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Crossfire Trail

Steven Hellerstedt | 10/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Excellent, old-fashioned classic western. Tom Selleck plays a cowboy who makes a promise to a dying friend to watch over the man's ranch and wife, and means to keep his word. Taken from a Louis L'Amour novel, CROSSFIRE TRAIL is a winner.
For those of us who haven't gone out of our way to track Selleck's career this movie is a revelation of sorts. He fits comfortably in the John Wayne/Randolph Scott/Gary Cooper tradition of the strong, dependable western hero. Fast paced and well photographed (see it in wide-screen if possible), with an above average cast, this movie is definitely going to please anyone who thinks they don't make them like that anymore.
CROSSFIRE TRAIL also contains one of the best final shootouts I've seen. Not only is it well choreographed and understandable, it also pulls off the unique trick of resolving some minor character questions - in particular those surrounding the town sheriff (Barry Corbin), who tries to drown his self-loathing while the guns are blazing. Simply a strong and smart western, essential for classic western fans, strongly recommended to the rest of you.
"

Toto, I don't think we're in Wyoming anymore

Joseph Haschka | Glendale, CA USA | 08/10/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Morality plays set in the Old West, a staple of my childhood on both television and in theaters, are hard to come by these days, so it's a treat when a half-way decent one comes along - like CROSSFIRE TRAIL. And there aren't too many living actors that can do a credible cowboy hero - Eastwood and Duvall come to mind. Luckily, this film has another excellent one of the genre, Tom Selleck.CROSSFIRE TRAIL opens aboard a merchant vessel off the California coast in the 1870s. Rafe Covington (Selleck) is comforting a dying pal, beaten to death by the sadistic captain. After promising to look after the man's wife and ranch, and kicking the bandini out of the ship's master, we next see Rafe riding through the magnificent mountain scenery that is ostensibly Wyoming. Upon arrival at the ranch, Rafe finds the place deserted. In the nearby town, Covington discovers the widow, Ann Rodney (Virginia Madsen), under the benevolent spell of smooth talkin' Bruce Barkow (Mark Harmon), the local VIP who holds the mortgage on the ranch and pretty much rules the local rubes with his band of armed good ol' boys. (Where have we seen this before? SHANE, PALE RIDER, and THE QUICK AND THE DEAD.) Barkow is more suave and better dressed than most villains of the ilk. As Rafe notes, Ann likes Bruce because "he has manners and smells nice". In any case, the Wider Rodney doesn't believe Rafe's version of events, but accepts Barkow's story that her husband was killed by Injuns on his way back from San Francisco. It's quite obvious that Barkow covets Ann and her land, which has pools of oil on it. The conflict is, of course, between Covington and Barkow, and the hired pistolero that the latter imports from, of all places, Kansas. (SHANE and PALE RIDER also had pistol packin' hit men.)Because the plot of CROSSFIRE TRAIL offered no surprises at all, I was tempted to award only three stars. However, playing the stolid, principled and reluctant gunfighter is Selleck's forte, and he does it as well as The Duke, Alan Ladd, or Gary Cooper ever did. Harmon is particularly oily as the charming Barkow, and there's a crusty performance by the aging Wilford Brimley, one of my favorite character actors, as Joe, Ann's ex-ranch hand. And it was good to see Barry Corbin as Barkow's toady Sheriff Moncrieff. (Corbin was Chris Cooper's deputy in LONESOME DOVE.) So, I'm awarding a reluctant four stars.The scenery is absolutely gorgeous, and mated to an uplifting score. I was all set to saddle-up for Wyoming when the credits rolled and informed me that the film was shot in Calgary, Alberta, and at the Western Studio and Backlot, which, according to its website, is 35 minutes west of the city. Hummph! Pretty soon they'll be pretending it's Tombstone's OK Corral with Mt. Fuji in the background. At least SHANE had the Grand Tetons."

CAN'T MISS WITH CROSSFIRE TRAIL

Joseph Haschka | 01/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Based on a great story by Louis L'Amour, Crossfire Trail pits Tom Selleck's Rafe Covington, a cowboy who has promised a dying friend to protect his land and his wife, Ann Rodney, portrayed by Virginia Madsen, against a gang of Wyoming ruffians portrayed very capably by Mark Harmon as crooked businessman Bruce Barkow, Marshall Teague as general bad guy Snake Corvill and Brad Johnson as gun-for-hire Bo Dorn. Wilford Brimley as Joe Gill, David O'Hara as Irish immigrant Brendan "Rock" Mullaney and Christian Kane as John Thomas Langston support Selleck in his classic good against evil quest. Add to the cast and setting the unparalleled direction of Simon Wincer (Lonesome Dove) and you just can't miss with Crossfire Trail.Crossfire Trail is the classic western tale: The evil land grabber, the hapless heroine and the avenging hero who, taking on all comers, overcomes evil, restores justice and gets the girl.Tom Selleck has emerged as the leading actor in the modern western genre. With stellar performances in Quigley Down Under, The Shadow Riders, Monte Walsh and Crossfire Trail, he is well on the way to achieving the same western star status and appeal as Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Duvall and Clint Eastwood. Crossfire Trail is a fitting showcase.Douglas McAllister"

First-rate horse opera

C. R. Bowman | Frankfort, KY United States | 12/12/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"No contemporary director knows how to film horses better than Simon Wincer. "Quigley," "The Man From Snowy River" and "Phar Lap" are great films, but this one tops them for sheer scope and beauty. What better vehicle for Wincer to showcase his brilliance than a Louis Lamour story! Toss in the understated acting of Tom Selleck, the sarcastic sagacity of Wilford Brimley and the appearance of a Winchester 45-60 "big-bore lever gun" and you've got yourself a first-rate oater. Forget the critics, this is good stuff. Besides, any film that has a blue roan AND a red roan in the remuda is definitely worth the price of admission. I hope Selleck continues his homage to Louis Lamour. For my money, Selleck and Wincer could be the new John Wayne and John Ford."