jadflack-22130
Oh so familiar western plot in this made for TV western but it's competently done most of the way.Starts off well, but then gets bogged down in standard procedures.Builds up to a shoot out finale, that suddenly becomes muddled when bad land grabber C Thomas Howell suddenly has a conscience attack.Luke Perry has done quite a few westerns and a few good films, this isn't one of them, it's too uneven but it's not too bad.
Wizard-8
This movie was made by RHI Entertainment, a company best known for making cheap and boring movies. Like their other movies, "A Gunfighter's Pledge" was made for commercial television, so you won't get any nudity, sex, foul language, or serious violence. Despite these limitations, I will admit that this is the best effort to date I've seen from RHI. The cinematography is pretty good, and while it may be low budget, it never looks really cheap - there are plenty of props and extras in the background.But despite all that, and my love for westerns, I didn't find this movie to be especially exceptional. It's mainly because of the script - I don't think there's any scene in this movie that you haven't seen in another western before. There is no effort by the screenwriter to put in a few twists, and it's not directed in a way to pump in some juice. Heck, even some of the locations will be very familiar to those who have watched a lot of TV and movies! So we end up with a tired and familiar movie that will make you think you've seen this movie before.
FightingWesterner
When his family is killed by escaped convict Kim Coates, ex-lawman Luke Perry tracks him to a lawless town where he mortally wounds a Spanish landowner who was attempting to enlist the help of the outlaw to prevent land baron C. Thomas Howell from taking his ranch. He promises the dying man that he'll protect his family. Meanwhile, Howell taps Coates to go up against Perry.Luke Perry is quite watchable as a western hero and C. Thomas Howell a lot of fun as the sophisticated, refined villain. He looks like a cross between Lee Van Cleef and Blazing Saddles' Hedley Lamar. Coates is an excellent character actor and is always entertaining, especially when he's playing nasty low-lives. Here, he doesn't have as much to do as I'd have liked.This looks as if it were filmed at one of those western themed tourist traps. However, a good script makes up for lack of detail and the costumed look of the wardrobe.The climax is good but Howell's abrupt change in attitude is quite baffling.
boblipton
A classic western plot -- a bad guy wants to grab off a small landowner's land and only a laconic wanderer can save the pretty ranch owner -- having killed her man by accident -- runs along in its well-greased way. Luke Perry is fine as the scruffy, squinty, hoarse hero. Jaclyn DeSantis is good as the woman he tries to help and while there are few surprises in this one, it plays nicely to the strengths of the classic western, including some fine camera work by James Wrenn.It is the old-fashioned camera work that is most notable about this picture, and the color choices that hearken back to silent days, with blue tints for night scenes, an overall sepia wash to the day scenes and an amber touch to the interiors. There are lingering shots when people are riding horses, giving a leisurely but inevitable air to the entire proceedings. A very pleasant TV movie.
AD
