Tombstone

Release Date: 1993 Length: 129 min

“All right, Clanton… you called down the thunder, well now you’ve got it!… You tell them I’m coming… and hell’s coming with me, you hear? Hell’s coming with me!” -Wyatt Earp

Director: George Pan Cosmatos (Known for Rambo: First Blood Part 11 and Cobra) Writers: Kevin Jarre (Known for Glory, Navy Seals, and The Mummy) Actors: Kurt Russell (Known for Escape from New York, The Thing, and Elvis) Val Kilmer (Known for Top Gun, Batman Forever, and Heat) Michael Biehn (Known for The Terminator, Aliens, and The Abyss)

Summary: Looking to leave the gun-slinging life, Wyatt Earp and his brothers, Morgan and Virgil, head to Tombstone with their families to make money in the overfilled saloons. Due to Wyatt Earp’s famous reputation as a lawman, the brothers are soon met with opposition from the dangerous Cowboy gang that runs the town. As much as they try to ignore the ongoing violence that surrounds them, they soon, with the help of infamous outlaw Doc Holliday, trusted friend of Wyatt Earp, become the only law and order in town brave enough to stand against the Cowboy gang.

Overall Thoughts: This is by far my favorite Western film. From beginning to end, the movie is filled with convincing dialogue, accurate sets, astonishing cinematography, and imaginative action scenes. I love how much attention to detail goes into every aspect of the movie, such as the inclusion of women in the suffrage movement. The historical accuracy of the story is also pretty impressive. For example, a good portion of the dialogue in this film was actually said in real life by the characters. One of my favorite things about this film is the suspense that is present in nearly every scene. Even before the cowboy gang goes up against the Earp brothers for the first time, the tension between the conflicting groups is undeniable. Even though the characters try their hardest to keep the peace, war almost seems inevitable. The performances of Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer, especially, are just out of this world good. Kurt Russell is great at playing a man who wishes to live a normal life, but who ultimately cannot escape his past and true nature. On the other hand, we have Val Kilmer whose character is not conflicted in the least. Often, film critics speak about those rare performances that are just absolutely perfect, and to me, that is Val Kilmer in Tombstone. Doc Holliday, on the outside, seems like this fearless and tough gunslinger whose mind is his greatest weapon. But in reality, this exterior shell hides a man crippled by disease and loneliness that pulls him to the character of Wyatt Earp, the only person that he has ever felt a love for. The actors do an incredible job at highlighting the differences in their personalities, while also never making the audience doubt the strong love that the two characters share. It’s crazy to think that George Pan Cosmatos, a director who was previously most famous for Cobra, directed this film. I heard a rumor that has been partly confirmed in interviews with the cast that the majority of the film wasn’t actually directed by Cosmatos, but in fact by Kurt Russell himself. To me, that makes more sense because the attention to detail and storytelling speak instead to a director who has mastered the art of film. Overall, this film is a must-see not just for those who love a good western, but also for anyone who wants to see an emotional action epic.

Ratings: Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 76% My Rating: 96%