Genres

Visitors Review

piratecat-2 2013-05-16 14:10:19

A Shane feeling to it Family and Cowboys

I thought this was a darn good western. Enjoyable and entertaining as atrue American Western should be. Great chemistry with all the actors.Keith Carradine was really good you see why their back in Monty Walsh.Tom and Keith have it on screen. The wife of Cable is very authentic. Awestern frontier gal. She reminds me of the wife in Shane. A good plotand running story line. David Carradine always as weird as ever playingDuane. He carry's it. True to the civil war era with rifles andrevolvers for authenticity. I like the scene where Paul Cable sits onthe porch with riders coming up slightly pulls his gun out from theholster for a quick draw and cocks his Henry rifle. I also notice Cometrides again from Brisco County Jr. It looks like that horse that Tomrode was what Brisco rode too. Also Denis Forest who played Cornet thecowboy who got a shot into Cable played on Briscoe as well. He was oneof the Swill Brothers. A good movie won't be disappointed.

2013-05-16 04:03:23

"Something wrong with this valley. The war's over, but the killing don't stop."

This review is from: Last Stand At Saber River (DVD) Over the years, Tom Selleck has developed into somewhat of a western icon. And why not? Selleck is spot on in fleshing out those qualities most cherished by folks of the untamed old west. And, of course, it doesn't hurt that he looks the part, all tall and rugged and bemustached. He's at it again in LAST STAND AT SABER RIVER, the 1997 TNT oater. In this one, he plays Paul Cable, a weary ex-Confederate soldier who returns home to Texas, knowing full well that the war between the states has already been lost, even as it rages on.The terrible war has left scars on Cable, but it's also deeply impacted his wife and children. In his absence, his family had learned how to get on. His suddenly showing up causes tension to surface and mount as everyone is forced to cope with the new family dynamics. In particular, Cable's relationship with his steely wife Martha is in the crumbles. His wife never did see why Cable had to go off to war in the first place. During his years away, their daughter fell ill and passed away, and this leaves a lingering bitterness within Martha. She is so deeply resentful of her husband.Struggling to readjust, Paul Cable takes his family back to the Arizona territory, back to their old homestead. But it ends up becoming yet another battle for Cable as he learns that Union sympathizers have overran his ranch. With his wife and children directly imperiled, Paul Cable means to fight one last time, to keep his land and his family.LAST STAND AT SABER RIVER, adapted from Elmore Leonard's gritty novel, is more a contemplative western drama than a typical shoot-em-up, although things do climax with two pretty darn good action sequences. Much of the tension is provided by Selleck and Suzy Amis, who is very good and intense as his estranged wife Martha. Tom Selleck has done this type of role so often now that he can do it in his sleep. Not to say that dude is sleepwalking here. Selleck brings a worn down gravity to his role. His character is stoic, although he's good enough that you glimpse the sub-text of alienation, of a man tired of warring and who merely wants a return to a normal life. Selleck exudes quiet strength and enough machismo that he gets away with sporting a pink-colored shirt for much of the film. Veteran western actors and brothers, Keith and David Carradine, step in for good performances, particularly Keith, whose character rises above the role of predictable designated villain. And, whoever that girl is who plays David Carradine's refined but bored daughter, well, she's muy caliente.Tom Selleck hasn't disappointed in any of his western films, although it's been a few years since he's done one, what with his involvement with the Jesse Stone movies. I say it's time for the man to get back in the saddle, hoist them six-shooters, and, yes, maybe even sport that pink shirt again (would it help to call the shirt salmon-colored?). There's still plenty of Louis L'Amour and Zane Grey novels out there, just waiting for someone to bring them to cinematic life. And Tom Selleck, he continues to embody that ideal man of the frontier.

Chris Winston 2013-04-11 15:00:44

A Darn Fine '90s Western

What is wrong with this movie? I'll tell ya - not much at all. I found itthoroughly enjoyable, exciting at times, truthful, and hardly at all boring. It was interesting seeing Haley Joel Osment in an early role. I thoughthe'd steal every scene but his character wasn't too central to the story. Still it was interesting to see the enormous talent just pouring out of thekid every time he did have a scene. Suzy Amis I thought was great in thisrole. She just fit it really well. All around the characters were greatincluding the Carradines and of course Magnum P.I. Selleck On The Range. I'd like to say he's today's John Wayne in a western sense but no, no wayhe's not the new John Wayne; there can never be another, well, maybe somedaybut there definitely isn't now. Thankfully those of us who like westernshave Tom Selleck ‘cause he does great in them! I'm completely flabbergastedthat people voted 1 or 2 for this, essentially believing this is one of theworst movies ever made, ‘cause when you vote that low that's what you'rethinking. Unbelievable people could think that way about this movie. Itdefinitely didn't suck and I don't even think it was bad. Oh wait, I know,Confederate sympathizers voted that low because of the bad things this moviesaid about Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Even though therewas no Civil War fighting in this movie, in a way it revolved aroundForrest's actions at Fort Pillow, Tennessee. There the slave traderConfederate General Forrest ordered the massacre of unarmed, black Uniontroops who had surrendered. They laid down their weapons and should havebeen sent to a POW camp but instead Forrest ordered them shot dead in coldblood. Tom Selleck's character Paul Cable, after enlisting in the rebelarmy when he should have enlisted in the Union army, saw action at FortPillow and saw the atrocities Forrest had committed thus changing Cableforever. After Cable returns home he tries to rebuild his life but findsthat in a small yet still deadly way the war continues. Because heregretfully enlisted in the rebel army he was a target for elimination froma neighbor who wanted his land for his own. Cable, of course, prevails inthe end and along the way enemies become friends realizing that off theCivil War battlefield there's no need for Southern sympathizers to hatethose who are neutral or support the North. I give this a grade ofB+.

2013-04-11 04:12:28

The Rev Barry W Green "Down Under"

This review is from: Last Stand At Saber River (DVD) I mentioned "Last Stand at Saber River" in a review for "Crossfire Trail" The two movies seem to belong to each other.Good plot, good casting, good acting. If you enjoy Westerns, you will find these movies satisfying.

2013-04-08 10:13:16

Last Stand at Saber River

It is an outstanding movie. It goes back to what we grew up with. A hero who is fighting against odds, but wins out in the end. Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott are the top western "story tellers" of our time. You can tell they love it.

Jens Carl 2013-04-08 09:00:21

Decent western with Selleck

I think this is a decent western. Selleck does definitely suit into thecowboy role with a gun in one hand and a rifle in the other. Interesting tosee the two brothers Keith and David Carradine together as members of theKidston 'clan'.Nevertheless an interesting script when soldier Paul Cable returns home fromthe Civil War, just before it ends really, to find out some people havetaken what is his. Surprising twist of script in the end which makes it alittle bit more entertaining (at times too much small talk and romance) butI never felt anything at all for any of the characters (especially not HaleyJoel Osment's or Rachel Duncan's, the two children).Worth a watch though. Tom Selleck, who also produced it, made an alrightappearance.

2013-03-31 20:35:04

It Should Have Been More!

Tom Selleck does a great job in westerns. He plays the gritty, no-nonsense type well and does so with a sense of style and determination reminiscent of the Duke. He does so in this film. It's a shame, it not better than it is.Selleck plays a confederate officer near the end of the war. He knows the war is a lost cause and he has been disillusioned. He heads back to Texas to pick up his family with a mind of taking them back out to their homestead in Arizona. Everyone is surprised to see him. They all believe he is dead. He is in turn surprised to find that his youngest child is dead. The news had not gotten to him for years. Meeting up with the wife is a strain. They have some personal issues to deal with and each has a generous share of emotional baggage. Dealing with the baggage, though takes time and there are other issues to deal with.Selleck's spread in Arizona has been taken over by people who thought he was dead. They are Union sympathizers and have no use for a former Confederate. Selleck, though, just wants to get on with his life and repair the damage to his family. This is easier said than done. The Union folk see him as a threat to their lives and their profits. There is also a diehard Confederate who runs the dry goods store. He runs guns for the Confederacy and tries to suck Selleck into his machinations. When the war does end, he is unable to let it go and continues to stir up trouble for which Selleck is blamed. It is only when the Yankees and Confederates begin to work together that healing begins to take place in both the community and the family.This film is mostly well done. The characters are strong and the production values are good. The problem is that it is utterly predictable in most places and that there is little sense of excitement. It was worth watching but not worth owning. That is a disappointment. It could have been more.As an additional note, other reviewers have reported problems with the disk. I too had a problem. After the introductory screen, the tv went black and a menu never came up. The movie did start when I pushed "play" and it displayed without problems. When the show was over, the menu was accessible. Reloading the DVD yielded similar results. The screen would go black but the movie would play when you hit the "play" button. It seems to be a coding defect.

2013-03-31 08:13:44

tom selleck rides again

This review is from: Last Stand At Saber River (DVD) my husband a big western lover really liked this film. in typical tom selleck fashion he leaves the civil war after witnessing a massacar of innocents. the resulting story will please ater fans.

2013-03-25 01:32:23

Last Stand At Saber River

This review is from: Last Stand At Saber River (DVD) I love this movie. Tom Selleck is such a great actor and I'm a die hard fan of his movies. It has a lot of action and would recommend it to anyone that likes Tom Selleck and a western movie fan.

2013-03-24 09:28:28

Very good western movie

A great movie. For anyone who loves the old west. This movie is great quality and very entertining

Dale Ray 2013-03-24 13:10:58

Story of a Confederate soldier returning home.

This movie is based on an Elmore Leonard novel, but don't expectthe usual high quality of dialog that makes Leaonard stories stand out.Tracey Needham is good in a supporting role. Tom Selleck is alwaysbelievable as a cowboy hero.

2013-03-24 06:22:05

Last Stand At Saber River

A very good movie, this is a fantastic story Tom Seleck is outstanding as usual and Suzy Amis is true grit.Reccomended!Waldo Parchment

2013-03-18 10:40:39

Last Stand at Saber River

Outstanding movie well done by Tom Selleck. I rate it asgood as Quigley Down Under. Tom acts the part of an earlyTexan, no nonsense, to the point. Very entertaining andwell worth the price.Doug/Texas

2013-03-18 04:43:50

Another Good Selleck Western

Last Stand at Saber River is a good western that has a more emotional tone than most westerns. This time Selleck plays Paul Cable, a Confederate soldier who unexpectedly comes home, but not before generating anger and animosity from his wife. Cable tries to rebuild his stance as a family man, while contending with Union loyalists who took over his property when he was at war. Cable's wife, Martha, is a woman of strength and resilience, and knows how to stand up to a fight. Her husband's absence while trying to raise two small children only strengthens her resolve; she lets her passion spill over into fighting alongside her husband for what's right, even if she didn't agree with how things went in the past. In the end, she accepts her husband, and learns to love again. This film has its share of gun fights, and the scenery is good. I would've liked to have seen a more expansive set and environment in this one, but what was presented here is still acceptable. To me, westerns have the saloon, bartender, rides through town, and a lot of gunslinging. Last Stand at Saber River is a western with a human touch, and is enjoyable to watch. 8/10

2013-03-01 07:01:42

Last Stand at Saber River

This review is from: Last Stand At Saber River (DVD) I think Tom Selleck could perform in any western and be great. He's a real natural. Tom Selleck (Paul Cable) came back from war with only one thought of putting his life back together and to find he has only to face the hardships of fighting again to regain what we rightfully his when he left and to a wife Suzy Amis (Martha Cable)who has her own battle of adjustments. Now she must face the fact Paul is alive after she believed he was dead. She must deal with the anger she has because she blamed him for leaving his children and her to fight in the war. She also did a good job of acting. I have watched this movie a couple times and plan to watch it a lot more.

2013-03-01 02:48:33

Last Stand of Westerns

It is truly a pity that the western has died off. They are rare and far between these days. A few years back Tom Selleck and Sam Elliot made a few together and separate. They are all worth seeing. This one has Tom playing Cable, a confederate soldier who has left the war early because he knows it is over and the South has lost. It just hasn't been declared yet. His family and friends thought him to be dead, and the reunion seems a bit shaky. His wife played by Suzy Amis, is a tough as nails no nonsense frontier woman that knows guns well from her fathers gunsmithing business. Eventually she works things out with her husband Cable and it is a good thing he has her to back him since she is great with a gun. Even though Cable believes the war is over he finds sympathizers trying to enlist his aid in the confederate cause but he shuns them. When he is accused of murdering a retired Union officer he must track down the real murderer and bring him to justice. The production values are excellent and the acting, directing, sets, and music are all top drawer. Good DVD quality but no extras. If you enjoy westerns you should find it very entertaining. If you like it be sure to see "Crossfire Trail" and "Conagher".

2013-02-22 07:35:40

Love Tom Selleck

This review is from: Last Stand At Saber River (DVD) I don't think there's anything that this guy does, that I don't like. He makes one heck of a cowboy, and portrays it well in these movies.

2013-02-21 23:05:00

Outstanding Western

Tom Selleck is excellent in this western genre movie. Terrific movie and good acting.

2013-02-18 13:19:56

Last STand At Saber River

This review is from: Last Stand At Saber River (DVD) We really enjoy Tom Selleck's movies. This is a good western. Great movie to share with friends and family especially on a cold snowy day.

2013-02-17 23:12:00

Tom Selleck is the next John Wayne!

This review is from: Last Stand at Saber River [VHS] (VHS Tape) And I do not say that lightly. This is a one of his finest works. One I prefer over Monte Walsh ( 4 stars ). This is a gritty movie without all of the Hollywood enhancements. Coming back from the war, Cable finds himself disillusioned with the Confederacy cause, but ready to start his life fresh. But he finds it's not easy to start where he left off, due to Union loyalist and Confederate sympathizers. His primary problem comes from his own wife, who has her own issue with him leaving the family to go off to war and has yet to forgive him. This is a keeper. I hope Tom keeps up the great work!