eragonbookfan This has been my favourite "Western" film since I was a youngster, and it will continue to be.Where... do... I... begin...???? This is my favourite Disney film of all-time!I'm a mixed foreigner from Japan, and I feel like one of the PRIVILEGED people who got to see this movie! It's an educational film for those studying American Tall Tales.This is a Disney Drama Classic!! It has many big Hollywood names in it! Nick Stahl, Patrick Swayze, Oliver Platt, Scott Glenn, Stephen Lang, etc... why isn't this film more popular!??? They ALL play such memorable & much better roles than in the overrated & nonsensical movies they're mostly known for. I was really hoping for Doug Walker to review this film during his last "Disneycember" (yeah I know) Great family movie, with a great story, and good morales, too! I actually learned a lot from this film. Great father-son story-arc in this, it could really likely make son's bonds with their father's stronger! ;)And in my book, it seems quite Biblical too, with the facts that 3 legendary characters, Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan, & John Henry are sent to help this boy, Daniel Hackett; they're somewhat like 3 GUARDIAN ANGELS (since the Number "3" appears quite a lot in the Bible). Also, Randy Edelman's score for the film is *especially* underrated! He deserves an Oscar nomination for SOMETHING! A *MUST SEE*!!!9/10PS: Quite ironic too that the director also directed the movie that's universally considered bad, "The Avengers" (1998)

sbailey7-820-782361 Written by Steve Bloom and Robert Rodat, and directed by Ornie Orsatti, Tall Tale stars Nick Stahl, Patrick Swayze, and Scott Glenn. Released in 1995 this Action/Adventure film takes place in an old western town at the start of the twentieth century and focuses on the modernization of America.In 1905, Daniel Hackett (Nick Stahl) lives with his mother and father on the farmlands of Paradise Valley. As the film progresses the audience learns that Daniel is growing sick of his life on the farm and expresses his bitterness to his father, Jonas. Daniel's father tells him repetitive stories of folk heroes, Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan, and John Henry, in whom Daniel no longer believes. Meanwhile, J.P. Stiles (Scott Glen) enters town with his gang of wealthy men and his modern machinery with intent of buying the land in order to develop it. When Jonas stands up to stiles and refuses to sell his land he ends up being shot, but not before he hands the deed to his land to Daniel. Jonas survives but is badly injured, Daniel meanwhile runs and hides in his boat, where he falls asleep. When he wakes he finds himself in a dried up lake bed in Texas, where two men try to rob and kill him, only to be rescued by legendary cowboy Pecos Bill (Patrick Swayze). The two of them later meet up with famous lumberjack Paul Bunyan and ex-slave John Henry. The team gets into a tough battle with Stiles, whose greediness threatens the strength of the folk tales and the livelihood of the farmers.The acting by the Stahl, Swayze, and Glen was very impressive. They were able to capture the feel of the early Midwest and made the audience feel as if they were part of the story. The compelling acting brought out the excitement of the folk lures that every child reads when growing up. Gender clearly played a large part in casting actors for the film because men play all of the dominant roles. This can be attributed to the fact that women didn't have a large role outside of the home during this time period and unfortunately there are not many women folk heroes.The costume design and set design also played large roles in creating a convincing story. The costumes were dead on for what viewers would imagine Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan, and John Henry to look and dress like. The costumes really brought out the feeling that this film was based in the early Midwest and the set was designed perfectly to give the feeling that the audience is involved in a folk story. For example Paul Bunyan's log home was exactly what you would imagine it to be, along with his blue ox, Babe.I would highly recommend this film, as I have loved it since I was a child. It is a great movie for children and for families, and should be watched by anyone who enjoys adventure films.

kralspam Just saw this with my daughter on cable. I'd never heard of it until now, but it is an interesting parable.I'm surprised nobody has mentioned it.It's about as subtle sometimes as an anvil on the head sometimes (Paradise Valley, the train from a Harper's Weekly nightmare), but it is an interesting take on the co-opting of traditions and symbols, the taming of the American West and the loss of the traditional, independent, potentially dangerous but exciting traditional American lifestyle in order to provide a predictable, comfortable, boring existence serving the greed of a rising industrial system. It is pretty ironic that it comes from Disney.

moonspinner55 Disney fantasy set in Old West America at the turn of the century: young farm boy, imaginative but unhappy, dreams up Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan and John Henry when the family farming home is threatened by a slimy land-developer. Derivative story goes all the way back to "The Wizard of Oz" for ideas, with Scott Glenn playing a sort of Wicked Witch, all dressed in black. Other cast members (Patrick Swayze, Oliver Platt, and Nick Stahl) do commendable work, but film lacks real emotion and depth. It looks good, however, and its heart is certainly in the right place. Not the popular, rousing family affair that the Disney folks probably hoped it would be, though. *1/2 from ****