PlatinumRead Just so...so bad

Contentar Best movie of this year hands down!

Humbersi The first must-see film of the year.

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

SanteeFats Another excellent western with Tom Selleck. Starts out a little odd with the opening scenes being on a ship at sea. Several of the crew have obviously been shanghaied and one is dying. Tom swears to help the dying man's widow. After beating the snot out of the captain for letting Charley die and taking their pay, Tom and two others set out for Charley's ranch. They arrive and start fixing the place up. Wilford Brimley shows up as a great old timer!! I love his character in this movie!! Mark Harmon plays a smooth, suave bad man. Trying to use his manners to win over the widow, played by Virginia Madson. Harmon makes a great snake in this film!! Everyone learns you don't screw with Tom in a movie. Called out by one of Harmon's men, he kill's the man, after giving him several chances, and kills another on a roof who is laying in ambush. As the movie goes on you see a cow being pulled out of a tar pit and then it is apparent why Harmon wants the ranch, oil!!! Since the killings by Selleck Harmon has sent for some paid killer, bushwhacker types. The scum of the old west, like Tom Horn. Harmon starts felling the pressures so he tells Madson to wear the white dress,she has not only been married but had a kid,and they will marry the next day. The bushwhacker goes out and murders one of the men. Big mistake as you would expect in a movie such as this. Harmon grabs Madson, goes to the bar where the sheriff/justice of the peace is. Forcing the vows they are married. I love the rest as Madson fights Harmon until he knocks her out. After they bury the dead kid the remaining three load up and head for town. So the bushwhacker shows his true colors when he rides his horse in to a church to get position for another ambush. He has placed his two sycophants at strategic points in town. Man what a show down!! The bad guys die, the good guys win, and all turns out as expected.

classicsoncall Though the story is entirely formulaic, gorgeous Canadian backgrounds and excellent casting give "Crossfire Trail" a formidable presence on the small screen courtesy of cable mainstay TNT. I never could quite picture Tom Selleck in Westerns following his 'Magnum PI' days, but he's entirely convincing here as Rafe Covington, fulfilling a dying wish to a friend who was shanghaied and beaten to death. His arch rival is town boss Bruce Barkow (Mark Harmon), who's effectiveness as a villain requires him to overcome his good looks and fine manners. Maybe that's why he's such a great bad guy, even without a black hat; his nasty turn near the end of the story runs completely against any stereotype you may have of him from his earlier work. But if the devil is in the details, you really have to admire the casting of the supporting players. The part of Joe Gill doesn't look like it would fit Wilford Brimley, but Brimley makes it his as he takes up with Rafe's cause. William Sanderson as the bartender starts out one dimensionally until that fateful stand he takes in defense of Anne Rodney (Virginia Madsen), and wait, didn't Barry Corbin look and sound just great channeling Edgar Buchanan as Sheriff Moncrief? With lines like "Guess today wasn't my day to die" and "That wasn't shootin', that was killin'", the dialog is a bit clichéd, but doesn't suffer from being over emphasized. That's not the reason to tune in anyway, what you're going for is good old fashioned good versus evil, and there's plenty of that courtesy of Barkow, his toady hoods and hired gun Beau Dorn (Brad Johnson). Dorn looked a bit too sophisticated though for his part, I would have preferred a more seasoned looking villain like John Russell's Stockburn character from "Pale Rider". The final showdown has a bit of "High Noon" going for it with the last bullet fired, fitting since Anne Rodney had to put up with her fair share of abuse.In fact, watch that gun fight between Beau Dorn and Covington closely. As Rafe stands facing the dying Dorn, he's shot in the front right shoulder by Barkow, but as the camera pulls away, Barkow is clearly standing well in back of Rafe, with Rafe's back to Barkow. That was some exercise in ballistics! Tom Selleck's performances in Western films seem to be getting better with age, 'Crossfire' compares favorably with 1990's "Quigley Down Under" and is heads and shoulders above 1982's "The Shadow Riders". With any luck, there might be one more good part out there for Selleck as he turns the corner on sixty and heads into the sunset.

TexasHunter I am an avid fan of westerns. No one is a bigger fan of the greats like John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, and Clint Eastwood, however if we are going to be realistic about westerns I have to go with Tom Selleck's characters. He does a great job. This classic has been researched very well. I am also a gun enthusiast and the weaponry was VERY accurate in this and all of the movies done by Selleck and Wincer. I also like the attention to detail concerning little things that Louis L'amour would pay attention to. If you will remember when Rafe braced Snake Corville he pulled the leather thong off of the hammer of his sixgun(which I think was a Smith and Wesson). This is a re-occurring theme in L'amour's books.This movie may never get the praise it deserves in the world of westerns but what a great one it is. I hope Tom Selleck does more of these.

Gala-6 This was a surprise gem that we rented on dvd. The directing and cinematography are excellent. Mark Harmon is wonderfully evil. Tom Selleck the hero....but with support of friends. Great cast all around. Beautiful scenery. A very enjoyable movie.