Stagecoach: The Texas Jack Story (2016) Reviews

• "Oh my, this is apple pie!"

  classicsoncall2017-05-28

  It must be an unwritten rule somewhere that popular singers must at least once during their career appear in a movie Western. Such disparate personalities as Bobby Darin ("Gunfight in Abilene"), Mick Jagger ("Ned Kelly"), and even David Bowie ("Il Mio West") all appeared in one, mostly with mixed results. With country singers, appearing in a Western seems made to order, as folks like Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson appeared in a fair share of their own. So I guess it turned out to be Trace Adkins' turn in "Stagecoach: The Texas Jack Story". Quite honestly, he probably should stick with his forte because this flick left much to be desired. It's got the basics down OK, but the delivery is pretty flat and the flashback stuck into the middle of the story disrupts some of the continuity. While watching, I never for a minute believed that Laura Lee (Michelle Harrison) was dead during the shootout at the Reed ranch, even if Frank Bell (Claude Duhamel) had sworn up and down on a stack of Bibles. The whole idea just wasn't presented with a modicum of credibility. Even the way Texas Jack got his name came across as a dubious proposition. It came about when Nate Reed (Adkins), Frank Bell, and Sid Dalton (Judd Nelson) got wasted on a couple quarts of Apple Jack, and in their drunken daze they came up with the connection between Nate's home state and their choice of rotgut. I guess it could have been worse, they could have been drinking brandy. And then there was the final showdown. I liked the way Nate/Texas Jack shot the rope that Marshal Calhoun (Kim Coates) rigged to hang Sid Dalton, but then, instead of the two gunmen facing off against each other, it's the banker (John Emmett Tracy) who foreclosed on the Reed farm who came forward to make the save by shooting Calhoun. It almost seemed like a let down since it was Texas Jack's story, not the Ballad of Hank Holliday.

• One of the better westerns lately and one that I liked a lot more than I expected to

  cosmo_tiger2016-12-12

  "There's a man coming from and he aims to bury you." Nathaniel Reed (Adkins) lived the life of a stagecoach robber and was successful. After taking down a large score him and his band decide to go their separate ways and live straight. Years later his past comes back to haunt him, and Calhoun (Coates) a former victim turned US Marshall is bent on revenge. In recent years most westerns have been what I call the $5 Westerns, meaning that the movies seem to be made on a budget of $5. This one had higher quality, not a ton, but enough. The thing this really had going for it though was that it was good. Surprisingly good. The movie isn't all that original or amazing, but compared to the recent crop of B-westerns this is easily one of the best. The acting is what you would expect but the story is actually well developed and interesting enough for you to stay interested in. The one down fall of this movie was the time jumping. The movie went from past to future to past to present and it was overly confusing. Some of the events didn't seem to line up, but other than that this is defiantly worth watching. Overall, one of the better westerns lately and one that I liked a lot more than I expected to. I surprisingly give this a high B.

• Another Above-Average Terry Miles Western

  zardoz-132016-12-15

  "Dawn Rider" director Terry Miles has helmed another atmospheric, above-average western "Stagecoach: The Texas Jack Story," with county music singer Trace Atkins. Ostensibly based on the life of a real-life outlaw, this 91-minute oater chronicles the life of a stagecoach robber who doesn't shoot anybody during the commission of his crimes. Nevertheless, a hopelessly vile one-eyed lawman, Calhoun (Kim Coates of "Waterworld") rides in hot pursuit of him. Eventually, Calhoun corners Nathaniel Reed (Trace Atkins of "The Virginian") who has settled down with a wife, Laura Lee Reed (Michele Harrison of "Paycheck"), who is pregnant with their son. Actually, Reed is several payments behind on his mortgage. Later in the day, an old accomplice in crime, Frank Bell (Claude Duhamel of "Western Religion") shows up unexpectedly and warns him about Calhoun. A gunfight erupts, but our hero and his old partner escape. Bell tells Reed that Laura Lee shot Calhoun and then she died of a gunshot wound. Reluctantly, Reed resorts to business as usual as a stagecoach outlaw, but he warns Bell to refrain from killing anybody. Bell ignores Reed and keeps on shooting people. Meantime, Calhoun is back on Reed's trail after he catches up with a disgruntled Bell who sells his old partner out. At the same time, Reed and another accomplice Sid (Judd Nelson of "The Breakfast Club") go ahead and rob stagecoaches without shooting anybody. Calhoun confronts Bell in a saloon during a poker game. When the other gambler objects to Calhoun interrupting their game, Calhoun's sadistic, trigger-happy gunslinging partner, Bonnie Mudd (Helena Marie of "Crazy Love"), guns the man down in cold blood. About this time, Calhoun and Bonnie come after Nathaniel and Sid, and Nathaniel takes a bullet in the side, and Sid packs him off on his own horse. Sid stays behind to slow up Calhoun and company. In a reversal of events, another lawman rides into the Matt Williams and Dan Benamor screenplay with a warrant for Calhoun's arrest. He explains that Calhoun has exceeded his authority as a lawman and is killing people without proper authority. Like "The Dawn Rider," Miles stages this sprawling, out-of-doors western in mountainous British Columbia, and the scenery looks pretty rugged. Atkins makes a believable as well as sympathetic outlaw, and Helena Marie steals the movie as a pistol-packing babe who displays no compunctions about killing men in cold blood. Mind you, Kim Coates is brilliant as the sleazy, unsavory lawman. Judd Nelson makes a strong impression as Atkins' sidekick. This western packs a surprise or two and it is an interesting horse opera with genuine looking firearms.

• I gave up after 10 minutes

  jostannie2016-11-12

  Well as there were no reviews I started to watch this film as I like the genre. I'm generally very tolerant reviewing movies and was prepared to give it a chance. However after 10 minutes I could give no more! The acting is pretty naff and the shooting scenes (at least those I saw) were pretty poorly done. I usually sit through really crap movies just to see if they get better, but there was no way this looked like it was going to improve. It looks more like a cheap TV movie. Give it a go if you must but 10 minutes was all I could watch.

• Made it 23 minutes

  doumite-126132017-04-14

  Alright, I love western movies and when I saw who the stagecoach driver was I was pretty optimistic (Kim Coates). However, the writing was poor and the acting lacked realism. I only made it 23 minutes which is after the first major shootout in the movie. Trace Adkins character takes a bullet in the shoulder and he proceeds to stand there and do nothing...they escape the house without anyone following even though they claimed there were 6 deputies outside (you never see them) and then that night Trace pulls the bullet out of his shoulder in about 3 seconds with a knife blade (which comes back to view with no blood on it) at this point I was done.