My review of Ed Harris/Viggo Mortensen's "Appaloosa"

[JamesG]

I originally asked how it was. My review below:

[JamesG]

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/appaloosa_sm.jpg


I really liked Appaloosa and thought that it was very well done. It is a very dialogue driven film with not much action; but it did keep my interest.

Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen play two peacemakers who travel around looking to help wherever they can. They come across a town that a local rancher (Jeremy Irons) takes advantage of and is like the organized crime boss of the place.

Harris and Mortensen take the town under their wing and have one law "Everything they say is law" because they feel the only way to handle people like this is with total control.


A young woman (Renee Zellwegger) comes to town and falls for Ed Harris' character. Except, throughout the film she falls for pretty much every man who comes across her way such as Mortensen and the outlaws who kidnap her. Nevertheless, Ed Harris loves her still and vows to protect her.


On a funny note, I listened to the commentary track of this film and Ed Harris orginally wanted Renee Zellwegger to be played by Bea Arthur. Bea Arthur accepted the part but one of the scenes featured a skinny dipping scene in a lake. Lance Henrickson who played one of the outlaws said "I ain't skinny dipping with no 'Maude'" so Bea Arthur was out.


I would rate this 8/10. It was very good.

[isiahthomas]

Ed Harris wanted Bea Arthur who played on The Golden Girls tv show to play Renee Zellwegger's character at first? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. He can't be serious LOL. That wouldn't look right to see him kissing her old ass LOL. I rented Appaloosa a few weeks ago but i didn't watch it yet. I had to take it back to Blockbuster yesterday because it was overdue but i'll rent it again. I like Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen. My favorite Ed Harris movie is Radio with Cuba Gooding Jr and Debra Winger. Cuba's character made me laugh. Another Ed Harris movie i like is China Moon with Madeleine Stowe. I think that's the name of the movie or it might be called something else. All i know is the name moon is in the movie title LOL. Madeleine Stowe is hot. I wonder what happened to her. I got her Blink and Stakeout movies on videotape. I also liked her movies Revenge with Kevin Costner, Bad Girls, Unlawful Entry with Ray Liotta and Kurt Russell.

[JamesG]

Ed Harris wanted Bea Arthur who played on The Golden Girls tv show to play Renee Zellwegger's character at first? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. He can't be serious LOL. That wouldn't look right to see him kissing her old ass LOL. I rented Appaloosa a few weeks ago but i didn't watch it yet. I had to take it back to Blockbuster yesterday because it was overdue but i'll rent it again. I like Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen. My favorite Ed Harris movie is Radio with Cuba Gooding Jr and Debra Winger. Cuba's character made me laugh. Another Ed Harris movie i like is China Moon with Madeleine Stowe. I think that's the name of the movie or it might be called something else. All i know is the name moon is in the movie title LOL. Madeleine Stowe is hot. I wonder what happened to her. I got her Blink and Stakeout movies on videotape. I also liked her movies Revenge with Kevin Costner, Bad Girls, Unlawful Entry with Ray Liotta and Kurt Russell.


Yes, they originally wanted to go with a much older woman but this didn't pan out too well.

Harris and Mortensen also worked together on A History of Violence which was a decent flick.


I really good Mortensen one I liked recently was Eastern Promises with Naomi Watts. That was great.

[isiahthomas]

I saw A History Of Violence and Eastern Promises. Viggo's wife Maria Bello in A History Of Violence is hot. She's always having sex with somebody LOL. You remember Viggo in Boiling Point with Wesley Snipes and Dennis Hopper and A Perfect Murder with Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow? Boiling Point sucked but A Perfect Murder is good. I saw Appaloosa about 3 weeks ago and i didn't like it because i thought it was phony that Ed and Viggo tried to take on Jeremy Irons gang. There's no way only 2 guys can take on about 10-15 dudes and try to kill them.

[JamesG]

I saw A History Of Violence and Eastern Promises. Viggo's wife Maria Bello in A History Of Violence is hot. She's always having sex with somebody LOL. You remember Viggo in Boiling Point with Wesley Snipes and Dennis Hopper and A Perfect Murder with Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow? Boiling Point sucked but A Perfect Murder is good. I saw Appaloosa about 3 weeks ago and i didn't like it because i thought it was phony that Ed and Viggo tried to take on Jeremy Irons gang. There's no way only 2 guys can take on about 10-15 dudes and try to kill them.

I liked A History of Violence but Eastern Promises was GREAT. I loved that movie. Mortensen was great in that one, and I sort of could see the plot twist coming but nevertheless it was a great one.

I never saw Boiling Point but I did like A Perfect Murder.


Regarding Appaloosa what exactly are you referring to? The only real shootout, if I remember correctly, was near the end and I don't recall it being 15 on 2. There weren't that many people.

[Janice]

I enjoyed Appaloosa a lot. It had that High Noon feel to it of impending doom. Ed Harris co-wrote and directed it. I've probably seen every movie he's been in since, Sweet Dreams, where I first took notice of him. I've also seen A History of Violence and Eastern Promises, and loved them both also, actually more than Appaloosa.

[isiahthomas]

There was a shootout earlier in the movie with Ed and Viggo against some guys from Jeremy Irons gang. Ed got shot in the chest but he didn't die because he had on a bulletproof vest but i thought it was fake that Ed and Viggo tried to take on several guys in Jeremy's gang when Jeremy's guys should've won the shootout. Renee Zellweger's character was lame LOL. She snitched on Viggo to Ed saying that Viggo tried to make a pass at her when she's the one who tried to kiss him LOL.