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anthonymd91
Reviews
Stagecoach: The Texas Jack Story (2016)
Smacks a little of a director trying to carve out some tax break for themselves. Although from the budget I guess that's perhaps not the case
Disappointing in almost every single way.
Where to start...the dialogue felt like the characters had just stumbled off some sit-com set, and were discussing what's for dinner or the latest on who's dating who. I can't think of a single character who delivered their lines with any grit, as we have come to expect in the Western genre. Some realistic acting limited to the facial expressions, at least - occasionally.
Some of the gunfights are almost comical, childish. Two enemies leaning around corners and shooting at nothing much, while their opponent is out of sight. Which is partly interrupted by some dialogue. Don't think I've seen guns fired on screen anytime, ever, where there was absolutely no tension. It is farcical at times.
The music feels like something from a video game. No variation, the dynamics are almost distracting from what is happening on-screen as they do not seem to match. Occasionally the music cuts out before resuming again 'for effect' I guess that was supposed to be. Interesting that the score is performed, recorded and mixed by just one man. Midi I am guessing then (that would make total sense, in hindsight).
I'm repeating what other reviewers have said, that it just feels like it is going through the motions. We are never captivated by the characters.
In its defence, the setting and the props (carriages, not so much the guns) seem fairly true to the genre. It gets 2 rather than 1 star for evoking something of the wilderness of the Western setting effectively.