1 Worst movie in the West
Just finished with the third viewing of this movie, and still don't see what the big deal is. I have finally concluded two things, this is the most over-hyped western to grace audiences and Powers Boothe is probably the worst actor I have ever seen, his rendition of Curly Bill is nothing short of embarrassing with the meant to be sinister laugh.
The only semi cool part of the film is when Wyatt(Russell) dresses down Billy Bob Thornton in the saloon. And possibly the gunfight at the infamous OK Corral.
"I'm not your Huckleberry". Whats up with that. Everyone quotes that movie line like it is one of the greatest. The character of Val Kilmer is intresting at best, but largely forgettable.
The end after the Earps pull out is rushed way beyond enjoyment, though it wouldn't matter because exacting revenge on the bad guys would hold not satisfaction because they were nothing short of ridiculous.
Costner's Earp was pretty bad too, but not nearly as rancid as this. I watched it a third time because I really wanted to like it. This is nothing but corny.
2 Skin that smoke wagon and see what happens
After successfully cleaning up Dodge City, Wyatt Earp (Russell) moves to Tombstone, Arizona. Earp, along with his brothers and their wives intend to start a new life away from law enforcement and more towards making a living, getting rich, and running their own business. They wish to settle down, have children, build a nice big house, and live off their business, not off busting peoples heads and getting shot at. It just so happens that Earp's good friend, Doc Holliday (Kilmer), is also in Tombstone, making his living as a cards player. However, a gang of red satchel wearing cowboys who call themselves "The Cowboys" are causing problems in town. They embark in various acts of random violence, which leads to the legendary confrontation between Holliday and the Earp's. This inevitably leads to the shoot-out at the OK Corral.
"Beware of the pale horse. For the man who sits on him is death, and hell follows with him."
George P. Cosmatos (Leviathan, Cobra, Rambo: First Blood II) directs Tombstone, by far his greatest work. Tombstone and the cast of characters, setting, character development, landscape, and scenery is the greatest western ever made. I am sorry Mr. Eastwood, and all your Oscars, but Tombstone is head and shoulders above Unforgiven. It is not even close to be honest. The development of Doc Holliday as a character, and Val Kilmer delivers a Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean) type performance. Tombstone was awesome, and Cosmatos deserves all the credit in the world.
"Doc, what the hell are you doing this for? You ought to be in bed."
"Wyatt Earp is my friend."
"Heck, I have lots of friends."
"I don't."
The cast of Tombstone is amazing. One of my favorite three actors is in this movie, and he has a bit part, Billy Bob Thornton. The cast of Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Priestley, Powers Boothe, and Michael Biehn was awesome. The cast alone does not make a movie, all-star cast or not. The director who developed each character did a wonderful job of creating a strong presence for all the above actors. The film was amazing, powerful, lines were well delivered, and the on screen presence of Kilmer was a beautiful thing to watch.
"In fact, your so drunk your probably seeing double."
"I have two guns, one for each of you."
Tombstone is a great, great movie. It is easily the best western I have ever seen. I have shown this film to people who do not even like westerns, but when they watch this film, they love it. Kilmer as Doc Holliday is just so mesmerizing as a character. Russell is good, and Elliot is good, but Kilmer is just plain amazing. Tombstone is a MUST have in your DVD collection. If you own one western, this is it. You can feel safe buying this film without having ever viewed it.
"Are you going to do something, or stand there and bleed?"
Grade: A+
3 Don't think we're all like that
I had no intention of writing a review of this movie, as so many others have done a superb job of that already. Then I noticed that the most recent of the few negative reviews was from a viewer in Asheville, NC, where I live. As this fair town has suffered enough from such "sensitive/enviromentalnut/socialist/hippy" types I thought it necessary to balance the record.
This film is simply magnificent. The acting, the sets, clothing, pace of action, the soundtrack, etc., etc., are all done to perfection. It combines the best elements of a historical film and a solid action movie. Perhaps the strongest feature is the character development. It does a fine job of letting you know just what kind of people the main players really are, without wasting time with unnecessary acting or dialogue. Also, there are high dramatic moments that are burned into my brain, especially Russell's "and Hell's coming with me!" declaration at the train depot.
There are some significant variations from historical truth, such as the gunfight between Ringo and Holliday (never happened; the real Johnny Ringo committed suicide years after the Ok Corral shootout). On the other hand there is much that rings true, such as the relationship between Wyatt and Josie, the pivotal battle at the OK Corral, and the character (or lack thereof) of Ike Clanton.
Few films have the power to inspire, entertain and enlighten at the same time. Tombstone does so magnificently. Watch it. And if you're ever in Asheville, NC, remember that we're not all like the America-bashing, six-dollar-cup-of-coffee-drinking, would-be-artist-except-for-the-lack-of-talent trust fund brats you'll see hanging around downtown.
4 Why Ed, what an ungly thing to say
As already indicated by a number of other reviews, this movie is worth getting just for Kilmer's performance. His Doc Holliday character is my favorite movie character of all time. After his line to Ike Clanton upon beating him for 10 poker hands in a row, "Gee Ike, perhaps you need another game, how about a spelling contest" had me, well, "Wyatt, I was rolling".
5 "Say When"
I am only just really a kid and all I have to say is that I love this movie!. Val Kilmer is now a major crush on my list an has proven to be one of the best unrated actors in the job. His acting as Doc should have won him a Oscar. i have never seen anyone take a character and make it their own. All the actors did a great job making their cahracters come alive. But out of all of them Val did the best. The story was very good and the director's cut is great, showing parts that should have been the first one. Over all one of the best Western movies ever made, even better than Dances with Wolves!
6 I'll Be Your Huckleberry
I will keep this short and sweet since there are many positive reviews. I think the sound and vision has an excellent transfer, and provides a great viewing experience through a widesceen TV and 6.1 sound system. This movie goes beyond the western "shoot 'em up" and focuses on the friendships and bond between the main characters as well. There are exceptional performances from the cast. But: This is Val Kilmer at his BEST. If not for any other reason, rent, buy, whatever to see the performance by Val Kilmer. You will not be sorry.
7 JUSTICE IS COMING!
As with a great thematic predecessor,"The Magnificent Seven", TOMBSTONE is minor masterpiece that transcends its Western genre cliches. Archetypal confrontation between GOOD & EVIL comprises a film where only the most unobservant can fail to note numerous allegorical sequences in the mythical battle of Armageddon. The scene where Wyatt Earp and his compadres ride out-of-the Sun (HORSEMEN OF APOCALYPSE)to wreck vengeance on forces of Anti-Christ( The Cowboys"red sash"is 666:The Mark of the Beast)signals what Val Kilmer ominously calls,THE RECKONING"...
The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral;and Wyatt Earp's legendary (infamous) Vendetta Ride to hunt down killers of his brother are well-known basis of a story done before and likely again. But Val Kilmer as Doc...the man "who'll lay down his life for his friend"...is electrifying in confrontation with murderous Ringo(essayed with eerie sadism by Michael Biehn,"the man of Sin" who lies,kills and steals in sheer Satanic "vengeance for being born"). Kurt Russell is excellent as "dies irae" Christ figure: "You've called down the Thunder...Now You've got it!I see a RED SASH,I kill the man wearing it...Run You cur! Tell them I'm coming...and HELL'S COMING WITH ME!"
The ensemble cast (including Moses/Charlton-TEN COMMANDMENTS-Heston)works famously to build to the film's unremittantly violent climax. The CHRISTMAS coda of the finale...narrated by Robert Mitchum...affirms ultimate victory of Goodness(The POWER OF THE COWBOY GANG WAS BROKEN FOREVER).But not before Evil is met on the terms it ultimately understands and fears.TOMBSTONE is an exciting, morally fearsome allegory:JUSTICE IS COMING!
8 I Have Not Yet Begun to Defile Myself
This movie has to be one of the best westerns that was ever produced. Val Kilmer was superb as Doc Holliday and Kurt Russell played the part of Wyatt Earp very well, much better in my opinion than did Kevin Costner did in the other notable movie produced at about the same time. This movie is full of terrific lines and characters. It is actually a very accurate portrayal of the events that unfolded. The only discrepancy that I noticed is that in the movie, Johhny Ringo is killed by Doc Holliday. In reality, it remains a mystery who shot Ringo in the head. Some say it was suicide, but nobody knows for sure. This movie still holds as the best western in recent years. My favorite line of the movie was when Doc says to Johnny Ringo right before he shoots Ringo dead, "Why, Johhny Ringo, you look like someone just walked over your grave". Classic!!
9 I'm your Huckelberry!
Boy, was Val Kilmer ever robbed. His virtuoso performance as Doc Holliday is infinitely more worthy of an Academy Award than most of those that have got the Oscar. This is ruly an all star cast: Sam Elliot, Michael Biehn, Billy Zane, Dana Delaney . . the list is endless. And they don't even come close to Jason Priestly as "sister-boy" and Michael Biehn and Powers Booth, the delciously dastardly villains. With so many good actors, you gotta have a great script, and Tombstone is one of the best written (although serious liberties were taken with the facts), directed, edited and filmed movies ever made. Even through the digressions, the story moves along at a nice clip and will keep your attention. The cinematography is really excellent and at times brilliant; lightening occurs naturally and frequently on the desert location where the movie was made, so vivid displays are woven into the film to create atmosphere and mood. The special edition DVD features are great.
10 It's A Modern Classic
"Tombstone" is a strange creature. It's loaded with more action than you can shake a stick at coupled with some rather long moments. It has some great actors in it coupled with some not-so-hot ones. It has one-liners that make "I'll be back" seem forgettable coupled with some hokey proclamations that come across as just silly. In all, it's the perfect stew of good, bad, and ugly(pun intended).
But that is what makes this film so great and deserving of "classic" status. Painstaking accuracy was put into certain parts of the movie. For instance, according to court records, the famed "gunfight at the O.K. Corral" lasted roughly thirty seconds. Time that showdown in the film and see just how accurate it is on screen. Read the famous "No Les, No More" epitaph on the tombstone of Lester Moore on Boot Hill. See the sheer looks of terror on the faces of the townspeople. These little things, while not very important by Hollywood's standards, are what give this film a sense of realism.
On the other hand, Bill Paxton's characterization of Morgan Earp is laughable at times. He is the weakest character in this film. Ike Clanton, although he was pretty much a cutthroat chicken according to history, is assigned the unfavorable role of comic relief. Powers Boothe is a little over-the-top as Curly Bill Broscius, and you have to admit that Kurt Russell seems to be a little TOO involved with his portrayal of Wyatt Earp. Much like the accuracies of the picture, however, these little near-misses only add to the appeal of the flick.
The best portrayal of any character in this flick has to be Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday. He plays the guy with a devil-may-care attitude. He has a deathwish, which makes him deadlier than anyone else in the film. Those who have studied the history of this complex man understand that once the Yanks basically took everything from him and he contracted TB, he really had no reason to live. I think that Kilmer captured this aspect of Holliday to a tee. His relationship with "Big Nose" Kate was rough, and I think that the actress who portrayed her in "Tombstone" is perhaps a little too attractive than pictures of the real Kate reveal, but she does very well in the role. Sam Elliot, as always, is perfect in this film. He plays the eldest Earp, Virgil. He also seems to have his head on the straightest. In all, the majority of the cast does a superb job in this film. The wooden characters, most notably Paxton, however, still manage to play an important role in making this film great.
As far as the accuracy issues are concerned, this movie is rather accurate and probably the most accurate account of what really happened based on court papers. Many people laugh at some of the action in the film, but most of it really happened. To this day, people argue over who actually killed Johnny Ringo. Odds are that in a man-to-man gunfight, Earp wouldn't stand a chance against Ringo, so the legend of Holliday coming to save the day does hold some weight. No one really knows Holliday's final words, but "That's funny," seems fitting. When watching a film based on actual events, keep in mind that some creative changes were added to move the story along. Also, when dealing with the Wild West, remember that dimestore novels made men into legends. A common cattle thief can become a Billy the Kid, and even poker hands can get tagged as a "Dead Man's Hand."
In conclusion, this film is the perfect mix of accuracy, legend, good, and bad. It isn't the best Western film ever made, but it definitely ranks in the top ten. Add it to your collection today.
Highly recommended. I'd give it five stars, but we all know that this film doesn't have as much widespread appeal due to the fact that it is a Western.
11 YOU'RE A 'DAISY' IF YOU GET THIS MOVIE!
I have watched this movie so many times that I've lost count!!! As an old western buff (with favorites like Gunsmoke, Have Gun Will Travel, the orignal Return of Frank James, etc), I first watched this movie out of curiosity. I did not think that a modern day western could possibly match up to the powerful guns of yesteryear. How wrong I was! Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer shine in this movie, and Kilmer makes Doc Holliday a lovable character, even though the real Holliday was anything but. The story itself did not totally match the true lives of the characters, i.e. the violent relationship between Doc and Kate in real life was replaced in this movie by a 'girlfriend/boyfriend' type situation even though, clearly, Kate's desire was Doc's demise.
All in all, Tombstone, in my opinion, is one of the best movies ever made. I thoroughly enjoyed it and although the budget was much lower than the 4 hour Costner movie, Wyatt Earp, which was released around the same time, Tombstone blew it's competition out of the water! Hands down!
It is a definite 'must see' not only for western lovers, but for those who enjoy good action movies. You will not be disappointed.
12 Good Stuff
They say Gone with the Wind seems richer than it really is because it had something like four directors, each of which put his slightly different vision into his scenes.
Well, much of the appeal of Tombstone is pretty well from the same source. I believe that the first director of this film was a history fanatic and wanted to make the movie extremely historically accurate - and then he was replaced by George Cosmatos, a total action movie director. He made the movie much more of an action movie...but still heavily informed by the script, acting styles, costuming and props that were already in place.
The result is a glorious mishmash. Had this movie been simply a action movie from the start, we wouldn't have got all the period costumes and dialect which is so much a part of the experience. On the other hand, without Cosmatos, would we have had the badass style and gunplay? We might have ended up with something more like Costner's Wyatt Earp (yawn).
I was obsessed with this movie in high school, and it is still the epitome of cool. Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday is just too cool - a Gone with the Wind aristocrat who has taken up killing, drinking and poker for his trade. He gets the best lines in the movie - "Why Johnny Ringo. You look like somebody just - walked over yo' *grave"..."
But his character is also rather pitiable, and his final deathbed speech is extremely moving.
Kurt Russel as Wyatt Earp is also extremely cool. Especially with his red ties.
Portions of the movie are exhaustively accurate. The leadup to the OK Corral shooting is excruciatingly accurate, with every action being shown, blow by blow, such as the pistol whipping of Ike clanton. In the shootout itself, every line is accurate as reported in the ensuing court case, and the incidents of the gunfight are accurately staged.
Yet the shootout is also a fantastic piece of gunplay. Here again is the interaction between two different aesthetics - see Costner's film for an equally accurate reconstruction of the exact same scene which is nontheless very dull...
Despite the above, this movie is very flawed. The movie seems to have been made in a rush and without much care. The inconsistencies between the two directorial styles makes some characters difficult to understand, and much of the post-OK Corrall portions are a complete mess. But the very end of the film is well made and wraps up all the characters, so the movie manages to survive its own flaws.
13 Loved This Movie
All the actors did a great job, but, I think Doc/Kilmer is the one who really put the fire in this movie. He was so "cool" I loved it. Nobody could beat him in anything he did, he was the best at everything and even his sickness didn't dampen his spirit. I can't watch the part when he gives his last words to his best friend Wyatt. I think it's just too sad to see such a vibrant fire burn out. (I cried everytime I seen it, so I quit watching that part) Otherwise the movie was excellent.
14 Greatest Western Ever
I've seen this movie a bunch of times. Doc Holiday steals this movie. Also I saw a review that says that when Doc dies he says "This is Funny" because he sees the light. NOT TRUE!!! He says that because most cowboys die with their boots on and he was not wearing his.
15 I don't care if it is totally correct or not
Some critics like to to point out that this more isn't all
the way accurate... Big Deal! It's a movie! If I wanted a
complete accurate story I'd read the book or something...
Anyway, this movie is very well acted with Val Kilmer having
his best and last good role.... But as somebody said, you
can't forget Russell's acting in this movie. He is pretty
good and believeable. I'm sad that they didn't get more out
of Sam Elliot out of this one.... He is a vet of these type
of movies... But seems to really fade into the background
too much. One person that should have been left out is Bill
Paxton... He is too much of a wiesel for a movie like this.
16 Hot Lead and Cool Quips
There is a lot to like...and I mean really LIKE...about George P. Cosmatos' "Tombstone". The Earp-Clanton story has been done and re-done throughout motion picture history (and television as well) but never as engagingly as this. One cannot watch this movie without getting the feeling that everyone involved in the making of this film had themselves a grand old time. It is lovingly crafted, superbly cast and acted, gorgeously photographed, and meticulously costumed .
It does play "fast and loose" with history somewhat, but, who cares? (If you DO care, here's some of the fast & looseness:
1. Nobody knows who killed John Ringo . He was found dead
in a wooded canyon one day with his boots off and tied to his horse's saddle. He had a fired pistol in his hand and a hole in his head. Billy Breakenridge (the Jason Priestly character in the movie) always considered Ringo (a manic-depressive, especially when drunk) a suicide, as did the local coroner.
Whoever killed him (if not himself), it wasn't Doc Holliday. Doc fled to Colorado after the "Vendetta Ride" and had to stay there. Through political connections, that was the only place he could stay for a long while and not risk extradition to Arizona (and certain death from the Behan faction). Even so, the Arizona crowd sent killers to Colorado from time to time to try and kill Doc. At one point an "Arizona Lawman" tried killing Holliday and died himself. Then "They" demanded Doc's extradition. It took the legendary Bat Masterson to get Doc out of that jam (something else that should be put on film). But no, Doc didn't go back to Arizona and wasn't, therefore, on hand at the right time to tell Johnny Ringo that he was "no daisy".
2. "The Gun" is shown...the famous Wyatt Earp long-barrelled "Buntline Special"...but it is
marked as something "Presented to Wyatt Earp by the Grateful Citi-
zens of Dodge City, Kansas, 1878." It wasn't. It was a present given by western novelist "Ned Buntline" to members of a posse that pursued a Texas cattleman who murdered a dance hall girl in Dodge City. The man was captured and returned for trial (Bat Masterson shot him off his horse at long distance with a rifle)
and Masterson, Earp, Bill Tilghman, and several other members of the "Dora Hand Posse", got the firearms. They were Colt. 45 revolvers with 10" barrels that could have a rifle stock fitted to them and converted into "carbines". Buntline had fancy walnut handgrips, with the name "Ned" carved on them, affixed to these revolver/carbines and THAT made them "Buntline Specials"...NOT the barrel lengths. In "Gunfight At the OK COrral" Burt Lancaster ,as Earp, is shown sitting in his office in Dodge City and actually fitting the stock to one of these weapons.
3.Wyatt Earp saw LITTLE of Doc Holliday after the "Vendetta Ride". He did NOT visit him regularly at Glenwood Springs and was NOT there on the day of Doc's death. This is a touching...and EFFECTIVE...piece of fiction.
5. Sherman McMasters was never killed, by dragging or otherwise.
6. One reviewer commented that Doc staring at his feet in the "This is funny" sequence had to do with "seeing a light" before you died. This is an error. Those utterances relate to the death of Morgan Earp. The meaning of the remark by Doc Holliday is this: in the old west there was an old saying that those who lived by the gun...or violence...would die in a saloon or in a street..."with their boots on" (the Errol Flynn Custer movie is, in fact, entitled "They Died With Their Boots On"). Holliday had been TOLD by people that he was ABSOLUTELY going to be one of those people who died that way. But here at his end, he looks down at his feet, and he is in a BED...BARE FOOTED. And he laughs at the irony of it, and says "This is funny".
7. The 15-year old girl Doc tells Earp about being in love with, who went into a convent, who was his cousin, was also a relative to someone else: Margaret Mitchell. In "Gone With the Wind", Melanie Holliday became "Melanie HAMILTON", and never became "Sister Melanie", she became just Ashley Wilkes' saintly wife instead. And out of family sensibilities, John Henry Holliday was never mentioned.
8. NOBODY (except Wild Bill Hickok) wore a red sash. That was
a GIMMICK the producers used to appeal to big city "colors" gang mentality...to "hip" up the imagery and maybe help box office sales.
Historical inaccuracies aside, this movie is wondrous. Powers Booth is wonderful as Bill Brocious, Michael Biehn is superb as Ringo (the "In Vino Veritas" scene is a riot). Sam Elliott is just wonderful old Sam Elliott. Kurt Russell LOOKS like Wyatt Earp (more than any other actor ever to essay the role) and Kilmer is just "The Cat's Meow" as Holliday (Dennis Quaid does
a great version in the Costner flick, as well...as does Kirk Douglas in "Gunfight at the OK Corral"...but Kilmer's Doc is the definitive Doc). The movie just flows and you hate to see it end.
Kevin Costner's Wyatt in HIS movie is closer in "character" (surly guy with a head-knocking attitude) than Russell's, but Russell's Earp is the way Wyatt SHOULD have been.
Don't miss this movie. It is a real jewel.
17 The Best Western Ever
There is much to be said for a movie that does its best to be historically accurate. While Tombstone is not exact in its accuracy, condensing time in some cases, and taking artistic freedoms in a few others, it doesn't blatantly change history like Braveheart did, for example. What we get here is an account of the most famous firefight in all American history that is slanted in the favor of the Earp brothers, but not entirely forgiving or so badly biased as to be distracting.
The acting is superb, and the true star of this star studded film is Val Kilmer. For once, Doc Holliday is not portrayed as some old, Colonel Sanders looking gentleman, but the young, terminally ill young man that he was when this happened. Kilmer has fun with this role, and he is among the coolest characters ever in Hollywood as Holliday. As a puffy lipped heart-throb, Kilmer never got my attention, yet as a pale and hacking "lunger", I fell in love. He was classic, and reason enough to watch this film alone.
That is not to say that Kurt Russell's turn at Wyatt Earp wasn't great. My pretty boy image of him was checked out the door for this one, and now when I think of Wyatt Earp, I picture Russell in my head. Dana Delaney, Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton, and Joana Pacula deliver strong performances as does the rest of the cast. Val Kilmer simply stands out.
This is the type of movie you can watch over and over again. It's memorable, quotable, and absolutely enjoyable.
18 There aren't enough stars for this one!
If I could give this more stars I would. Tombstone was brilliant. Let me say right off the bat though, the love story part of the film really slowed things down for me. This film focuses not only on the feud but also on the friendship between these men.
Kurt Russell (as Wyatt Earp) gave a fine performance. Val Kilmer who portrays Doc Holliday was robbed of an Oscar. What he did with the role was nothing short of amazing. He actually stole the show in some scenes. The costuming was very good as well.
I don't even like westerns and I don't remember how I came to view Tombstone in the first place. I'm so glad I did.
Kevin Costner's Wyatt Earp is just a waste of time. You need not bother with that thing.
Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, Robert Burke, Sam Elliot, Stephan Lang, Bill Paxton, Billy Zane, Terry O' Quinn were all very well cast for this film. There are also suprise cameo appearances by Charlton Heston and Billy Bob Thorton (a bit heavier then). Sly Stallone's brother also has a small role.
Just a note for those that may not understand what happens in the Doc Holliday death scene. Near the beginning of the film, one of the Wyatts brothers mentions that he read an article that said when some people die they see a bright light leading them to heaven. Just before his death, Doc asks Wyatt to leave his bedside because he knows the end is near and he doesn't want his friend to see him die. After Wyatt leaves, Doc looks down at his body and says, "This is funny." In other words, he sees the light of heaven. It is reported by some historians that Doc did indeed say "This is funny" just seconds before he died. Some say that the reason he said it is because he always thought that he would die in the heat of a gun battle, not sick in bed.
Point of interest: When Wyatt's brother dies however, he sees no such light.
If you love the western genre, this film should have an honored place in your collection.
Parental Advisory: I advise a viewing age of at least 13.
19 Converted western fan
I used to get after my mother for watching to many westerns.Then this came aout and completely surprised me.This is the old west to my knowledge.Gritty gunslingers and dangerous bandits.So what if it isnt exactly what the old west was.Any Hollywood movie exagerates on a script but if you didnt have action like this has it would be boring.For once the good guys didnt go after the indians as is in any other western"WELL JUST ABOUT".When Kurt Russel tells Ike Clanton to tell the other cowboys that he's coming and hell is coming with him it scared me bad because Wyatt Earp had to have been one of the baddest lawmen ever.Both Russel and Kilmer's performances are electrofying.so much so that this converted to westerns movie fan went out and got into western gunspining and bullwhip cracking.
20 Very good western!
Good little flick with Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday. The acting is great and Kilmer is at his best. There are only very brief periods of staleness, so definitely rent this one. It's very entertaining if you like westerns.
21 Now jerk that pistol and go to work!
Outstanding period detail--and finally, a Hollywood movie that is both thrilling and mostly true to the history books about Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. Historically accurate right down to the actual words spoken, as reported by many witnesses in those days, and the vernacular of the time ("I don't need to go heeled to get the bulge on a tub like you," Earp challenges saloon bully [Billy Bob Thornton]. "Go ahead, skin that smokewagon and see what happens...I said throw down, boy! Jerk that pistol and go to work!"). Curly Bill Brocious, leader of the Cowboy gang, is wonderfully, demonically portrayed by Powers Boothe. Small reservations: Johnny Ringo is presented as one of the legendary fast draws of the West, whereas in real life there is no evidence he distinguished himself in any way. He was found shot in the head under a tree during Wyatt Earp's post-OK Corral Vendetta Ride, but no one knows who shot him. In the film, however, he is killed by Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday. Other caveat: the slightly excessive time Wyatt spends with Sadie Marcus in the film. But these are minor complaints of a fine historical western, superior to Kevin Costner's Wyatt Earp.
22 Where Crime Ruled the Streets and Justice is served
In Arizona 1879,one town means crime,one town means gunpoint and one town means justice is coming and it's coming to Tombstone.the citizens were controled by the gun. Until the legend Wyatt Earp,his brothers and their friend John"Doc" Holiday came,Curly Bill and Johnny Ringo have met their match. The Best Western of all time,Russell and Kilmer are incredible,great western duo after Butch and Sundance.A powerful,gripping rootin tootin ride,brilliant town setup,a rough riding a minute thrill,it should of got oscars. a film that really takes you into american history and old west history, it's really true to what happened at Tombstone and at the gunfight at the O.K. Corral in the late 1870s and early 1880s. Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp, Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday,Sam Elliot as Virgil Earp,Bill Paxton as Morgan Earp.Starring Powers Boothe,Michael Beihn,Dana Delany,Billy Bob Thorton and Charlton Heston and narration by Robert Mitchum.If You want a great western or a film on Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday or O.K. Corral,this is the best film on that.Bring Justice to your home with this legendary epic western. "I'm your Huckleberry" "Hells comin with me"
23 Tombstone isn't dead
Tombstone is much better than Kevin Costner's "Wyatt Earp" which was released around the same time, thanks to great performances from Russell and especially Val Kilmer. It's a bit overly dramatic at times, but far superior to Costner's plodding script. Kilmer completely steals the show, sometimes overshadowing Sam Elliott's equally excellent casting. Highly recommend as a great adventure, and certainly over "Wyatt Earp."
24 I LOVE TOMBSTONE!!!
I have always hated westerns, but I absolutely love this movie! The cast is incredible, and there's lots of excitement throughout! Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer are amazing in their roles as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. This movie is loaded with testosterone, but I think ladies will enjoy this one (I know I do!!!).
25 Val Kilmer Is What Makes This Film Worth Watching
George P. Cosmatos' rather overrated 1993 western covering the events and characters of the famous shootout at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, between the Earps and the Clantons. Although brought to life by a brilliant performance by Val Kilmer and modest acting by everyone else, the film suffers from an uneven screenplay that tries to incorporate too much of a sstory in light of its narrow subject.
As the title indicates, the entire film is primarily about what led to the shootout at the OK Corral instead of being about the life of Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russel.) Unfortunately, it seems that the film can't make up its mind as to whether it wants to deal more with its characters or its setting. As such, we have a Wyatt Earp who should be worrying about the Clantons but is more cocerned with explaining issues that have little relevance to the main plot (e.g. a rather shallow love story that just takes time away from the film dealing with the Clantons or other important characters.) Other nuances just add to the irritation; the most absurd part being a cattle-rustling and illiterate cowboy engaging in a Latin wit contest with Doc Holiday (please, the Clantons were low-life cattle russtlers who could barely even read English.) The story tends to stumble upon itself in this fashion leading to a rather hurried ending that is anti-climactic.
In sum, it's a rather overrated film that became popular mainly, if not exclusively, because of Val Kilmer's excellent performance as Doc Holliday. Apart from that, the screenplay is uneven in its treatment of the characters and in terms of plot continuity. A good film to own or rent but it certainly isn't one of the best westerns to have been made. For a better study of Wyatt Earp as a character and his life, watch 'Wyatt Earp' with Kevin Costner instead.
26 Tomstone
Tombstone is a really slick movie, it comes alive with action and emotion. Very accurate in it's attention to detail. Colorful customes and the actors play their characters as if they were "them" ,definitely well chosen for the parts they played. I was revited to the screen the first time I saw the movie. The electricity between Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and Josephine Marcus was quite evident and added a hint of mystery and expectation. The detail of Doc Holiday (Val Kilmer) was quite believable, as his role of the "ill" gambler, a very interesting complex character! This movie is entertaining and exciting, although bloody in some parts but realistic!
27 Absolutely riveting account of a well known story
This is probably the best telling of the Wyatt Earp/Doc Holliday saga I have ever seen. I have watched many movies about the legendary fight at the O.K. Corral, but none have been as enthralling as the characters in "Tombstone". Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer are more believable as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday than any other actors portraying those characters. The much praised John Ford Classic "My Darling Clementine" while a great movie, was riddled with inaccuracies even to the point of making Doc Holliday a surgeon rather than a dentist. "Tombstone" tried to stay as true to the actual characters as possible and in my opinion more than succeeded. On the heels of the slow, dragging Kevin Costner epic "Wyatt Earp", "Tombstone" is much faster paced and holds the viewers attention with drama, action and breathtaking scenery all the way to the tearjerking end. Well made movie that should hold it's own for a long time to come, I'm definately a fan.
28 "Not me, I'm in my prime"
Val Kilmers performance as Doc Holliday should have gave him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1993.It was clearly the best performance to date of his carreer.Hollywood just seems to ignore and dismiss this type of movie. Kilmer steals the show from Kurt Russell,as Wyatt Earp.The powerful cast includes Micheal Biehn as Johnny Ringo, Sam Elliott as Virgil Earp, Stephan Lang as Ike Clanton, as well as Powers Booth, Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thorton,Michael Rooker, Billy Zane,Jason Priestley, and last but not least, Charlton Heston in a cameo appearance as rancher John Hooker.Again, Kilmer steals the show as Doc Holliday.His performance as a retired dentist that suffers from alcoholism and tuberculosis, is nothing less than masterful, first rate acting. Dennis Quaid played the same character in "Wyatt Earp" that came out about six months later, and this reviewer thinks his performance, while good, was not up to the same standard as Kilmer.There are many "one liners"that everone remembers and have become classic.A definite "must see" western that I would rate in the top five for all-time for this genre.
29 Who's your Huckleberry?
This is a fun movie. Kurt Russell is dead-on as a wiley Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer steals every scene he appears in as Doc Holliday. Bill Paxton is good as Wyatt's brother Morgan. Is there anyone that looks better under a cowboy hat than Sam Elliot? He plays brother Virgil Earp. Not so much a true narrative as a series of vignettes featuring the above characters (with the centerpiece Shootout at the OK Corral) the film is nonetheless a very entertaining look at these characters. Powers Boothe is menacingly bad as Curly Bill, the leader of the outlaw Cowboys.
Kilmer's Doc Holliday, in particular, is a load of fun. "I'm your Huckleberry" he taunts Johnny Ringo, and although I have no idea where this saying originated, Kilmer repeats it in this film to entertaining effect. Later on he is asked why he sticks his neck out for Sheriff Earp. "Wyatt Earp is my friend", he replies simply. The other man scoffs "I've got LOTS of friends". "I don't" says Doc.
This is the kind of movie that perpetuates the "Legend of Wyatt Earp", but it's also the kind of movie that grown men still quote liberally with big smiles on their faces more than a decade after it's initial release.
30 Wooo!!! Dosey doe and around we go!!!
In 1993/94, the already controversial story of Wyatt Earp got a big boost with the almost back to back theatrical debuts of two (hope to be) Hollywood blockbusters. Tombstone and Wyatt Earp.
If you dont think the story of Wyatt Earp and the famous gunfight is controversial (or rather the telling of it) then you have not read through the reviews on Amazon for either film. Then go look up books on the subject and the furr flies. Now the controversy comes from there being two side to the story.
side 1. the most famous side has of couse Wyatt and his brothers as reluctant lawmen defending the town of Tombstone against a band of ruthless outlaws led by Ike Clanton and Curly Bill Brooches.
side 2. the side rarely taken by Hollywood (a surprise in this day of revisionist history) has Wyatt as a opportunistic criminal who wore a badge when it suited him, and hid behind it in order to dispatch his enemies. To this day the kin folk of the Clantons tell this version of the story...and believe it!!
When ever a book or movie on the subject is released the two factions (just like the two factions of Tombstone) start verbally swinging. Now I'm a sideone person,as are most folks I have met, more or less. So both of these films appealed greatly to me. Although they are distinctly different.
Tombstone is in many ways the classic western, bright(read Technicolor), loaded with plenty of humor, plenty of action, and several big name stars. But unlike westerns of yore it is bitingly violent at times, and violence lies just under the surface waiting to spring. Much like I imagine Tombstone was like in the 1880s.
This film was also the first to show drug use of the period, and to make homosexual references about a few of the characters. Both of these things certainly exsisted in abundance in the west, and kudos to Cosmatos and the producers for allowing them into the film.
All of the acting is very good here with the performers obviously having fun Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday is by far the most memorable performance. He should have been nominated for an Oscar. It is far superior to Victor Matures(Darling Clemintine), Kirk Douglas(Gunfight at OK Corral) and yes better than Dennis Quaids( Wyatt Earp). While many will hail Quaids as much more realistic ( and I believe this is probably true), Kilmers certainly had an edge of realism but at the same time was very entertaining. It was easy to forget you were watching Val Kilmer.
I believe the story when properly told revolves around Wyatt and Doc, and their friendship. The chemistry between Russel and Kilmer is terrific, and is noticeably missing with Quaid and Costner.
This brings us to the most argued point, Wyatt Earp himself. Well, I never knew Mr. Earp, and the professional historians cannot agree, was Wyatt the silent, stoic, and haunted man of Costners portrayal, or the tough when he had to be, money making, somewhat charming, very reluctant lawman. Who knows, from the histories and archived newspaper reports it could go either way. But if I had to choose one over the other I would certainly choose the Wyatt of Kurt Russell, I mean boil it down which one would you want to kickback with and have a shot of whiskey, smoke a cigar, and play a round or two of Faro??
As far as this DVD release it is excellent, great picture and audio.The extras are fairly intresting, the commentery track by Cosmatos is ok.
I say saddle this one up and enjoy.
31 this movie is a joke
What a cartoon compared to the superior WYATT EARP (coming to DVD May 18 2004.) This movie was paled by the other instantly. Not only is the characterization way off here, but the whole "Cowboys" and red scarf thing has nothing to do with anything related to the events or characters. What a shame some fine talent is wasted in this overrated mess.
32 A Very Good Western...
Second only to "Silverado". One of the best westerns ever put on film.
33 I'm a history buff, so I hated this movie
The popularity of this movie continues to astound me. As much as I dislike Kevin Costner, his "Wyatt Earp", while still not perfect, is altogether a more historically accurate portrayal of the real events depicted in the film. There are just some films that take themselves so seriously while totally mangling any chance of believability, they leave me alternating between laughing out loud and wanting to throw thing through the screen. This is one, "Armageddon" is another.
OTOH, if you liked westerns in the 50's where nothing was even remotely realistic, this might be your cup of tea. All style, no substance...
34 Tombstone
Well......here it is April of 2004...and I cannot believe that as much as I like westerns...that I am just now seeing Tombstone! (The one made with Kurt Russell and many more big names!) I have most of John Wayne's best westerns, Clint Eastwood's...and I thought "Palerider", was possibly the best western for years....and of course...John Wayne in El Dorado! However, Tombstone is Fantastic!! It just seems really so very real and the movie is very interesting in so many ways,..including the fact that it is set around a true story and gives you a bit of what actually happened to the main characters in their real lives...(at the end of the movie).
It was just really great...and since I bought it about a week ago...I have watched it 5 times and am ready to watch it again!
You are missing something if you don't take the time to watch this one, if you are a fan of westerns!! My wife went on-line and put in ("Wyatt Earp"), and up came several of the fine points of the real lives of the characters in this movie, including the fact that Wyatt Earp lived until 1929 and Josephine lived until 1944!! I guess that just makes the movie seem so much more realistic!! You cannot help but enjoy this movie if you are a true fan of westerns!!
35 The Number One Western Ever Made!
Tombstone is without a doubt the best Western ever made. Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer give the perfomance of their lives. This is a film that delivers everything a movie should: action, drama, more action, intrigue, more action, stunning visuals, more action...you get the point.
Val Kilmer plays Doc Holliday better than the original Doc. Holliday, I bet. In fact, the whole cast did an amazing job of rising to the same level - near perfection.
I don't see how any Western could top this one. The only drawback to this movie is the fact that the entire cast can never top what they did in this masterpiece, NEVER! Ya hear me? I said NEVER!
I am going to see what other movies George P. Cosmatos has directed, so I can see if the rest of his work is as good.
If you haven't seen Tombstone, you're really missing out - push that buy button and enjoy.
Peace-out!
www.theruninggirl.com
36 Tombstone. Serious stuff.
There's a lot to be said for this version of the 'Gunfight at the OK Corral.' Like many westerns, it's a story of honor, loyalty, and an inescapable journey wrestling with one's character.
In many ways, it bears striking similarity with Alan Ladd's portrayal of Shane many, many years ago. Both Shane and Wyatt Earp have a violent past, to some extent supported by a sense of honor, yet violent nonetheless. Both men imagine they can escape that past and live a life of peace and normalcy. Both men fail. Kevin Costner faces a similar conflict in "Open Range," and all men have a similar narrator, so to speak, Dana Delaney in "Tombstone" being the most recent.
Powerful roles are fulfilled by Sam Elliott as brother Virgil, but perhaps the most telling observation is made by the youngish Bill Paxton playing the role of brother Morgan, who tells Wyatt when he won't go along with him and Virgil to again strap on the six-shooters, "you gotta' back your brother's play."
If I found pleasure in the movie it was superlative qualities of all of the actors, and the grittiness of the scenery. On occasion it almost left you with a feeling of dust in your mouth. If there was a let down it was the eventual union with Dana Delaney which, when acted out, almost seemed inconsequential in light of the ensuing carnage following the 'OK Corral' incident. I found equally unsatisfied with the ending of "Open Range," where again 'true love' did not appear to be much of an antidote for the extraordinary emotional and physical trauma earlier experienced. And a lot of blood. To me, it seemed much more logical when a weary Alan Ladd rode away at the ending of the much earlier "Shane."
Having said that, "Tombstone" carries the day with brilliant acting on all levels, especially Sam Elliot and Val Kilmer, who carry the supporting roles they are assigned as the ailing Doc Holliday and Virgil with a high level of skill. 5 stars. Larry Scantlebury
37 Directors cut/The better cut
Okay, for one, this is my favorite movie. For two the director's cut gives you the coolest deleted scenes and angles. I can not tell you everything but it is fantastic. By the way some people like to know how the inside looks. It is awsome! Very well done and it will always be at the top of my collection.
38 The best of the Wyatt Earp movies.
This is a fun movie to watch. Much more so than Kevin Costner's morose offering, although Costner more accurately caught the taciturn personality of the real Wyatt Earp and Dennis Quaid gave an Oscar quality portrayal of Doc Holliday. Also, in Tombstone Bill Paxton portrays Morgan Earp as rather timid. Morgan was actually the most impetuous and combative of the Earp brothers. Both movies have terrible final scenes. Still, I would class this movie with a movie like Silverado, a great western that can be enjoyed over and over.
One final note, in the dozen or so reviews I've read on this site comparing Earp movies no one has mentioned Hour of the Gun with James Garner.
39 All-Star Western
Tombstone is an excellent western that spares no expense in terms of its starring cast.
The movie begins with the three Earp brothers--Wyatt, played by Kurt Russell; Virgil, played by Sam Elliot; and Morgan, played by Bill Paxton--journeying to a small mining town called Tombstone to, in Wyatt's words, "make our fortune." As an aside, I just want to say that Russell bears an uncanny resemblance to the real Wyatt Earp. If you don't believe me, then do a web search and check it out for yourself.
After crossing paths with a thuggish band of criminals known as "The Cowboys," Virgil decides to become town marshall, with Morgan as his deputy--much to the consternation of Wyatt. As a showdown with The Cowboys looms, Wyatt eventually throws in with them for the legendary Gunfight at the OK Corral.
Without a doubt, my favorite character was the doomed Doc Holliday, played flawlessly by Val Kilmer. Kilmer may have a reputation of being difficult to work with, but he nails the Holliday character and was deserving of an Oscar nomination (which he didn't receive). His smugness, wrapped in a Georgia accent, is truly a joy to behold. He has so many wonderful lines and scenes that they are too numerous to list here. As was historically accurate, Holliday also throws in with the Earps for the OK Corral shootout.
The movie goes on to detail the events after the OK Corral confrontation--including the murder of Morgan and the maiming of Virgil, and Wyatt's subsequent revenge against The Cowboys. Minor plotlines include Wyatt's interest in a stage performer, played by Dana Delaney; and Wyatt's wife's addiction to opium.
The all-star cast includes Michael Biehn as the sadistic Johnny Ringo--a mirror image of Doc Holliday; Powers Boothe, as Curly Bill Brocious, the self-annointed "founder of the feast" known as The Cowboys; Billy Bob Thornton, as the bullying Johnny Tyler; and Charleton Heston, in a cameo as Henry Hooker.
While the film may not be as historically accurate as some accounts, it certainly is enjoyable.
40 Thanks Val Kilmer.
Now every Hollywood actor has a film where people look back and say "this is them at the top of there game." Well this is Val Kilmers movie. I struggled through the movie Wyatt Earp. And i dont think im alone when i say that Tombstone blows the Kevin Costner version out of the water. Its full of action, drama, and at times very funny. Just an all around great movie.
41 One of the best westerns of the last 3 decades
As with any movie involving the legend of the OK Corral, this is not history. Script writers were limited only by their prolific imaginations.
Kurt Russell plays a believable Wyatt Earp, Sam Elliot a phenomenal Virgil Earp, Powers Boothe a perfect Curly Bill, and Val Kilmer a bazaar Doc Holliday. Kilmer's entertaining interpretation of the role is unlike any done before.
This movie has a radical change in character at the mid-point. The first half consists of introductions and character development. There is plenty of action to carry the story forward, plenty of the tension of anticipating the next act of violence. The focus is on the Earps and their friends and love interests, the Clantons and their allies, and the dynamics of Tombstone. The second half is unbridled action, with no effort to tell a story. There is little story left to tell, but the action sustains the adrenalin flow, keeping the viewer absorbed while waiting for the final details to unfold.
Though the violence is more graphic then the westerns of the John Wayne era, gore doesn't become a co-star. One of the best westerns of the last three decades.
42 ONE OF THE BEST MODERN WESTERNS
The tale of the Gunfight at the OK Corral has been told numerous times but never better than in Tombstone. Kurt Russell is Wyatt Earp who has come to Tombstone, not to be a lawman, but to open a business with his two brothers Virgil and Morgan played by Sam Elliot and Bill Paxton.
They meet their old Friend, Doc Holiday in town, played by Val Kilmer in one of his best roles. Doc is an alcoholic and suffers from TB.
AS much as they want to live in peace, Tombstone is lawless and a local gang called the Cowboys, led by Powers Boothe, rules the town. The Earps take over as sheriff and deputies, eventually leading to the shootout at the OK Corral.
While factually more true than previous attempts, it still does take some liberty with the truth. Still, the performances from everyone are fantastic.
The EArps certianly are not glamourized as they may have been in older westerns.
This special editions includes a longer cut of the movie and restores some nice scenes. There are three makiing of features, and other Tombstone info. The only bad thing is the very dull commentary track by Director George Cosmatos.
All in all a great movie.
43 The man who wouldn't die / Val Kilmer or Superman 15
I thought that the movie was okay and I'm being generous when I say that...The movie went on and on and just when I thought I was going to puke.Val Kilmer shows up still trying to die from Tuberculosis.It just got old after a while.
44 a western masterpiece
Kurt Russell(Dark Blue, Breakdown) is Wyatt Erpp and Val Kilmer(Gore Vidal's Billy the Kid, The Salton Sea) is Doc Holiday...how great can that get...with great shootouts and some fantastic direction..this one makes a bullseye... Kilmer as the drunken Holiday is great and he perfectly imbodies him..plus when he kills Michael Biehn(The Terminator, NAVYseals) that was good..and Russell and his gang trapping Powers Boothe(Frailty, U-Turn) and gunning him down was also great as well. other cast members include Dana Delany(Exit to Eden), Sam Elliott(The Hulk), Bill Paxton(A Simple Plan), Jason Preistley(Calendar Girl), Charlton Heston(Any given Sunday), Stephen Lang(Eye See You), Thomas Haden Church(George Of The hungle), Billy Bob Thornton(Bandits), Jon Tenney, Harry Carrey jr, Joanna Pacula, Michael Rooker(Rosewood), Billy Zane(Dead Calm), Robert John Burke(Fled), Paul Ben Victor, John Corbett(Tv's Lucky), Robert Mitchum and many others. a round um up..shoot um up good time.
45 I'm Your Huckleberry...one of the great lines in the movie
The best part of this movie is Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday. His performance is outstanding and I was never a Kilmer fan, until now. I agree with the other reviewer to be shocked Val Kilmer was not nominated for an award, it is his best work. He is so real in this role it is hard to think of him as any other character. No one could have delivered even one of his lines with a more convincing style and accent than he did.
Kurt Russell owns the role of Wyatt Earp and he is excellent in it, but he is Kurt Russell and well, what more needs to be said besides lucky Goldie Hawn and more westerns Kurt, please. The other characters were good, but lacked the on-screen bond or loyalty between them that Kilmer delivered as Doc for Wyatt and the family as a whole. What ever you pay for this movie, either DVD or VHS, it is a movie you will watch over and over, if for nothing more than to watch and listen to Kilmer as Doc Holliday.
I love westerns and the movie Wyatt Earp with Kevin Costner was no comparison at all. Until this movie, Kirk Douglas owned the role of Doc Holliday for me, now Val Kilmer is Doc Holliday and he has earned that honor with the performance he delivered.
46 Excellent Film
My favorite western film. You will enjoy the drama and action of this one.
47 Variations on a theme
I think that the effect of this movie was really hurt by 2 versions of the Earp brothers and the gun fight at the Okay Corral coming out within about 6 months of each other. The other movie being "Wyatt Earp."
The gun fight was more accurate than previous movies about Wyatt Earp and his quest for revenge/justice, but it wasn't as accurate (according to court documents) as "Wyatt Earp."
48 Peaceful Purgatory
Tall, lean silhouettes, black coat tails adrift in the gun powdered wind. He stands there as still as the setting sun behind the shadow of justice. His 44 revolver hovers over the crime-ridden streets in search of law and order. A man of his word to himself and the people he protected. This man was Wyatt Earp and Tombstone is his story.
Hollywood pictures and Andrew G. Vajna present an epic, 130-minute tale in 1995. This isn't your typical western because it isn't your typical story. The epic saga of Wyatt Earp is as deep as the cast is vivid.
Starring the acclaimed cast of Kurt Russell (Backdraft) as Wyatt Earp, Val Kilmer (The Doors) as the eccentric yet distinguished Doc Holliday, and Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton, Dana Delany, Jason Priestley, Michael Bien, and Charlton Heston round out the extraordinary cast that appears not to be acting at all.
The suspense builds as the Earp's set forth to grab the brass ring of fortune. Wyatt leads the way and the rest of the family follows suit. Freedom seems so far away when trouble tumbles at their door in the growing town of Tombstone. Before long the whole family is involved in a tooth for tooth battle over power and justice with the outlaw gang "The Cowboys". When one of the Earp brothers falls dead to the prelude of the game, all of the cards are on the table. Wyatt vows that he will beak up the gang no matter the cost.
The stakes get even higher when a new love is tempting him to stray from his life and his family. Happiness isn't what he thought. This film is packed with adventure, thrills, romance and intrigue. Take a step back in time with Wyatt Earp and fire the gun of peace and justice.
49 Entertaining, But Far From Good
"Tombstone" was not a bad movie. It just doesn't stand out as a good movie. The scenes tend to jump around a lot, and are choppy. Overall, the movie seems rushed into production and forced.
Val Kilmer is wonderful in the role of Doc Holliday, and in addition the actor that played Virgil Earp really gave a great performance. Kurt Russell did not make a convincing Wyatt Earp though.
If you are a big time fan of Western movies, you might like this film. Its entertaining, and has its good moments. If you're NOT a western film fan, rent it before buying. This film is average to at best slightly above average overall.
50 - Cough, Cough -
Wow, 246 Amazon reviewers, and they all think Val Kilmer is good in this movie. I don't know how anybody could watch this ludicrous performance -- the beady little raisin eyes, the strangled Brando-impersonation voice, the psychotic self-absorption -- and not recoil in embarrassment. Imagine not being able to out-act Victor Mature, who was actually a far better Doc in "My Darling Clementine." Watch that movie and you'll see this for the souped-up high school production it is.
51 My favorite Western of all time
"Tombstone" takes place after Wyatt Earp ( Kurt Russell) retires from being a U.S. Marshall. He wants peace, quiet, and above all else : prosperity. That is until Wyatt is forced back into the life. The ruthless band of outlaws known as the Cowboys ( led by Powers Boothe and Michael Biehn), gun for Wyatt, his family, and his best friend Doc Holliday ( Val Kilmer). Now Wyatt and Doc, along with Wyatt's brothers Morgan ( Bill Paxton)and Virgil (Sam Elliot)prepare for the legendary gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
Before I saw "Tombstone", I was never really a huge fan of Westerns. However, "Tombstone" was so great that it managed to turn me into a huge fan of the western genre. The shoot out scenes and overall non stop action is amazing in this film. Tombstone also gives an extremely acurate portrayal of events as well. Kurt Russell gave the best performance possible as Wyatt Earp. He nailed the fierce determination and sense of justice. Val Kilmer gave the best performance in the film as Doc Holliday. Perfect portrayal of Holliday's lifestyle consisting of: drinking, smoking, gambling, women, and a quick trigger finger. Bill Paxton and Sam Elliot make nice additions as the Earp brothers. Dana Delaney gave a nice supporting role as the actress Josephine Marcus. Unbelieveable chemistry between her and Kurt Russell!! Other well known actors include Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, Jason Priestley, Stephen Lang, and Thomas Hayden Church. Billy Bob Thorton makes a hilarious cameo in the film as well.
When Tombstone first came out on DVD, I unfortunately ended up buying it. The movie was great, but the DVD was just plain awful. However, I was overjoyed when Tombstone became a member of the Vista Series. This automatically puts the film on a whole new level. Vista Series DVD's always provide for the best quality possible, and tons of outstanding extras. You get a making of featurette in three parts, commentary from director George P Cosmatos, and more. I have seen many Westerns since "Tombstone", but it is still the greatest Western ever made in my opinion.
52 My Favorite Western
There are so many great things about this movie. It may not be the most historically accurate, but it never strays from being ridiculous, and it always keeps its sharp wit and great action.
Along with "Reservoir Dogs," "Tombstone" is a film with some of the greatest lines I've ever heard. Here's a sample:
"I'm you're Huckleberry."
"Drunk piano player...you can't hit nothing. In fact...you're probably seeing double." / "I have two guns, one for each of you!"
"I don't have the words." / "I know."
"Maybe poker just isn't you game...I know! Lets have a spelling contest!"
Don't be surprised if you find yourself using these lines in casual conversation (my friends and I often use the Huckleberry line ourselves).
But the character, the flow of the story, and the pure charisma of the characters is all there. Every one turns in a good performance, and the good script only enhances that. I could go on about how many great feelings I have for this movie, but I'll prevent myself. This is truly a modern day classic, western or otherwise.
53 Out of the pages of a J. Peterman catalog
It is interesting to see such a strong revival in the Western, but Tombstone resembled a J. Peterman fashion show moreso than a grim account of Earp and the boys bringing law and order the West. Kurt Russel was insufferable to watch, so busy showing off his Wyatt Earp moustache. Val Kilmer provided the only redeeming performance to this movie in his portrayal of the tuberculosis-ridden Doc Holiday. But, this movie failed to live up to the standards of the past, or provide a suitable revisionist view of events.
54 Tombstone (Vista Series)
If you haven't seen this one, you must! Target store has very same 2-disk Vista set for $14.95.
55 Who is the "huckleberry"?
Having already seen My Darling Clementine (1946) and The Gunfight at the OK Corral (1957) several times, I was curious to observe what director George Pan Cosmatos and his screenwriters would do with essentially the same material in this film. There are significant differences between and among them but suggesting comparisons and contrasts would be unfair to three different films which appeared over a 57-year period.
Now on to Tombstone. Director George Cosmatos worked with a large cast and all of the performances are first-rate. William Fraker's cinematography and Bruce Broughton's musical score are carefully integrated within the narrative and serve it well. My own opinion is that Val Kilmer (Doc Holliday) dominates each scene in which he appears. However, Kurt Russell (Wyatt Earp), Dana Delany (Josephine Marcos), Sam Elliot (Virgil Earp), and Powers Boothe (Curly Bill Brocius) hold their own.
As portrayed in the film, Tombstone (Arizona) is a western town in the last stages of being a community dominated by outlaws. The involvement of the Earps coincide with a growing local desire among residents to establish law and order. The eventual showdown at the OK Corral is a key event but by no means the only one. I was especially interested in how Cosmatos and Russell develop Wyatt Earp's character as he struggles to follow his conscience, establish some stability in his own life, and thereby complete a transition from gunfighter to private citizen.
Back to Kilmer for a moment. I do not recall a prior or subsequent film of his in which he reveals the comic timing, nuances of personality, and conflicting anxieties which he does while portraying Holliday in Tombstone. His is a masterful performance, maintaining an exquisite balance between playful humor and force of will. I recalled elements of that performance while recently observing Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean. However, the Holliday character is revealed to have much greater depth and complexity than Sparrow's even as both characters demonstrate at every appropriate opportunity a unique flair for mimicry.
I do have a few minor quibbles. First, I think the pace of the plot lags unnecessarily at times. Also, the evolving relationship between Wyatt Earp and Josephine Marcos is not always in focus, even when allowing for a period of adjustment as they take each other's measure. Finally, I really don't understand the purpose of the final scene except to offer an alternative to the neat-and-tidy conclusion which so many other films offer. That said, I think that Cosmatos, his cast, and crew have created 135 minutes of generally entertaining, sometimes hilarious, and often thought-provoking material. Perhaps the more ambitious scale (e.g. timeframe and subplots) precludes the dramatic impact of its predecessors, My Darling Clementine and The Gunfight at the OK Corral. In any event, I enjoyed it.
Final point: I wish all other versions offered special features comparable with those provided by the Vista Series DVD. They include a commentary by Cosmatos, the 134 Director's Cut Edition, featurettes ("An Ensemble Cast," "Making An Authentic Western," and "The Gunfight At The O.K. Corral"), an interactive Tombstone storyline, The Tombstone Epitaph - Actual Newspaper Account, and Cosmatos' original storyboards for the O.K. Corral sequence.
56 3 cheers for Val!
Val Kilmer IS Doc Holliday, and this film would have been only fair without his contribution as Doc.
57 I'm your Huckleberry.
Although I haven't seen the John Ford classic "My Darling Clementine" which seeing from his other classics is probably better than this, but this one remains number three on my list of the best westerns of the 90's [with "Dances with Wolves" at #1 and "Unforgiven" at #2], and one of my personal favoriet westerns in general.
And although Henry Fonda has been claimed the best Wyatt Earp on screen, Russell gives us a great performance as the great sheriff. Despite his performance as the main character, this movie undoubetly belongs to Val Kilmer who portrays the ailing Doc Holliday, which almost every film critic has said as the best Doc Holliday ever. Other notable performances in this movie are Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, Robert Burke, Sam Elliot, Stephan Lang, Bill Paxton, Billy Zane, Terry O' Quinn, and a small but notable performance from screen icon Charleton Heston.
The movie starts out with the cowboys [the villians in this movie] riding in on a wedding about to take place and eventually killing quite a few people. It then moves to the town of Tombstone where Wyatt Earp and his bride have just got off the train. He soon meets up with his brothers and their wives as they try to start a buisness as he tries to get away from his past as a sheriff. This works for a while until an event sparks his fury which I won't mention so that it won't ruin it for the viewers who haven't seen it yet. At the same time Doc Holliday decides to join Wyatt in his battle against the cowboys, simply because he's the only friend he ever had. With Wyatt's wife becoming addicted to oppiom, he meets an atractive women in town for the time being and soon falls in love with her.
With George P.Cosmatos of the "Rambo" fame, the movie goes off without a hitch. The Vista Series DVD is a DIrector's Cut which has many deleted scenes and an audio commentary by the director himself, with many other special features including a card game on DVD ROM. This western won't disappoint you, and don't settle for the regular edition, go ahead and pay ten more dollars for this version, it's well worth it.
58 Skin that smoke wagon and see what happens
Let's see, I think in "Blazing Saddles" that was referred to as authentic western gibberish, but if it's authentic, it's about the only thing that is in this farce.
The problem with this movie is that it doesn't know what it wants to be. It starts off as a western stage piece, basically a comedy, not quite in the ham-it-up vein as say "Maverick", but not meant to be taken seriously. I mean, there's no way you can look at 100 watt teeth and the most imaculatey starched clothing this side of a stuffy French restaurant and think you're supposed to be watching a historic telling of the real gritty west.
But then it tries to transform itself into an action picture, and you're left holding the bag. There's no way any of these characters could afford to get blood on those collars. I remembering seeing the (apparently un-killable) Ike Clanton toss his sash on the ground at the end, and thinking; hey! Somebody just ironed that, you ungrateful retch!
Ah well, the underrated Val Kilmer has some nice lines, but otherwise this thing is a mess that's only worth seeing for the corny language, and to figure out how Russell could really ride a horse in those tight pants.
59 Kilmer, Boothe, and Biehn
There are three reasons to own a copy of this movie, and two of them are portraits of souls entangled in lives dedicated to making the wrong choices. Doc Holliday's life isn't really the model of adjustment and happiness, either - but Mr Kilmer earns the right to be called "Mister" in this movie. He doesn't just portray The Man Gone Wrong - he takes a part that could have turned into a real floater and made it himself. Mr Kilmer IS John Holliday, odd Southern idiom and all. He is a profoundly sick man - in more ways than one - who shines in his devotion to the man who may just be his only friend in the world.
60 Throw down, boy!
Let's face it. There are 'guy' movies and there are 'girl' movies, also known as 'date movies' or 'chick flicks.' Anything with Hugh Grant qualifies as a date movie, while "Fried Green Tomatoes" is a chick flick. "Beaches" is a chick flick. "Steel Magnolias" is most definetly a chick flick. "Tombstone"...well, if you like spicy hot buffallo wings dripping with bleu cheese, cold beer, and football, this movie is for you.
Critics of "Tombstone" -- and you know who you are -- point out its cliched plot, which is more or less based on the real-life fued between ex-lawman Wyatt Earp and his brothers Morgan and Virgil, and their friend John "Doc" Holliday, and a gang of transplanted Texas outlaws called the Cowboys, which culminated in the world's most famous shoot-out, the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. They point out that some of the dialogue is stilted and hokey, if not outright ridiculous. They shake their heads at gunfights which rage for minutes with no one troubling to reload and the villains seemingly unable to hit anything except trees, windows, dirt, and if they are very lucky, the non-lethal areas of our heroes. I look upon these souls with pity. Because they are missing the whole point of this classic, pen-ultimate "guy" film: GUILTY PLEASURE.
Like football, beer, and the afformentioned spicy chicken wings, "Tombstone" is not good. It is just fun. I would even argue that movies like this are the whole reason movies were invented in the first place (and keep in mind the first silent pictures were Westerns). You can save your message-laden morality plays and Oscar-grubbing prestiege pictures for when you are trying to impress your girlfriend's parents at dinner, because after desert, chances are your future father-in-law will light up a stogie and fire up this DVD over that copy of "Yentel" on the coffee table. And thank goodness for that! Would you rather watch Barbara Streisand in drag or Kurt Russel bash some foul-mouthed cowboy over the head with his own .44?
How can you go wrong with a cast that includes apparently every working character actor in Hollywood? In addition to Kurt Russel (Wyatt) and Val Kilmer (Doc), you've got Sam Elliot (Virgil), Bill Paxton (Morgan), Billy Bob Thorton (the very unfortunate Faro dealer), Powers Boothe (Curly Bill), Michael Biehn (Johnny Ringo), Michael Rooker, Charlton Heston (yes, Charlton Heston), Jason Priestly (Billy), Billy Zane (the actor in the kilt), and even that guy that played Lowell on "Wings" ? The answer is, you can't. This (Vista) DVD is money well spent, because in addition to a few minutes of extra footage (which, by and large, doesn't add much to the viewing experience) there is a supplementary disc loaded with extras. As if you needed them!
The flick opens with a demonstration of first-class villainy on the part of the Cowboys, who are led by the cheerful, opium-smoking and apparently insane Curly Bill Brosius, and his right-hand man, the homicidal gunslinger Johnny Ringo. They crash the wedding of a Mexican lawman and substitute the traditional throwing of rice with the throwing of lead. This establishes them as worthy bad guys, and the credits haven't even rolled yet!
Cut to the arrival in Tombstone of Wyatt Earp, played by Russel. Wyatt is a weary former town marshal with, shall we say, a phyiscal approach to problem solving. Before he has spoken a word of dialogue, he hosswhips a stablehand for maltreating his trusty steed. Minutes later, he strolls into a salloon and gives loudmouth card dealer Billy Bob Thorton perhaps the most humiliating verbal and physical thrashing in cinematic history, spitting out lines like "Are you gonna do something about it, or just stand there and bleed?" before tossing him out through the swinging doors. And this is just his first day in town! Wait until he gets comfortable!
Wyatt is joined not only by his brothers, but by his tuburculois-stricken gunman-gambler pal Doc Holliday, who gets even better dialogue than Wyatt, and gets to say it in a marvelous Tidewater-aristocratic drawl while strolling about town in his cape. The only thing deadlier than Doc's three-gun pistol rig is his own death-wish. Never mess with a man whose motto is: "Say when!"
Wyatt, Doc and Co. have made the ultimate Western mistake. They have Tried To Leave the Past Behind Them. Fools! Don't they know that only breeds mayhem?
Now, understand that Tombstone, Arizona in 1889 is like a college town the day before graduation where in addition to being drunk and violent, all the men are carrying guns and big ... buck knives. The Cowboys run the show and don't rightly appreciate Mr. Earp and his pals throwing their weight around. Before long, insults turn to fisticuffs, which turns to gunplay, which turns to Wyatt Earp using his boot spur to give cowardly Ike Clanton a no-frills facial massage, saying, "All right you cur! You've called down the thunder....you tell 'em I'm coming, and hell's coming with me!"
When Wyatt says stuff like that, you should take him at his word.
Stupidly, the Cowboys don't, and luckily for us, the OK Corral shootemup is just the beginning of the mayhem. Suffice to say by the time the final credits roll, Boot Hill is a growth industry.
This is a great, fun movie that is not meant to be taken seriously, as Kevin Costner's pompous, overdrawn "Wyatt Earp" apparently was. It's just entertainment, and the actors, most especially Val Kilmer, have a blast living out their childhood fantasies of playing Once Upon a Time in the West. You will too. Like Wyatt, "I'll take my oath on it."
The fight's commenced, folks....now get to fightin' or get away!
61 My Favorite Movie!
This is seriously one of the best movies ever made, as a kid I used to hate watching westerns with my dad but this movie totally changed all of that based on the actors in the movie. They all did a great job especially Val Kilmer who absolutely stole the movie! My dad and I actually made a trip to Tombstone, AZ and its represented well. A great movie!
62 Excellent western with great cast
Tombstone is the retelling of Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the city before and after the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The movie begins with Earp trying to start over and forget his past in the mining town of Tombstone. The Cowboy gang holds a stranglehold on the town that cannot be broken. Before long, Earp and his two brothers must strap on their guns once again to clean things up. This may be a familiar story, but it is anything but. An impressive cast, excellent action, and even some humor makes this western fully enjoyable.
While Kurt Russell is excellent as Marshal Wyatt Earp, Val Kilmer steals the show as dying gunman Doc Holliday. His performance is truly great and should have earned him an Academy Award for his performance. Even as tuberculosis takes its toll on him, he remains the same hard drinking, card playing gunfighter that he always was. The relationship between the two men is fully believable and one of the better points of the movie. Michael Biehn and Powers Boothe are also excellent as Johnny Ringo and Curley Bill, the leaders of the Cowboy gang. The fantastic supporting cast includes Dana Delaney, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Stephen Lang, Charlton Heston, Jason Priestley, Robert Burke, Joanna Pacula, Michael Rooker, and Billy Zane. As well, look for old western star Harry Carey JR as the marshal of Tombstone. The Vista Series DVD is loaded full of extras which are all very good. The best may be the deleted scenes that are included. At times during the movie, it seems a bit choppy with editing, but the movie is still very good. For fans of westerns check out this action-filled western!
63 The Best Western Ever Made. One of the best flicks ever.
This is entertainment. Loaded with fantastic storytelling, through both character development and narration. Kilmer and Russell both give the performances of a lifetime. The entire ensemble cast was perfect. The costuming, cinematography, imagery and script were all unbelievable.
This film has the tendency to come across as a big budget, blockbuster wannabe. And it should have been. However, there are layers to this movie that require multiple viewings to really find. The "Revelations" references are brilliant, and inspiring. (at least to me)
Other reviewers mention the cameos and small supporting roles. I think Billy Bob Thornton steals that show.
Buy it. Watch it. Great Movie.
64 A Perfect Western
I've read the other glowing reviews for this film and I have to agree. This is one DVD I watch over and over again. There were so many great actors in this one, and not just the A-listed ones. Everytime I watch this film I wonder how come Val Kilmer never won an award or was even nominated for his portrayal of Doc Holiday in this film. I truly enjoy a good western and I put this one right up there with "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and "High Plains Drifter".
65 Legends Reborn
Being from Arizona and growing up with the legends of Tombstone, I am immediately skeptical of any Hollywood western that tries to depict the actual story on screen. I was very impressed with Tombstone. The way the movie presented the actual lives of the Earps, who all REALLY had ex-prostitute wives and of Doc Holiday, who really wasn't a very good guy, are worth recognition. Being careful not wash the dirt off the story by Hollywood splendor, the film delivers a very gritty and accurate account of the events leading up to and after the now famous gunfight at the OK Corral. The film also reminds us that the "heros" in the story weren't powerful, heroic or perfect men, they were just men. It is also worth noting that Val Kilmer gave one of the most incredible performances of his career as Doc Holiday, a shady southern gambler inflicted with tuberculosis. I fully recommend this movie to anyone looking for a great modern western.
66 Amazing DVD!
Everything about this DVD is worth the [money]. First and foremost, the director's cut of the movie is so good it makes you wonder why it wasn't released to theaters like this. The theatrical release was like a middle age Young Guns, but this edition of the film is a real character study. Now, they movie does play fast and loose with the facts, but hey, we are here to enjoy ourselves, and this movie does that. For all of you who appreciated Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday there are more scenes with him, and it will make you wish that he was the focus not Wyatt Earp. The second DVD has some great extras and a really good behind the scenes look at the movie. If extras are you thing you won't be overwhelmed, but you won't be very disappointed either. It isn't the most packed DVD, but it isn't baren either. It is a good look at the movie, and it makes you appreciate the film a bit more, which is what a good DVD extra should do. BUY THIS DVD SET!
67 One of the Best "New" Westerns Ever
Do not hesitate. How can all of us be wrong? I promise you will love this movie. It has everything a good movie requires to survive over time. I have watched this movie numerous times and enjoy it more and more each time. One of my favorites by far.
68 I said throw down, boy
I'm not that big on westerns, but this movie and Unforgiven really hooked me. There was enough variety between the characters in this one to keep the film interesting. Doc Holiday was comical, Wyatt serious, and Ike was more repulsive than an Oscar-unworthy Michael Moore.
A few flaws with the film...when Curly Bill emerges from the tent high on opium, he uses his six shooters to shoot about 50 bullets into the air. Also, when he shoots at the window, the window shatters about two full seconds after he fires.
But I can't say I was disappointed to see the tight-wearing ballerina man took a bullet, thus ending any further torment we'd have endured from his Shakespeare babbling hom-o-ramas.
Entertaining and justice-serving.
69 great dvd
George P. Cosmatos epic western 'Tombstone' is the western genre at its fullest capability. It's the story of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and his brothers, especially focusing around Tombstone and its aftermath. Kurt Russell plays Wyatt Earp, Val Kilmer plays Doc Holliday, Sam Elliott plays Virgil Earp, Bill Paxton plays Morgan Earp, Powers Boothe plays Curly Bill, Michael Biehn plays Johnny Ringo, Jason Priestley plays Deputy Billy Breckinridge, Stephen Lang plays Ike Clanton, Thomas Haden Church plays Billy Clanton, Dana Delany plays Josephine Marcus, Billy Zane plays Fabian--all play their roles brilliantly. Charleton Heston, Billy Bob Thornton Wyatt Earp III, and Micheal Rooker have cameos and Robert Mitchum narrates. I mean with a cast like that how can you go wrong. The story is great, the cinematography is great, the writing is great, and the production value is great. You cannot go wrong with this film. And the dvd is a 2 disc set, packaged very nicely in a slipcover case with a map of Tombstone. It contains a commentary track, a three part making of featurette, a 'tombstone timeline', the OK Corral storyboard sequence, Faro for the computer, and other extras. It's a great movie and a great value for the dvd package.
70 Mixes Both The Old And New West
Bruce Broughton's work on director George P. Cosmatos's Tombstone is my favorite film score from the composer. Since the film has all the trademarks of a western but still manages to be very different, Broughton's score does the same thing. The music captures the spirit of the of the old west with an expansive theme and in track 5's Thespian Overture. As the score plays out though the music takes a few great twists. Some of the best twists can be heard in both Street Standoff and The OK Corral cues. The tension builds in these tracks using quiet rumblings and little guitar. In the latter track, the music falls off mid-point and then comes back with an almost millitaristic sound. Lots of drums, horns, and a fraction of synthesizer, but not too much.. thanfully. All of this stuff makes for a great soundtrack to a great film.
The music on the CD represents a fairly complete score. There are 18 tracks on the disc and it has a generous running time of 66:42. It also has a word from the composer about his work in the liner booklet. The CD is highly recommended
71 A great western, a remarkable movie...
This isn't what the ol' west was all about. This is what Hollywood films are all about: big casts, large conflict, and compelling characters. It's all set to the backdrop of Tombstone, a large town in the ol' west where Wyat Earp and his two brothers decide to retire to and make a small fortune in silver. Doc Holliday also lives there, winning card games like Mark Maguire makes home runs. But the outlaw gang the Cowboys are menacing the town and stirring up trouble. Reluctantly, the Earps and Holliday come out of retirement to fight back and defend their town. This is an extremely remarkable film with great acting, a thick plot, and some suspense-filled shoot-outs. It's a must-see for any movie buff. One of the best westerns also made.
72 "Not me, I'm in prime"
This somewhat cult classic has attained its status for a few reasons. Firstly, Val Kilmer is excellent as Doc Holliday. His performance is extremely entertaining and will no doubt stick with the viewer for years. Kilmer's Holliday delivers countless classic lines and a few memorable moments such as his cup swinging antics in response to one of the film's bad guys.
Kurt Russell and the rest of the cast also deliver good performances in this film which centers around Wyatt Earp and the town of Tombstone. While this movie may not be histroically accurate, it is one of the best action films of the 90's and very much worth a viewing.
73 Some issues to pick with the new Vista Series release...
I won't wax eloquent about the film itself. Suffice it to say that I enjoyed this movie enough to purchase it's first release on widescreen DVD in 1996, and was very much looking forward to this new Vista Series release. I suppose the commentary and documentary could justify the additional expense I put out for the Vista Series, but I am going to take this opportunity to elucidate some negative aspects of the new release. Since this new transfer is THX certified, I was expecting a very pristine presentation compared to the 1996 DVD release. My main complaint of the new transfer is that it's black level is set waaay too low. You will find yourself cranking up the brightness to see any shadow detail at all, and even then you can't dial it in just right. On the positive side, the color is much, much nicer on the new transfer, and the sharpness is a tad more detailed also. Just a few comments now on some of the "extras". The extra 4 minutes of added footage does nicely fill some gaps in the original version, and certainly does not ruin the experience, as one very opinionated viewer noted below. The commentary by George Cosmatos is entertaining and quite informative, even more so than the three-part "Making of" documentary. The "Tombstone Epitaph" looked very nice, until I actually tried to read it. One reviewer noted that the print was too small to see. I suppose that determination hinges on the size of one's screen and the quality of one's eyesight. All I can add to his comment is that on my 32" monitor the Epitaph print was clearly legible, albeit small. But my one reservation about the Epitaph hinges about how one must navigate to read the print. Imagine that a big picture was taken of the paper, and your screen zooms in on just a portion of it. To navigate up, down, left and right to see the whole thing, you use the arrow keys on the remote. Problem is, some of the columns in the newspaper are divided down the middle by the edge of the screen. So, you can read the left half of each column, or the right half. But to read each line you must constantly be pushing the arrow keys left, right, left, right endlessly. Ridiculous, and I gave up. They should have made one column of the paper fill up one screen's width. Also included as an extra is a map of the beginning of the gunfight at the O.K. corral as penned by Wyatt Earp in 1919. This is printed on very nice looking paper, but all of the small handwriting is illegible as presented. Nice thought, though. It is hard to believe that a Director's Cut Special Edition of a film does not include any cast bio's or filmographies. Sad. Finally, the new packaging is quite slick looking, with both the cover art and internal art having a very nice rustic look to it. Quite classy. The only reservation I have is of the durability of the package. I have not experienced good longevity of this type of packaging, with the plastic DVD trays hot-glued to a paper or plastic backing. They always seem to come unglued eventually with heavy use. Just thought I would cut through the hype and offer some meat-and-potatoes info on this new Vista release.
74 More Layers than Meet the Eye
I want to add to the overwhelming praise for this movie by adding a couple more comments. After watching this movie for about the millionth time, I couldn't help but notice the thread in the story about the insatiable state of the human condition. Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday are the best of friends - that much we get. But if one notices how intricately Doc loves and admires Wyatt for his strength and courage, the movie gets that much better. All throughout the movie, Doc symbolizes an almost Solomonic figure, bemoaning the ever wanting, always ironic human condition - even at his death, his last words are with reference to ironic humor. Just prior to his death, he tells Wyatt that Wyatt is the only person that ever gave him hope in the world. At the same time, Earp is the guy who refuses to struggle with the life's big questions, choosing rather to face the world with courage and resolve - notice how he responds to the questions from his little brother regarding the possibility of life after death, and also to the questions from his future love regarding the meaning of true happiness in life. And let us not forget Johnny Ringo, the ultimate symbol of fatalistic nihilism! Seriously, this movie is the absolute best insofar as it is an incredible Western, but it is also deeply, deeply layered. Throw in Kurt Russell's best performance of his career, Val Kilmer's best performance of his career, and gun fighting that cannot be matched - and you've got a winner. This is one of those rare movies that one can own and watch once a year - I have yet to tire of it!
75 A Western at it's Best!
Val Kilmer and Kurt Russell really pulled off a great movie. This is 2 of america's greatest actors at their best! I would recommend this movie to anyone. DEFITNETLY a must see.
76 Stoned Immaculate
Tombstone is one of the most entertaining pieces of cinema to hit the silver screen in the past 15 years. Kurt Russell does a fantastic job portraying former Sheriff Wyatt Earp. Russell's Earp is at a crossroads in his life and sure, really, of only two things: he wants to make a lot of money and he wants to live near his two brothers Virgil (Sam Elliott) and Morgan (Bill Paxton). Needless to say when the Earp three move into the ragtag town of Tombstone business picks up a bit. The Earp's go into the saloon/casino business and start to clean up which begins to rub a few of the local cowboys the wrong way. All the ensuing altercations lead to the historic shootout at the OK Corral which is one of the films many highlights. Wyatt's sidekick is perhaps the best thing about Tombstone. Val Kilmer turns in an unforgettable performance as Doc Holiday. Holiday is by far the most intriguing character in the film and endears himself to the viewer almost instantly. Kilmer simply steals every scene he is in, which makes for one of the most memorable (and lovable) movie characters of all-time. Although Doc's hedonistic lifestyle eventually catches up with him in the end, it sure is great to watch this "fabulous disaster." The film is long but it doesn't feel it. The pacing is fantastic and almost all of the movie is action packed. Overall, Tombstone is easily in my top five favorite films of all-time...and on some days it's number 1. Highest Recommendation.
77 "You Tell 'Em I'm Coming, and HELL'S COMING WITH ME!"
THE FILM
"Tombstone" is certainly one of the top four greatest westerns ever made (the others being "Lonesome Dove", "Silverado", and "Dances With Wolves"). The action/shoot-out scenes are terrific, exciting and very well-staged. The set design, costumes, sets, and everything else truly takes you back to the old days of the Wild West. And the acting! WOWWEEE! Kurt Russell gives the greatest performance of his entire career as the legendary Wyatt Earp; he adds so much depth to the figure with a past/reputation that he would give anything to leave behind, but he knows that he can't.....and to put it in his own words, "And that's the damnable misery of it." He is both very human and a "wouldn't-hurt-a-fly" kind of guy, but also the baddest dude this side of the Rio Grande! This is one guy you do not want to piss off! But Val Kilmer absolutely steals the show as the gamblin' gun-totin' "Doc" Holiday; his mere screen appearence can brighten up the scene. He has the best lines (except for the one above, which is given to Kurt Russell), and presents them in a way that is bound to make you laugh/cry/do whatever it is that you're meant to do. Everyone else does great, too. Love backstories in westerns aren't usually all that great, but the one in here is very well-done. This is a must-own for any western or action fan!!! 5 STARS!!!!!
VISTA SERIES DVD
I was really hyped up about this new two-disc set, because I heard it was great. Well, not that I'm saying it's a bad DVD (FAR FROM IT!), but it fails to live up to its reputation, both in the "all-new, never before seen Director's Cut" and the Extras on Disc 2.
First of all, there's hardly any thing added in here! Four minutes at the most. In the end, you come off wishing for much more to be added in. And what makes it even more disappointing, is that if you watch the Theatrical Trailer, you will see TONS of footage not shown in the movie!! That pissed me and my dad off A LOT!! But, oh well. What can ya do? What is added in is very good. Every scene adds more character development or drama to the story, as well as make more sense to the plot/story. And the picture and sound quality is nearly flawless; just some grain here and there, but BARELY!
The Extras are nothin' to get excited about. The 3-part Making-of documentary is very entertaining, but unfortuanately it isn't very long (a little less than half an hour). It does have great interviews with the cast & crew, and it's very informative. It makes you realize how much went into making this magnificent western, and you come off respecting the film even more. Also, the cast members offer little insights on their characters, and those are very interesting! The "Tombstone Epitaph" is pointless unless you get right up to the screen; otherwise, you can't read a darn thing! Besides that, there isn't much besides some trailers and story boards (boooorrriiiing!!!), although I have not yet tried the DVD-Rom card game that is featured. That looks fun! But, ironically, the best special feature is the really neat case and cover art it comes in!
In Conclusion: This DVD, while not among the best DVD's I own, is a great buy. The film is presented in a format that is perfect! Well, nearly. Poor special features or not, at least it has special features! The original DVD didn't have diddly. The Vista Series DVD is a somewhat disappointment. But, then again, every DVD seems like a somewhat disappointment after owning and viewing the Special Extended DVD Edition of "TLOTR"! But what the Vista Series is focused on is the actual film, and in that case, it succeeded beautifully. They sould've either done A) Inserted all that footage shown in the trailer, or B) Not included the trailer at all! Then we wouldn't have any complaints and wouldn't know about it at all!
Overall, a great DVD to add to your collection.
Film: 5 Stars
DVD: 4 Stars
Overall: 4.5 Stars
78 "I have not yet begun to defile myself"..
And that title line is one of Val "Doc Holliday" Kilmer's signature quotes from this incredible 1993 film.
a) If you buy "Tombstone" in any commercial form, buy the Vista Series DVD. The packaging is absolutely gorgeous and the extras are absolutely worth it.
b) If you've seen the film in its original cut many times, it's a real revelation to see the scenes that George Cosmatos filmed but which the studio forced him to cut, for time reasons. Movies over two hours long scare studios because theatre owners don't want them because they can't cram in as many showings per day, sell fewer tickets, and makea lot less money on popcorn, hot dogs and soda, so the Director's vision suffers because of it. Why and how did Doc Holliday leave Big Nose Kate? Who is that body dragged in front of Hooker's ranch before the climactic scenes.. these and many other questions are answered when you see the original cut of the film, and finally see the deleted scenes..
The extras on the second DVD will show you how a truly authentic Western was put together.. the incredible amount of care and planning that went into the detail of set and costume design and decoration. Did you know that ALL the moustaches on the cast were real? Watch the film at least once with Cosmatos' running commentary and you'll learn a lot more about one of the best, most authentic Westerns ever made.
The incredible ensamble cast works perfectly together. There's a reason for it. The film LOOKS real. There's a reason for it.
The most unfortunate thing about "Tombstone" is that it was released within a couple months of Kevin Costner's much more heavily hyped, three hour epic "Wyatt Earp".. the two films have many similarities, although Costner's adds a full extra hour by covering Earp's life before he takes his family to Tombstone, Arizona, after retiring as a lawman..
While I like Kostner's film too, "Tombstone" is the superior of the two.. Kurt Russell and especially Val Kilmer simply shine much brighter as Wyatt and Doc, than do Costner and Dennis Quaid in the same roles..
Westerns? I have a lot of favorites. #1 - Clint Eastwood's timeless "Unforgiven." #2 - "Tombstone." #3 - the epic Cinerama "How The West Was Won." And quite a few others including "The Treasure of The Sierra Madre." Unfortunately, while very few of them are made anymore, The American Western is a film genre with literally thousands of examples, a few dozen stellar standouts, but only a dozen or so true classics.. "Tombstone" is one of them.. And The Vista Series version is not a DVD you will be trading in any time soon. It's a keeper!!..
79 Isn't it a daisy?
To say Tombstone is a great western is not at all to do the movie justice. To say Tombstone is unbelievably good is to trammel it down in the muck. What you've got to do is grab each person you know by the lapels and shake them back and forth while screaming in their face that they absolutely must see this film. Friends don't let friends not see Val Kilmer's portrayal of Doc Holliday - easily the most inspired character in all of fiction. I will stack Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday up against any other character that has ever been created by an artist. He will win. Hamlet? Come off it love. Who do you think you're fooling with this Shakespeare routine? Certainly not me and probably not even yourself, as you yawn and scratch your way through yet another "masterpiece." Why don't you make a clean slate of it and just admit to yourself finally that Shakespeare bores the crud out of you and his plays are irritating beyond belief? But Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday... now THERE'S literature! Stack him up against Hamlet and he'll blow his brains out with his ivory handled revolvers. And as Hamlet gags and sputters and reels and staggers Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday will yell, "C'mown, Johnny, C'MOWN!" And he will advance solicitously, full of adroit concern as Hamlet collapses, saying, "Oh you're no daisy. You're no daisy atall!"
80 the last great western
I went to see the film when I was 19 with a friend just out of pure boredom.I went in anticipating a watered-down Hollywood movie where all the actors have mullets and bad southern accents.I left the theater dumbstruck by it's beauty.
This is my second favorite western after "The Wild Bunch"--a very CLOSE second.If you don't feel any romanticism for the old west after watching this movie,well,you just ain't human.The acting is top-notch,the set design is brilliant,and the costumes are perfect.This film was so good,that it just ruined Kevin Costner's subsequent "Wyatt Earp" for me."Tomstone" went almost un-noticed in late '93-early '94,but it has gained a great reputation of the years.I found it funny at the time when all of the critics complained of all of the mustaches in the film.I'm surprised they didn't complain about all of the six-shooters and cowboy hats!
81 "Law Don't Go Around Here, Lawdog."
Wow! What a movie! You may have seen this epic western before but unless you've watched the Vista Series DVD you haven't seen half of it! There are several new scenes added into the film that makes the movie as a whole more interesting and in-depth.
It fills several holes and all and all makes this a better movie.
This is of course, an adaption of the historic O.K. Corral old west shootout that took place in Tomstone, Arizona.
The plot is perfectly constructed and is next to flawless.
The performances are magnificent!
Kurt Russell Makes the perfect Wyatt Earp and is totally believable in the role of the famous western lawman.
Sam Elliot of TNT fame is cast as his typical old-west sheriff and is very good at playing Wyatt Earp's brother.
Bill Paxton in an interesting change of role is cast as another of Wyatt's brothers and is most interesting in the role and pulls it off extremely well. Now, the absolute best performance in this film is given by the incredible Val Kilmer and watching his slyly sarcastic Doc Holliday on the screen makes you incredibly upset that he didn't even get nominated for an academy award which is downright unjust! He is the epitome of cool as he utters such classic lines as, "I'm your huckleberry" or whispering to his girlfriend, "Look Darling, It's Johnny Ringo" at the sight of the infamous outlaw. His accent is so believable it's amazing to think that it's put on! One of the most famous scenes in 'Tombstone' is one in which Val Kilmer's Holliday, after watching gunslinger Johnny Ringo show off by spinning his pistols around, takes two shot glasses and mocks Ringo by duplicating his movements.
When viewing one of his other performances, say, his Bruce Wayne character in 'Batman Forever', released the same year as Tombstone, it's amazing to think that this is the same Val Kilmer that played Doc Holliday in Tombstone.
Incredibly, Val Kilmer has all but dissapeared from the screen.
His last film being the little-seen 'The Salton Sea', released earlier this year. He surely deserves to be a more well known presence on the screen. All in all this is a powerful tale of friendship and justice that should be treasured among the best westerns, in fact, Tombstone is The Best Western ever to grace the screen!
82 Great Western Fare....DVD is Less Bang For Your Buck...
This review refers to the Cinergi/Hollywood Pictures(1997)DVD edition of this film.....
With so many legendary films about the immortal Wyatt Earp and his pal Doc Holiday, including such greats as "My Darling Clementine" and "Gunfight at the OK Corral" and even "Hour of the Gun". this is the one that always seems to end up on my screen. Those films are without a doubt five star classics,and I love em, but this one is compelling.You'll be drawn into the characters and won't want to miss a second of it. So why only the 4 star rating from me? The DVD(see above) is good,very good in fact,the Digitally mastered widescreen picture is sharp, colors bright, and the sound in Dolby Surround(2.0) is surprisngly pleasing.Even without there being any extras(that is usually not the thing that attracts me, I just consider those a bonus),I have enjoyed viewing it over and over. However there is now a newer release of "Tombstone" by Disney's Vista(sold right here at Amazon), that has the sound remastered in 5.1,THX,anamorphic widescreen and it is a 2 disc set with lots of goodies for those who can't get enough of Wyatt and Doc, AND>>>>It costs LESS than this one.Not much, but you get so much more for your money. So basically I wanted to let anyone looking at this one to know about the Jan 2002 release.
A quick synopsis of the film for those curious about that though..... The story picks up at the point of Legendary lawman Wyatt Earp's(Kurt Russell) career when he is ready to retire from
the law, go into business for himself, and maybe raise a family. He moves his family to Tombstone, a booming mining town, and meets up with his old pal, the infamous gambler and gunman Doc Holliday(Val Kilmer).The problem is no one will let him retire! The "cowboys" as their called(outlaws) are running the show. People are afraid to walk the streets, for fear of getting hit by a stray bullet. The officials all want Wyatt to clean up the town the way he did for Dodge, but Wyatt wants no part of it. When his brothers(Sam Elliot/Bill Paxton), join in the fight to help make the town safe, Wyatt puts his badge back on, and Doc picks up his shotgun to help his friend. The trouble starts with the famous shoot out at the OK Corral,and the Clantons and McClaury's are out for revenge. Wyatt Earp and his "Immortals" as Doc calls them, sweep the west of all the remaining "cowboys".
Amidst all this action, Wyatt meets and falls for the beautiful actress Josephine Marcus(Dana Delany) who he will spend the rest of his long life with.
So, there's lots of Western action, romance, beautiful cinematography,a terrific soundtrack, and a true story of friendship. Director George Cosmatos has captured this chapter of history perfectly. Lots of great colloquialisms from the era are used throughout, and if you watch it enough(Which you will) you'll be repeating them before the actors do.
And speaking of the actors in addition to the ones mentioned above, who were all brilliant(Val Kilmer was so in character as Doc,he probably still talks with that southern accent to this day), there's such legends as Harry Carey Jr and Charlton Heston making fine appearances.
So I'm adding the new one to my list of upgrades, but in the meantime I will still enjoy this one.
Saddle up for a great Western and a Cinematic treat.....Laurie
83 Awesome Movie
But that's about it. The Dvd portion of it didn't have behind the scenes or commentary. I felt it could have been so much more. Especially since the movie was so rich in history
84 "Throw down, boy!"
TOMBSTONE is as rough and raw as the tumbleweeds blowing across the Arizona dessert. This is a satisfying "shoot 'em up," a throwback to the finest Westerns of the genre, pitting good against evil. Dusty, gritty, dirty, violent--dripping with testosterone--TOMBSTONE delivers, viewing after viewing.
Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday steals the show; Kurt Russell turns in what I think is his finest performance as the brooding Wyatt Earp. Even more thrilling for an "old geezer" like myself was Charlton Heston's cameo and the narration by Robert Mitchum--two icons with symbolic ties to classical Westerns. A chubby Billy Bob Thornton (before his fame--or "infamy") appears in one of the film's most amusing scenes.
Look beyond the historical inaccuracies: TOMBSTONE is escapist entertainment at its best.
85 The law is back in town
This 1993 western may have received mixed reviews from critics when it was released, but it has since become a cult classic film that is still great movie that even people who don't like westerns can enjoy. The film is carried at a rather nice pace, and the sublime casting of Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday makes Tombstone work. Kilmer turns in his best performance, while Kurt Russell turns in a near equally great performance as Wyatt Earp. The huge ensemble cast includes Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn, Powers Boothe, Dana Delany, Jason Priestly, Billy Zane, Billy Bob Thornton, Michael Rooker, John Corbett, Thomas Haden Church, Stephen Lang, Robert John Burke, Charlton Heston, and the voice of Robert Mitchum in major and supporting roles, along with some great gunfights and brilliant set design all help Tombstone be a feast of the senses. If you already own Tombstone on video or on the older edition DVD, then seriously consider upgrading to this new edition Vista Series DVD set, the extras are great and well put together, and Tombstone is one of the best action films I have ever seen.
86 It's all questions now. . . .
I believe the song that Kilmer was playing at the piano was Chopin's Valse Opus 64 no. 2, however I cannot fully confirm this as Broughton and co. has saw fit to leave this off of the soundtrack. What a pity, most of his compilations are usually complete.
If anyone is aware of the Chopin piece, please be nice and email me.
87 Hail is coming with me!!!
Hail to the actors and producers of this motion picture!!
My wife and I recently visited Tombstone, AZ. and toured the shootout site at The OK Corral which occurred on October 26, 1881. ... .
Based on what I read and saw, the movie is generally accurate and based on true facts. The performance of Val Kilmer as the role of Doc Holiday should have been awarded with the best supporting actor in a major role. The Academy either ignored it, or had made a prior commitment to give it to a less deserving actor.
The dvd has added feutures such as DTS and 5.1 digital channels. The quality of the picture is pure, crisp and as digital as it comes. In my honest opinion, this is the greatest western movie ever produced. A must in your library. Big thumbs up!!!
88 Reason for editing. . .
Tombstone manages to finds its way into my DVD player on a monthly, if not weekly basis. Certainly during poker games. Kilmer as Doc Holiday is one of my favorite characters in movies. Now, I'm aware that this is not the historically correct portrayal of the Earps and their encounter with the Cowboys, but I really don't care.
So why the four stars and ominous heading. Well, this review is really about the Vista Series release of the movie. Looking at the extras before this came out, I had to own a copy. I even sold my other version to make room for this copy, which, of course, was going to knock me dead. I mean, it has commentary and extra scenes. . . I could die and be happy.
Well, I'm alive. . . very much alive. While I was really happy with Cosmatos' commentary (although I wish the some of the actors would have also been available), the added scenes did nothing for me. Actually it's worse. They really ruined the movie for me. Not for all time! Just during that viewing.
The extra scenes attempt to fill in some of the "blanks" that were missing from the original. Such as, what happened to Kate in the second half of the movie? How did one of Earp's "Immortals" get captured and dragged by a Cowboy behind his horse? Where was Doc the night the Earps were attacked?
Well, I've seen the answers, and they stink. They are simply not needed, which, you guessed it. . . is probably the reason they were cut from the original. The scene between Kate and Doc that was added was the worst. It simply did not fit in with the personalities of the characters up to that point. In fact, it almost ruined Kilmer's performance for me.
Cosmatos, in his commentary, discussed a scene that did not make it in the original or this release. It was actually an expansion of the Josephine and Wyatt scene in the valley after riding their horses. Apparently, there was more of a "connection" than just the obvious attraction the two have in the version that made the film. Actually, if you watch the trailers for the movie, you see a brief second where Wyatt and Josephine are kissing. Cosmatos cut that scene to save time, and because he wanted to leave it up to the viewers imagination as to what really happened. I wish the same had happened with the scenes they did decide to put back in.
89 Wyatt Earp As Entertainment
"Tombstone" is the 1993 film about the "shootout at the OK Corral". This movie's version of events should be taken with a large grain of salt. It is not intended to be a faithful rendition of what transpired but instead leans toward the actual event as morality tale/entertainment. "Tombstone" is really more about good and evil than it is about the Earps and the Cowboys.
To give the film that kind of an edge, the film makers had to gloss over some of the Earps, especially Wyatt's, less than moral behavior. Doc Holliday, played in the movie by Val Kilmer, was an especially dubious character who could have just as easily found a living with the Cowboys as with the Earps.
What "Tombstone" amounts to though is a bit of a whitewashed do-gooder tale with a healthy dose of vengeful violence thrown in. Kurt Russell gives his usual quality performance as Wyatt Earp and the remainder of the cast plays quite well with the exception of Doc's nemesis Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn). Biehn plays Ringo as a half-crazed, half-psychotic misanthrope and is way passed the edge of believable. However, his over-the-top performance may only seem so because of Kilmer's typically unemotional portrayal. I bet Kilmer only blinked twice during the whole movie.
It might be unfair to compare "Tombstone" to the Kevin Costner made "Wyatt Earp" because they were not really attempting to do the same things. With his movie, Costner was trying to give an accurate portrayal of Earp's life whereas the makers of "Tombstone" were more interested in the morality/entertainment value of only one aspect of Earp's life. "Wyatt Earp" runs a little long at 189 minutes but gives a much better view of the real Wyatt Earp. "Tombstone" however has its place too as entertainment.
90 Skin that smokewagon and see what happens!
Though this isn't the most technically perfect movie ever made, it's damn enjoyable, and that's what matters most in a movie.
There are so many other good things about this movie that I won't be able to cover in this short review, so watch! Great, and I mean GREAT character development for both the good guys and the bad guys. Good portrayals of bad guys are missing in most movies, but in this one you get a true sense of why the bad guys choose chaos and disorder - because it's easier and more quickly gratifying than law and order. At the same time, you get a great sense of why you want the good guys to win - because in the wild west they represent some justice and peace!
The dialouge in this flick is non-pariel for westerns. The old phrases and slang were great. "Skin that smoke wagon," what a cool way to say "pull that pistol out of its leather holster." Billy Bob Thornton is great as the big cowardly bully in that scene.
Well, I can talk at length about this movie. It's a guilty pleasure, because I usually admire movies that are technically 'tight.' There are some scenes that could have been redone and a couple editing mistakes you can catch, but with a movie this fun, who cares?
-- JJ
91 Wyatt and Doc Ride Again
'Tombstone' is one of my favorite movies for a variety of reasons.
First, despite the growing trend to rewrite history showing that the good guys were really the bad guys, this movie clearly shows that the Earps were the good guys and the Clantons were the bad guys. Don't pay any attention to the revisionists who say otherwise.
Second, it's a great action-filled movie.
Third, Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp plays the part in a way that makes you think he IS Wyatt Earp. From the photographs I've seen of Wyatt, you'd have to say the Russell is a mirror image of the immortal and legendary Earp. The lean, hard 6 foot body, the sweeping handlebar mustache, the blue eyes, the cold look... Russell was magnificent as Mr. Earp.
Fourth, Val Kilmer played a fantastic role as Doc Holliday (who may have been my illegitimate great-grandfather; we'll never really know). Kilmer's body size is too large to mistake him physically for Doc, but his portrayal negates that problem. What a wonderful interpretation of Doc he gave. The meanest dude in town.... he was the ultimate "You don't mess with Doc Holliday" character. Incidently, I thought that Quaid in "Wyatt Earp" was a better physical representation of Doc than Val Kilmer.
Fifth, Powers Booth was a great Curly Bill. From pictures of the real Curly, you'd think that Booth and he were twins. He was wonderful in the part. Wyatt really killed Curly Bill in a gunfight that was reasonably well depicted in the movie.
Sixth, the setting and the location shots seemed to be right on target... southeastern Arizona. Nice to see that authenticity.
From the history endpoint, much was so accurate. County Sherrif Behan was in cahoots with the rustlers (My own reading and study have led me to believe that he was not only a supporter of them, but in fact, their leader). Despicable Ike Clanton was a crude and totally distasteful individual, though not as ignorant as he was played in the movie. Texas Jack Vermillion and Turkey Creek Jack Johnson were real people, and friends of Wyatt. Although Michael Biehn played well as Johnny Ringo, and brooded much as Ringo did, he was too dirty looking to fit the image I have of Ringo. When Doc Holliday died in the sanitarium in Colorado, he was visited by a priest as shown in the movie (where he really converted to the Catholic faith because of his long past love of someone who was Catholic), and he supposedly really said "This is funny" just before he died. Wyatt really married Josie and spent the rest of his life traveling the West with her at his side. Jason Priestly's portrayal of Billy Breckenridge as a homosexual was accurate.
Ok, now for some "complaints"... mostly with historical facts. I didn't like Bill Paxton's protrayal of Morgan Earp... his character was much too geeky to have been the real Morgan. Also, Morgan and Doc were quite close, but the movie didn't get into that. The one glaring historical fact which no one disputes was incorrect was the shootings of Morgan and Virgil. The movie had Morgan killed and Virgil shot on the same night. This, in fact, is far from factual.... Virgil was shot just after Christmas in 1881, while Morgan was murderd in March of 1882 (in a pool hall as shown in the flick). There was great tension in Tombstone between the dates of the two shootings which was not evident in the movie. Few people realize that in Tombstone prior to the time of all this trouble, Bat Masterson and Luke Short were in town and were allied with Wyatt; they had their reasons for departing before the OK Corral. Another place where the movie wasn't as accurate as it could have been was the relationship between Wyatt and John Clum, the editor of the Epitaph. They were actually quite close and Clum supported Earp totally.
The movie had Doc killing Ringo in a shootout. It's true that Ringo was killed in June of 1882, but there isn't hard evidence who cut him down. It's possible it was Doc, who absolutely HATED Ringo, especially for his part in Morgan's murder. Ringo was killed after Wyatt and Doc left Arizona to go to Colorado, because of a warrant against them. It's possible they came back to finish Ringo, who most certainly had a hand in murdering Morgan. According to Mrs. Earp, it was Wyatt who really terminated Ringo. There is so much debate about his death. The "official" coroner's report says suicide, but too many details refute this. My opinion is that Earp went back into Arizona and took care of Ringo.
My primary objection to the historical authenticity revolves around WHY the battle took place. The full reasons never came out in the movie, or in any other movie about Wyatt Earp.... Wyatt's dealings with Behan in the agreement they made which Behan reniged on, the Benson stage incident, the shootings at Skeleton Canyon, Ike Clanton's deal with Wyatt to turn over his friends who had killed Bud Philpot during the Benson stage robbery for the purpose of the reward money, the resentment the Clanton Gang had for the way that Earp throttled their evil empire, etc. The movie made it seem that these people were just angry with each other... they were, but there was so much that led up to the fight that wasn't shown in any of the movies.
I would like to have seen much more of the trial of the Earps, in which they were correctly acquitted, rather than just Judge Welles Spicer's final ruling. You might be interested in reading the transcript of the trial and read the words of Wyatt, Ike Clanton and so many others, which will convince you that the verdict was correct. (See "The OK Corral Inquest" by Alford E. Turner, from Creative Publishing Company, College Station, TX)
Despite all the historical omissions, and they did take away from the movie for me, I'd still have to say this was a GREAT movie. I watch it over and over again, and will continue to do so. Even if you're not into the history of the period, you'll enjoy a great action movie, excellent music, and some terrific acting.
92 Entertaining, even if not historically faithful
Given that this is a movie, and has to try to tell an entertaining story in a short period of time, I hereby forgive the screenplay its inaccuracies and artistic inventions. Yes, yes: Holliday was really much older, Virgil and Morgan were shot mo
