Product Description: Texas Rangers Woodrow Call and Augustus McCrae pursue three outlaws Comanche war chief Buffalo Hump Comanche horse thief Kicking Wolf and a Mexican bandit king. Now in their middle years they also struggle with their personal lives Gus with Clara Forsythe the love of his life and Call with Maggie Tilton the young prostitute who loves him. Meanwhile their partners-in-arms Deets Jake Spoon and Pea Eye Parker help the Rangers protect the advancing western frontier from the defiant Comanches who are determined to defend their land and way of life. Prequel to Lonsome Dove and based upon the novel by Larry McMurtySystem Requirements:Run Time: 284 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/MADE FOR TV MOVIES UPC: 043396226470 Manufacturer No: 22647
Amazon.com: It's billed as "the second chapter in the Lonesome Dove saga," but Comanche Moon is actually a prequel to that much-loved 1989 miniseries. And while there's no doubt that it has some very big boots to fill, this three-part (on two DVDs, including bonus features) production is rarely less than eminently watchable and entertaining. Continuity is a positive factor: Larry McMurtry, who wrote the novel on which it's based, also co-wrote the screenplay, and Lonesome Dove director Simon Wincer returns as well. As for the cast, it's certainly not as star-studded as its predecessor, but Steve Zahn (as Gus McCrae), Karl Urban (Woodrow Call), Linda Cardellini (Clara Allen), and the others manage to suggest the characterizations brought to the screen by Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, and Anjelica Huston, respectively, without mimicking them. Of course, there are new faces on hand as well, principally Val Kilmer (looking a mite chubby, perhaps due to all the scenery he chews in his portrayal of Texas Rangers Captain Inish Scull) and Rachel Griffiths (as Scull's horny wife).
As the tale begins in 1858, Call and McCrae, some years away from becoming the cattlemen depicted in Lonesome Dove, are Rangers serving under the educated and eccentric Scull as they work to protect the territory against marauding Comanches, led by the stern, vengeful Buffalo Hump (Wes Studi) and his crazed son, Blue Duck (Adam Beach). When Scull's horse is stolen by one of the Indians, he sets out to retrieve the beast, promoting both Call and McRae to Captain, and the rest of the story revolves primarily around them; in fact, although there's a reasonable amount of action (including the Comanche raid on Austin that opens Part Two), Comanche Moon is much less plot-dependent than character-driven, and it is Call (tough, taciturn, and totally clueless when it comes to the fair sex) and best friend McRae (an open-hearted, self-described jester) who are the most engaging of the bunch as they navigate the deep waters of their work and love lives (McRae with Clara and Call with the prostitute Maggie Tilton, played by Elizabeth Banks). McMurtry and co-writer Diana Ossana's dialogue manages to be at once plain and poetic, colorful and poignant, and regardless of what's actually happening onscreen, the miniseries has a light, often whimsical charm that separates it from most Westerns made for big and small screen alike. Extras include a "making of" featurette and more. --Sam Graham
Stills from Comanche Moon (click for larger image)
Beyond Comanche Moon
Broken Trail
3:10 to Yuma
Cat Ballou
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - THIS WAS REALLY BAD
I watched this with my dad and we both came to an agreement; this was terrible. I felt like I wasted 3 days waiting for something to happen that was grasp my attention. Nothing did!
What the hell ... Read More
Rating: - GREAT!!!!!!!!
Steve Zahn was excellent as Gus. The whole movie was good. I watched it and then I went back and watched Dead Mans Walk and then watched Lonesome Dove. I hope there will be another movie after this one ... Read More
Rating: - Second installment of a trilogy, don't miss it
Back in the 1840's the State Texas was known as the Texas Republic, a harsh environment where several cultures clashed: Apache and Comanche, Anglos and Hispanics, for the most part, Mexicans. The battle ... Read More
Rating: - And Then There Was Lonesome Dove
Larry McMurtry's prequel is not the instant classic Lonesome Dove was but this adaption of his novel is still worthwhile. Steve Zahn and Karl Urban are credible as McCrae and Call while Val Kilmer gives ... Read More
Rating: - Fabulous Story
The story and writing was realy good. The acting, scenery and costumes were excellent. Unfortunately the editing was poorly executed. Timing was off with slow responses with many scene changes not matching ... Read More
- THIS WAS REALLY BAD
- GREAT!!!!!!!!
- And Then There Was Lonesome Dove