poly-nikes The whole sequence of the ill-fated raid by the gang on the Northfield bank was totally unrealistic. Anybody count the number of shots the outlaws fired from their revolvers in that scene? I always thought the pistols of that era held a maximum of six rounds; well, five actually, to be safe. You wouldn't want to be bouncing around on horseback with the hammer of your pistol resting on a live round. It's silliness like this that spoils so many Westerns. In "Open Range," for instance, the Kevin Costner character fires far more than six shots from his revolver before reloading in the otherwise pretty good climactic gunfight. And at the end of "Wild Bill," another good film, Jeff Bridges fires at least twenty shots from his pair of six-guns.

Wizard-8 It appears that "Frank & Jesse" was intended for a theatrical release, but I have uncovered no evidence that it actually played in theaters. Seeing the movie, I think I know why it went straight to video. It's not a BAD movie, but it is lacking in some key areas.First of all, I feel I should express my feeling about the movie's historical accuracy. I feel I should say that not being an expert about the James gang, whether the movie was accurate or not did not concern me that much. When a movie based on a true story is made, they often take creative license. I judge a movie on how well it tells its story, accurate or not.So how is "Frank & Jesse" executed? Well, there are some problems. First of all, there is the budget. While the movie never looks seriously cheap, the budget was obviously not lavish. Often the movie has a made-for-TV feel to it. Also, possibly due to a limited budget, the movie often feels rushed, not giving us enough scenes like proper introductions to characters (like the Younger gang), as well as there being TWO montages that compress the many deeds of the gang in a few seconds.On the other hand, there are some good things about the movie. The acting is surprisingly good by everyone - even Rob Lowe gives a good performance. There is a good musical score by Mark McKenzie. The movie is shot on some good atypical locations that you usually don't see in a western. And while the movie may have some faults, I can't say that I was bored at any point.This isn't a movie that will convert non-western fans into lovers of the genre. But those who love westerns will probably forgive the movie's shortcomings and find it decent entertainment.

Spikeopath You know, I always find myself tutting and shaking my head after viewing a film about the infamous outlaws, Frank & Jesse James. Not because of the quality of each film, which ranges from good to awful over the years, but because of the tired old statements about accuracy that scream out from critics both amateur and professional. I'd be screaming too if the makers of film's such as this one proclaim it to be " thee" true story of the James boys, but since no publicity about such things like "facts" was to be found, I was able to venture into a mid 90s Western with no expectation of historical accuracy and hopefully be entertained by a movie that follows more the myth of the men than the reality. And entertained I was too.Frank & Jesse stars Rob Lowe as Jesse James and Bill Paxton as Jesse's brother Frank James. The story picks up following the Civil War where the two brothers, recently stung by the senseless murder of their younger brother, hook up with the Younger brothers - Cole Younger (played by Randy Travis) and Bob Younger (Todd Field), Bob Ford (Jim Flowers) and Charlie Ford (Alexis Arquette), Clell Miller (John Pyper-Ferguson), and Arch Clements (Nick Sadler), and start to fight back against the Chicago railroad investors. They set off on a trail of crime, robbing banks, trains and enacting stage holdups whilst evading the dogged pursuit of Allan Pinkerton (William Atherton) and his detective agency. But as Jesse's fame grows on account of an adoring public led by the press imagery of the man, so the gang get closer to being caught, or worse still, killed.Directed by Robert Boris, Frank & Jesse was a limited release in 1994/95. Tho obviously a TV movie In all but name, it does however boast a more than admirable cast. Lowe, in spite of looking uncomfortable on a horse, looks the part and proves to be a good casting choice. His cocksure way about him fits nicely into Jesse's shoes, whilst the goatee beard steers one away from seeing the "pretty boy" actor instead of the character. Paxton is always solid and reliable, and no change here, with one naked bathroom scene an absolute delight. It's a scene that sees Frank meet his future wife Annie, here played by Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, and Western fans will note that that pairing sees the actors re-teamed after appearing together in Tombstone 1993. Of the others, Travis stands out as the most believable of the support rogues, while Nick Sadler quietly gives the best performance in the movie as Arch Clements. A fine young actor who can be checked out in the likes of Twister, Disclosure, Scent of A Woman, & Mobsters.The writing is safe, if a touch too cliché riddled and hurt by some dialogue that doesn't belong in the time, while the action scenes are more than up to scratch. Notably a shoot out at Northfield, Minnesota, that's as good as anything in the afore mentioned Tombstone. Walt Lloyd does a good job with the cinematography, some nice hues used for the town sequences, tho your eyes may be dragged away by Mark McKenzie's score as it is unable to fully grasp the mood at times. But by and large there's more than enough here for the Western fan to enjoy. Unless of course you need a wall to wall history lesson in your Oaters that is? 6.5/10

nkoen2 When the war was over the Confederates (Rebels) did not get much. They were forced to sell their farms to the railroad even if they did not fight in the war. There is a question that has plagued my mind for some time. If I lived back then and some one blew up my house and killed my little brother and father what would I do? I would probably do the same thing, and pick up arms against the people who did it. The movie "Frank and Jesse" depicts the life of the gang and family around them. The reasons why they did what they did and the truth to what had happened Alan Pinkerton (William Atherton) is portrayed as someone who did not care what happened to others and that was how he is in real life. He spent most of his life trying to catch some one who he could not catch. Jesse James (Rob Lowe)was portrayed as always seen in real life and legend never to turn back on what he believed no matter how bad it looked. Frank James (Bill Paxton) was seen the same way as well as the others: Cole Younger(Randy Travis) Bob Younger (Todd Field), Clell Miller(John Pyper-Ferguson), and Archie Clements(Nick Sadler). The only complaint that I have about this movie is the film location. It was filmed in Arkansas and not Missouri but it sure looked like Missouri to me till I found out where it was filmed. But the pictures that were shown in the movie were realistic which made it seems that The James Younger Gang was still alive and well today.