Superbly Crafted And Intelligent Family Cinema
i've always felt this movie was far better than it's critical and overall reputation. even the Disney studio and Disney fans seem to neglect and ignore it. too bad because it's so well made and intelligent that it should be appreciated more than it is.a almost virtually unrecognizable Patrick Swayze gives a powerful and memorable performance that i think is one of the best of his career and one of the best Pecos Bill interpretations. all the performances here are well done, but it is Swayze's "Pecos" that stands out.
director Jeremiah Chechik gives the film a elegant look that is unusually refined for family films of this kind. not to mention a effective sense of history. the photography and set design are imaginative and stylized and convey American wild west history with good authenticity. especially notable is the design of Scott Glen's villain's ominous looking train.
the film also amusingly and accurately, conveys these early American legend stories fear of progress and the machine/industrial age, that was such a common theme with stories like 'Paul Bunyan' and 'John Henry'.
so much of this is so well done that you almost hate to quibble about it but i feel it does have a basic flaw. i think the film is probably too refined and intelligent. because of that, somehow they forgot to breathe a little more life into the whole thing. the film feels a bit more cold and detached than a wild western adventure really should. i can't believe i'm saying this, but the film should have been a little more "dumbed down". it could use a little more silliness to it because of it's fanciful subject matter. Walt Disney himself wasn't always worried about seeming anti-intellectual or using common slap stick which is evident from the approach often given earlier Disney live action films.
but i am glad for the intelligent approach here and the film definitely captures the spirit and essence of American frontier legends.
score 8/10
johnstonjames 2 August 2012
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2653290/35059
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