MIDDLE-AGED MATINEE! #29 - 'Tombstone' (1993)

4 1/2 Stars

When I was younger, I had one blind spot on my radar that was undeniable: the Western. My dad either didn’t watch too many Westerns or he may have thought I wouldn’t have been interested, I’m not sure which reason would be why he didn’t ever care to show me any of them.

Thanks to a friend of mine, Jared Shipp, I would cover that blind spot after high school with greats such as “The Dollars Trilogy”, “Once Upon a Time in the West”, “Pale Rider”, “Unforgiven”, “3:10 to Yuma”, etc. However, there was one Western that my dad and I watched together when I was a kid. That movie was 1993’s “Tombstone”.

The movie, for those who may not have seen it yet, follows Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell), a former Marshal who has retired to “Tombstone” to start more lucrative businesses with his brothers, Virgil (Sam Elliott) and Morgan (Bill Paxton). Wyatt’s old friend Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) has also moved out west to Tombstone, hoping the dry air will help him with his tuberculosis.

The Earps and Doc Holliday get ready for war in 'Tombstone'!

Things are going well at first, but soon the town is besieged by the Cowboys, an organized criminal organization identified by their red sashes. They are led primarily by “Curly Bill” Brocius (Powers Boothe) and his second-in-command, the absolutely sinister Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn). Soon, the Earps and the Cowboys come to blows and Wyatt must once again pick up his gun and fight.

The story is your standard Western fare with outlaws riding into town and a few noble lawmen stepping up to take them on. Now, for historical sake, this movie is highly inaccurate.

The movie turns Wyatt into more of a “legendary” figure than a realistic one. However, I just file this movie as a fictional Western that is loosely based on real events. They try to strive to accurately recreate certain events while playing it loose with others so it doesn’t really bother me that it isn’t completely accurate.

Michael Biehn plays the sadistic Johnny Ringo in 'Tombstone'!

Besides, I didn’t come to the movie with historical accuracy in mind. I came for a rollicking Western adventure and the movie delivers on that note extremely well. Whether it’s the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral or Wyatt’s mission to take down the Cowboys, I’m always entertained from start to finish throughout the movie.

The performances are also fantastic. Russell is great in almost every movie he’s in even if the movie itself doesn’t live up to expectations. Wyatt is written as a legendary lawman with almost superhuman strength and Russell understands the assignment. Other players such as Elliott and Paxton as Wyatt’s brothers are strong as well in their archetypal roles.

As usual, every good protagonist needs a good antagonist and the Cowboys definitely deliver. In particular, Boothe is great as the villainous Curly Bill as he kills you with a smile and a bullet. Of course, the real villain here is Johnny Ringo, a truly sadistic baddie that hates anything and everyone, even himself. Biehn, like the other actors, knew the role he was playing and rose to the occasion as well.

The true standout of the movie is Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday.

Finally, the man of the hour. The character that steals the whole damn show. Of course, I’m talking about Kilmer as the famous gunslinger Doc Holliday. This is the antihero of the picture who only picks up a gun because his friend Wyatt needs him. He’s a lovable scoundrel and this may very well be my favorite performance from Kilmer, a highly versatile actor that can make you laugh, until he decides to stick a knife or a gun in your face.

The film was a financial and critical success at the time of its release even if it didn’t blow the roof off the box office. Yet, it did find its audience on home video and is a beloved film amongst fans of Westerns with particular praise for Kilmer, a role that many people say should have been nominated for an Academy Award.

All that aside, I just think that it is a fantastic Western adventure and a good start for anyone who may be getting into the Western genre for the first time.