviews
The Bounty Hunter is not as silly like a lot of other AIP movies.
tarbosh220002 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Duke Evans (Ginty) is a Vietnam vet and ex-police officer who is now a tough-as-nails bounty hunter. He's in a small Oklahoma town doing what he does best, which ends up putting him at odds with Sheriff Bennett (Hopkins). Evans' 'Nam buddy was murdered, and he suspects it is all part of a sinister plot to take land away from the local Indian population and sell it to an oil company for big profits. But he has to prove it first, and with the help of the slain man's sister and brother (Waterdown and Holt, respectively), Evans attempts to get to the truth. But with the stubborn Sheriff and his army of sycophantic goons ever at the ready to take Evans down, will he be successful? Find out today...
We're huge Robert Ginty fans, and The Bounty Hunter is a prime example of what Ginty can do when unleashed. This movie only increases his already-large status in our eyes - as star, director, and co-writer, he really gets a chance to shine here, and he indeed seizes the opportunity. Looking a lot like Renegades-era Kiefer Sutherland, Duke Evans (great name) is angry, surly, and the awesome level rises by the minute. This guy truly doesn't take any guff - would you want it any other way? While his hair and 'stache are in fine form in front of the camera, Ginty also displays talent behind it as well. There are some really interesting directorial touches; perhaps he felt he needed to prove himself in that department. We think he was successful.
While this is the Ginty you want - he pretty much took his character John Dee from the previous year's Out On Bail (1989) and ran with it - the great Bo Hopkins gives him a run for his money as the baddie. This is classic, quality Hopkins. Yes, he's playing yet another small-town sheriff (he even makes a Walking Tall reference at one point), but we've never seen Hopkins so animated. What he does in this movie is always interesting and worth watching. Maybe it was the fact that a fellow actor was directing him, but Hopkins seems to have been given free rein, with great results.
The whole Indian angle will put you in mind of the Thunder trilogy (let's remember Bo Svenson was in the first two, not Bo Hopkins, however), as well as films like Johnny Firecloud (1975). The latter also reinforces the strong, pleasantly-70's vibe of the whole outing. That being said, it's funny how little has changed since '89-90: Characters talk about evil oil companies, "racist bullies" (not just bullies but RACIST bullies!), corruption that goes all the way to the top, among other hot-button issues. Interestingly, the term "Native American" is scarcely used, and the Indians refer to themselves as Indians. That probably wouldn't happen today. Also, people in the small town play what can only be described as "confederate bingo". (It's pretty much regular bingo, but the ol' Stars and Bars are prominently placed on flags and hats everywhere.) The Bounty Hunter is not silly like a lot of other AIP movies. It has its own feel, and is well worth checking out. The Steve McClintock songs only reinforce the solid merits and virtues of the film. However, marring the otherwise-fine experience is an unsatisfying ending. That's really the only blot on this effort, but it's a pretty big blot. But that aside, it's Ginty and Hopkins at their finest.
We're huge Robert Ginty fans, and The Bounty Hunter is a prime example of what Ginty can do when unleashed. This movie only increases his already-large status in our eyes - as star, director, and co-writer, he really gets a chance to shine here, and he indeed seizes the opportunity. Looking a lot like Renegades-era Kiefer Sutherland, Duke Evans (great name) is angry, surly, and the awesome level rises by the minute. This guy truly doesn't take any guff - would you want it any other way? While his hair and 'stache are in fine form in front of the camera, Ginty also displays talent behind it as well. There are some really interesting directorial touches; perhaps he felt he needed to prove himself in that department. We think he was successful.
While this is the Ginty you want - he pretty much took his character John Dee from the previous year's Out On Bail (1989) and ran with it - the great Bo Hopkins gives him a run for his money as the baddie. This is classic, quality Hopkins. Yes, he's playing yet another small-town sheriff (he even makes a Walking Tall reference at one point), but we've never seen Hopkins so animated. What he does in this movie is always interesting and worth watching. Maybe it was the fact that a fellow actor was directing him, but Hopkins seems to have been given free rein, with great results.
The whole Indian angle will put you in mind of the Thunder trilogy (let's remember Bo Svenson was in the first two, not Bo Hopkins, however), as well as films like Johnny Firecloud (1975). The latter also reinforces the strong, pleasantly-70's vibe of the whole outing. That being said, it's funny how little has changed since '89-90: Characters talk about evil oil companies, "racist bullies" (not just bullies but RACIST bullies!), corruption that goes all the way to the top, among other hot-button issues. Interestingly, the term "Native American" is scarcely used, and the Indians refer to themselves as Indians. That probably wouldn't happen today. Also, people in the small town play what can only be described as "confederate bingo". (It's pretty much regular bingo, but the ol' Stars and Bars are prominently placed on flags and hats everywhere.) The Bounty Hunter is not silly like a lot of other AIP movies. It has its own feel, and is well worth checking out. The Steve McClintock songs only reinforce the solid merits and virtues of the film. However, marring the otherwise-fine experience is an unsatisfying ending. That's really the only blot on this effort, but it's a pretty big blot. But that aside, it's Ginty and Hopkins at their finest.
Don't quit your day job, Bob
lor_2 May 2023
My review was written in October 1989 after watching the film on AIP video cassette.
Robert Ginty makes an underwhelming directorial debut in "The Bounty Hunter", a routine vengeance feature, released direct-to-video.
Reportedly doubling as a pilot for a hoped-for tv series, pic fails to set up the requisite characters for such a venture. Instead, topliner Ginty is his usual taciturn self, heading to a small Oklahoma town to avenge the death of an Indian with whom he ser4ved in Vietnam. His skills as a bounty hunter are displayed briefly in a prolog but irrelevant to the main action.
Villain is Bo Hopkins, playing his familiar small town sheriff role. This time he's corrupt, involved in a land deal with oilmen. Other key character is the Indian's pretty sister (Loeta Waterdown), who gives Ginty a tour of local Indian culture that provides p;ic's upbeat message and avoids stereotyping.
Redneck bad boys in league with Hopkins are stereotypes, however, and pic offers no suspense. Contrived finish doesn't hold water.
Robert Ginty makes an underwhelming directorial debut in "The Bounty Hunter", a routine vengeance feature, released direct-to-video.
Reportedly doubling as a pilot for a hoped-for tv series, pic fails to set up the requisite characters for such a venture. Instead, topliner Ginty is his usual taciturn self, heading to a small Oklahoma town to avenge the death of an Indian with whom he ser4ved in Vietnam. His skills as a bounty hunter are displayed briefly in a prolog but irrelevant to the main action.
Villain is Bo Hopkins, playing his familiar small town sheriff role. This time he's corrupt, involved in a land deal with oilmen. Other key character is the Indian's pretty sister (Loeta Waterdown), who gives Ginty a tour of local Indian culture that provides p;ic's upbeat message and avoids stereotyping.
Redneck bad boys in league with Hopkins are stereotypes, however, and pic offers no suspense. Contrived finish doesn't hold water.
actors death knell
sandcrab27711 January 2018
Whenever you see an indie produced, written, directed and starring the same, its going to be a last chance failure...i suppose every actor needs a chance to show whether he has the real stuff or not....in this film he did not...it reminded me of that show with the marine pilots starring robert conrad....try anything to get attention...i think ginty was also in that show
Robert Ginty: The Man, the Myth, the Muscle!
Zantara Xenophobe27 March 2002
Warning: Spoilers
This review contains some SPOILERS.
I was walking through my local video rental place, looking for an action movie that started with the letter B. The title I was after was not there, but my eyes accidentally passed by `The Bounty Hunter,' with a picture of Robert Ginty on the box cover. I like Ginty as an action hero and I reminisced about enjoying Ginty in the `Exterminator' movies. I quickly scooped up this new title, one that I had never noticed before and heard nothing about, and rented it. After watching it, I must say that it is better than I expected, especially after finding out Ginty was also the director, but it is also nothing that will take your breath away.
Ginty plays Duke Evans, a former cop that disliked the job and became a bounty hunter for better pay and better hours. He makes his way to a Southwestern town in America to nab a bail jumper, but he has ulterior motives for going there. His old Vietnam buddy, a Native American, who lived in the town was murdered by the sheriff, played by Bo Hopkins. It seems as if Hopkins has been trying to force the large Native American community to sell their sacred land so that some oil barons can come in and drill out the oil and develop the land. Ginty wants to gather some hard evidence to put Hopkins and his tyrannical rule over the town away, and he turns to his dead buddy's sister for help. She first educates him about how important it is for the Native American community to stand their ground for the sake of their culture before helping Ginty blast his way into action against Hopkins. Are you thinking what I was? Are you thinking that this plot sounds very similar to Val Kilmer's `Thunderheart,' which was made a few years later? Well, sort of. It has those similarities, but it doesn't explore them as much as `Thunderheart' did. The main scene that it does is kind of funny, when Ginty sits in at an elementary school class. It's funny because the teacher is rambling about a Native American story, but all the children are fidgeting and are hardly paying her any attention at all.
Still, `The Bounty Hunter' was not a bad experience. Ginty's direction was pretty good except for the action scenes, which seem a bit low on excitement, perhaps because the director was running around with a shotgun being filmed instead of sitting in the director's chair. But that is all right this time because most of the film's focus is on the manipulations between Ginty and Hopkins, like how Ginty keeps following Hopkins's deputy around to gather dirt, or in Hopkins's efforts to get Ginty out of town. Ginty's character could have been explored a little more, and he doesn't look very good with the bushy mustache, but he is still good. The movie belongs to Hopkins, though, who takes a normally cliched character that he has played many times before (really, how often does Hopkins NOT play a sheriff?) and really rolls with it. He really puts everything he's got into his dialogue this time, and I really liked him.
In short, this isn't a movie that will knock your socks off, but if you like either of the stars featured, you should check it out. Ginty seems to have disappeared from the limelight as of late, and we could use him back on the screen. Even if he ends up making so-so movies, at least they will be more worthwhile than most of the junk you find on the screen these days. Zantara's score: 6 out of 10.
I was walking through my local video rental place, looking for an action movie that started with the letter B. The title I was after was not there, but my eyes accidentally passed by `The Bounty Hunter,' with a picture of Robert Ginty on the box cover. I like Ginty as an action hero and I reminisced about enjoying Ginty in the `Exterminator' movies. I quickly scooped up this new title, one that I had never noticed before and heard nothing about, and rented it. After watching it, I must say that it is better than I expected, especially after finding out Ginty was also the director, but it is also nothing that will take your breath away.
Ginty plays Duke Evans, a former cop that disliked the job and became a bounty hunter for better pay and better hours. He makes his way to a Southwestern town in America to nab a bail jumper, but he has ulterior motives for going there. His old Vietnam buddy, a Native American, who lived in the town was murdered by the sheriff, played by Bo Hopkins. It seems as if Hopkins has been trying to force the large Native American community to sell their sacred land so that some oil barons can come in and drill out the oil and develop the land. Ginty wants to gather some hard evidence to put Hopkins and his tyrannical rule over the town away, and he turns to his dead buddy's sister for help. She first educates him about how important it is for the Native American community to stand their ground for the sake of their culture before helping Ginty blast his way into action against Hopkins. Are you thinking what I was? Are you thinking that this plot sounds very similar to Val Kilmer's `Thunderheart,' which was made a few years later? Well, sort of. It has those similarities, but it doesn't explore them as much as `Thunderheart' did. The main scene that it does is kind of funny, when Ginty sits in at an elementary school class. It's funny because the teacher is rambling about a Native American story, but all the children are fidgeting and are hardly paying her any attention at all.
Still, `The Bounty Hunter' was not a bad experience. Ginty's direction was pretty good except for the action scenes, which seem a bit low on excitement, perhaps because the director was running around with a shotgun being filmed instead of sitting in the director's chair. But that is all right this time because most of the film's focus is on the manipulations between Ginty and Hopkins, like how Ginty keeps following Hopkins's deputy around to gather dirt, or in Hopkins's efforts to get Ginty out of town. Ginty's character could have been explored a little more, and he doesn't look very good with the bushy mustache, but he is still good. The movie belongs to Hopkins, though, who takes a normally cliched character that he has played many times before (really, how often does Hopkins NOT play a sheriff?) and really rolls with it. He really puts everything he's got into his dialogue this time, and I really liked him.
In short, this isn't a movie that will knock your socks off, but if you like either of the stars featured, you should check it out. Ginty seems to have disappeared from the limelight as of late, and we could use him back on the screen. Even if he ends up making so-so movies, at least they will be more worthwhile than most of the junk you find on the screen these days. Zantara's score: 6 out of 10.
Very interesting, worth a look.
creekcem9 April 2007
I found the movie to be a nice change of pace from the big budget movies that are out there with a lot less heart.Ginty was pretty good as a bounty hunter/tarnished hero. Many of the actors were fresh-faced new comers, which gave the film some interesting flavor. I especially liked the police officers, particularly a young man named Dannie Whitehouse. He was so real and convincing in his limited role, that I believe he could sell any part he played. I only hope he surfaces again, but this time in a leading role, possibly a pirate or super hero of some kind. My friends would like to start a fan club of some kind for him, you know a grassroots type of thing.Anyway, this is a little movie that would be nice on a rainy night with your girl...just fast-forward through Dan's part or she'll leave you.
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