This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
Marshal Dillon Cleans Up the Town
Plot Overview
The camera pans the Appalachian town
of Horse Cave, Kentucky bursting with “friendly people”
and thriving industry. Cultural historian David Hackett Fischer in
his groundbreaking work, Albion's
Seed: Four British Folkways in America, tells us Appalachia was
settled by immigrants from sheep-raising country in Great Britain. When
your livelihood depends on sheep scattered hither and yon on distant
hills, your security depends on your reputation, that people dare not mess
with you and yours. The Appalachian culture is one of honor; people will be
friendly to you if you mind your own business. If not, blood feuds may erupt.
The camera zeroes in on the C & J Café where the clientele is complimenting owner Catie Reynolds (Kelly Greyson) on last Sunday's sermon. She's a preacher's daughter, the C of C & J. Her late father wanted a boy but having got a girl taught her to preach. In walk two bikers looking for trouble, Shovelhead (John Lewis) and Pyro (Michael Bellisario.) When Shovelhead doesn't agree with the local restrictions on serving alcohol, he invades Catie's space. If Catie had been a boy, her dad would have taught her to fight like a man. But she's a girl, so he taught her how to fight low and dirty. The patrons who stay don't bat an eye. That's how things work around here. We're not in Kansas any more, Toto.
Town Marshal James Dillon (Guy Pearce)
splits his force by having his deputy Matt (Michael Sirow) transport
the prisoner to county lockup by himself, allowing criminal
mastermind “Diablo”—not his given name—(Devon
Sawa) to execute his plan to take over the town with his gang of ten
outlaws. Diablo was born there. His father worked the local mine
until it closed, then he drank himself to death. Diablo was left
fuming (“I hate this [effing] town,”) and he didn't much
like the preacher's fire & brimstone sermons, either. Prison
made him even more bitter. His gang just wants to rob the place and
boogie on out of there, but he wants to do some serious damage. His
motto is, “Never forgive.”
Birds of a feather flock together. Marshal Dillon took an oath of, “honor, loyalty, blood” in the marines where he was in recon force. Then his partner in the Texas Rangers met a tragic end, so he relocated to this small town to nurse his sorrow. Outgunned he must wage guerilla warfare against the invaders who have also disabled the cell phone tower cutting off help.
His girlfriend's daddy J. left a Winchester repeater rifle mounted on the wall of the barn for ready access, and the bullets lined up on the shelf. Once Catie saddles up she's good to stage a mini-cavalry rescue. Furthermore, there's a relic of a contraband ham radio rig in her father's basement office, set up to call on the CB emergency channel. If deputy Matt can reach it, they'll have serious reinforcements on the way. Diablo has told the Marshall, “I'm not going back to prison again. You're gonna have to shoot me.” He may just get his wish. An isolated town is more secure after having established a serious reputation not to mess with it.
Ideology
The townspeople seem God-fearing, taking the sermons to heart or feeling guilty for missing church. Acting Mayor Roger Cockran (Luke Collins,) however, is an idiot. I don't see how he can survive the coming election should anyone care to run against him. (Prov. 1:7) “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
(Prov. 1:8-9) “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.” Catie sure was a shining example of her father's influence, and she had the woman's touch to calm a skittish mare. She stands in stark contrast to the skanky molls Trixie (Leticia Cline) and Amanda (Barbie Blank) or even the thickly painted Casino worker Della.
A misguided Jarhead (Jacob Grodnik) would have done well to heed: (Prov. 1:10-19)My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
Jarhead complains to Diablo, “What did you do? No one was supposed to get hurt.” Diablo's reply: “No one's ever supposed to get hurt, man, it just happens.” Yes, and it seems to happen a lot, maybe to the bad guys, as well, and Jarhead isn't exempt.
Production Values
“” (2020) was directed by York Alec Shackleton. It was written by Chuck Hustmyre. It stars Guy Pearce, Devon Sawa, and Kelly Greyson. Pearce was a good lead as expected, the other actors merely so-so.
MPAA rated it R
for violence and language. The F-word was employed. There was no sex
or nudity in it, but it did feature a couple chicks in a cat-fight.
Victims fell down dead right away after being shot. Some got blown
up but we didn't see any gore. It was 1½ hours long. The old
ham radio rig was of a vintage operable on the 11 meter amateur
band before it was reallocated—for disuse—to the
Citizens Band Service. The penurious preacher paid a pretty penny
for that D–104 microphone standing proud atop the radio.
Perhaps it was a phallic symbol so a sheep in distress wouldn't feel
unmanly calling for help.
Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation
This was a fairly unremarkable action flick. It featured a solid story, a strong lead, moderately good cast, realistic sets, and a flaky production. I give it a solid ‘C’. Personally, I loved it, but I'm easy to please. It was church-friendly.
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Edge of your seat action-packed. Suitability For Children: Not Suitable for Children of Any Age. Special effects: Well, at least you can't see the strings. Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day. Suspense: Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall movie rating: Three stars out of five.
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