“Appaloosa” (2008) starring Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Renée Zellweger & Jeremy Irons / Z-View

Appaloosa (2008)

Director:  Ed Harris

Screenplay: Robert Knott, Ed Harris based on APPALOOSA  by Robert B. Parker

Stars: Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Renée Zellweger, Jeremy Irons, Timothy V. Murphy, Luce Rains, Boyd Kestner, Cerris Morgan-Moyer and James Gammon.

Tagline: Feelings get you killed.

The Plot…

Randall Bragg (Irons) is a rancher who lives outside the town of Appaloosa.  When Bragg and his men ride into town they do as they wish.  Laws be damned.  After a disturbance, the town’s Marshall and two deputies are brutally gunned down when they try to serve a warrant.

Marshall Virgil Cole (Harris) and his partner, Deputy Everett Hitch (Mortensen) agree to become  Appaloosa’s lawmen.  They have a reputation for no nonsense.  Bragg learns of Cole and Hitch and rides into town with his crew to intimidate them.  Bragg sees that Cole and Hitch won’t back down or tolerate nonsense.  This puts them on a collision course that won’t end well for anyone.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Appaloosa is based on the first novel in Robert B. Parker’s Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch series.  Since Parker’s death Robert Knott (the co-screenwriter on this movie) has continued the book series.  At one point it was thought that there would be more movies based on the books, but they never happened.

Appaloosa (2008) rates 4 of 5 stars.