Tombstone Movie Review

Tombstone (1993)

Rent Tombstone on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Kevin Jarre
Directed by: George P. Cosmatos, Kevin Jarre (Charlton Heston scenes, uncredited)
Starring: Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, Charlton Heston, Jason Priestley, Stephen Lang, Thomas Haden Church, Michael Rooker, Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Zane, Terry O'Quinn
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A successful lawman's plans to retire anonymously in Tombstone, Arizona are disrupted by the kind of outlaws he was famous for eliminating.

Verdict
This is a classic cowboy tale with one of the most famous sheriffs, Wyatt Earp. It's not new material, but it does it well and the cast is great. This is worth watching for Kilmer's performance alone. It's difficult not to like his portrayal of Doc Holliday.
Watch it.

Review
This is a classic Western tale. The retired lawmen feels compelled to don the badge again to stop the outlaws. This is a cowboy film that taps into the classic story topes. While westerns were well on the way out in the 90s, we got the western deconstruction with Unforgiven followed by this movie that checks all the boxes of a classic western.

Retired sheriff Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and his brothers Virgil (Sam Elliot) and Morgan (Bill Paxton) move to Tombstone, Arizona to settle down. Wyatt's no nonsense demeanor quickly lands him a stake in a casino.

Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer play Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday

This movie certainly feels like the fabled tales of the wild west. It brings the legends to life. It's got sheriffs, gun fights, saloons, gambling, and a prototypical wild west town. In true form Wyatt Earp ends his retirement to bring law and order back to the town as an the outlaw gang the Cowboys are wreaking havoc.

The movie is certainly quotable, and the acting is top notch. Val Kilmer steals every scene he's in as Doc Holliday, an over the top and indulgent Southern gentlemen. While there's plenty of good dialog, most of that goes to Holliday.

This is a tribute to westerns, but I wish it asked deeper questions like Unforgiven that shows good guys and bad guys are all doing what's right for themselves.