Texas Rangers Woodrow Call and Augustus McCrae pursue three outlaws, Comanche war chief Buffalo Hump, Comanche horse thief Kicking Wolf and a Mexican bandit king. Now in their middle years, they also struggle with their personal lives, Gus with Clara Forsythe, the love of his life, and Call with Maggie Tilton, the young prostitute who loves him. Meanwhile their partners-in-arms Deets, Jake Spoon and Pea Eye Parker help the Rangers protect the advancing western frontier from the defiant Comanches who are determined to defend their land and way of life. Prequel to Lonesome Dove, and based upon the novel by Larry McMurty.
It's billed as "the second chapter in the Lonesome Dove saga," but Comanche Moon is actually a prequel to that much-loved 1989 miniseries. And while there's no doubt that it has some very big boots to fill, this three-part (on two DVDs, including bonus features) production is rarely less than eminently watchable and entertaining. Continuity is a positive factor: Larry McMurtry, who wrote the novel on which it's based, also co-wrote the screenplay, and Lonesome Dove director Simon Wincer returns as well. As for the cast, it's certainly not as star-studded as its predecessor, but Steve Zahn (as Gus McCrae), Karl Urban (Woodrow Call), Linda Cardellini (Clara Allen), and the others manage to suggest the characterizations brought to the screen by Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, and Anjelica Huston, respectively, without mimicking them. Of course, there are new faces on hand as well, principally Val Kilmer (looking a mite chubby, perhaps due to all the scenery he chews in his portrayal of Texas Rangers Captain Inish Scull) and Rachel Griffiths (as Scull's horny wife).
As the tale begins in 1858, Call and McCrae, some years away from becoming the cattlemen depicted in Lonesome Dove, are Rangers serving under the educated and eccentric Scull as they work to protect the territory against marauding Comanches, led by the stern, vengeful Buffalo Hump (Wes Studi) and his crazed son, Blue Duck (Adam Beach). When Scull's horse is stolen by one of the Indians, he sets out to retrieve the beast, promoting both Call and McRae to Captain, and the rest of the story revolves primarily around them; in fact, although there's a reasonable amount of action (including the Comanche raid on Austin that opens Part Two), Comanche Moon is much less plot-dependent than character-driven, and it is Call (tough, taciturn, and totally clueless when it comes to the fair sex) and best friend McRae (an open-hearted, self-described jester) who are the most engaging of the bunch as they navigate the deep waters of their work and love lives (McRae with Clara and Call with the prostitute Maggie Tilton, played by Elizabeth Banks). McMurtry and co-writer Diana Ossana's dialogue manages to be at once plain and poetic, colorful and poignant, and regardless of what's actually happening onscreen, the miniseries has a light, often whimsical charm that separates it from most Westerns made for big and small screen alike. Extras include a "making of" featurette and more. --Sam Graham
Stills from Comanche Moon (click for larger image)
Beyond Comanche Moon
Broken Trail
3:10 to Yuma
Cat Ballou
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
Comanche Moon:
Steve Zahn had a huge pair of boots to fill playing Duvall's McCrae, but I think he did a fine job. I believed he was Gus. A pretty good job was done with most of the other characters also, as far as general appearance and mannerisms etc. It was nice to be able to go back and see the beginnings of key relationships such as Deets and the boys. A good watch and an essential addition to your Lonesome Dove collection.
Excellent Prelude to Lonesome Dove:
Although there will never be a western that will match Lonesome Dove, this movie is a great prelude to it. Like Lonesome Dove, Commanche Moon is true to the novel. As the movie progresses, the Guss and Call characters do a nice job of developing until they ultimately pick up the mannerisms and voice inflections of these characters. It beats all of the others that have followed the original movie.
Terrible:
The only saving grace for this movie/miniseries was the guy who played "Gus".
I thought he did a really bang up job.
I have not read McMurtry's books bcs I could never get through them. IMHO they were awful.
But Lonesone Dove was one of those miniseries that can't be beat.
Those actors were what made Dove one of the best westerns ever.
They are just hurrying through everything to give us a cheap look at what came before And I have no desire to ever watch it again.
And for... more info
Disappointng:
This film is very disappointing. What I really disliked about it is all of the characters live missed up lives, I know it was hard living back then but still....I hated the fact that all of the females were prostitutes and one woman drove me crazy...god, she kept inviting men to her house and.....well no need to say any more on that subject. The story was also not very interesting. It seemed to have holes in many places and I was confused by some of the story telling. So to sum things up, Sam Raimi's... more info
