Stagecoach (1986)

Sick Product of a Sick System

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Despite its all star cast, the movie drags. Sometimes it is better not to do a remake of a movie. This third remake of the original classic is one of them. John Ford's 1939 is by far the better movie.

Come on man! Dukes of Hazzard teams up with the Highwaymen. Combined with the Cash family picnic. I love them all on stage but please don't try and follow the " Duke!"

If you haven't seen the 1939 original directed by John Ford to make the comparison, this film doesn't stack up too badly. It pretty much follows the script of the earlier movie, with characters who remain mostly the same with a couple of minor variations. Willie Nelson's Doc Holliday is the notable exception, appearing here with fellow country music legends Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson. Seeing as how as an actor, Kristofferson is no John Wayne, it wasn't surprising that his entrance as The Ringo Kid didn't have the same high drama as that of Wayne's Ringo. The stakes weren't as high either, "Stagecoach" was the film that launched Wayne's career after only about fifty other films prior that he appeared in.The picture could probably have used a bit more humor to liven things up a bit. One of the things that impressed me about the original "Stagecoach" was how most of the characters started out as caricatures and wound up being people you either cared about, or so repulsive that you wanted to see them get what was coming to them. I didn't get the same sense of that here, as most likely, the celebrity status of the principals kept intruding on their portrayals. I thought Willie Nelson did the best job in his role as Doc Holliday, by contrast I felt Johnny Cash was rather bland as Marshal Curly Wilcox. Waylon Jennings was OK as gambler Hatfield, while Kristofferson's take on the Ringo Kid seemed watered down by his relationship with reformed hooker Dallas (Elizabeth Ashley). It didn't help that the chemistry between them seemed non-existent, except for Ashley's swooning eyes whenever she gazed on The Kid.So if I'm forced to make the call, I'd say see the original "Stagecoach" at some point, but if you're a fan of any of the principals, I don't think you'll come away disappointed. You might even learn a thing or two from the likes of Doc Holliday, like washing your hands with whiskey before delivering a baby. It's supposed to kill germs, right?

While watching this film, I was really wanting to enjoy the experience. All my favorite country singers were assembled into a cast that would make any fan of music quiver with anticipation. But soon into the film it was obvious that the quiver turned into shivers as most of the acting was low-quality.The idea for the story was actually a nice idea. But what was missing was someone that could write a teleplay that would bring the idea to life and make the story interesting. In this movie, nothing seemed to gel. The writing was weak and the words delivered by people that really were not actors.Johnny Cash, who is one of my all time favorite singers, was stiff as a board and seemed to be reading the lines with little, if any, emotion. Willie Nelson was nearly shameful playing Doc Holliday and having him deliver a baby was absolutely embarrassing and painful to watch. Throw in Waylon Jennings that seemed mortified to be on camera and you have a cast that brings nothing to the table. With the weak script and the poor acting- this movie never had a chance.I will credit Kris Kristofferson, John Schneider and Elizabeth Ashley with their acting ability as they are the bright spots in this dismal cast. Even Anthony Newley and Mary Crosby did a nice job with their character but it was not enough to help the unfortunate situation.It was a movie I so wanted to enjoy but felt uncomfortable the entire time. Not sure anything could have helped this troubled project.