So, here we have a Cowboy/Western/Comedy. Being a comedy, judging it is very subjective. Not everyone likes the same style of comedy, nor does everyone agree on what is funny. But, I'll give it a go.
To me, this film is very: Mel Brooks if he had to work with a shoestring budget. Despite the fact that it's a Western-theme (Yes, I know Mel had Blazing Saddles), its very reminiscent of Spaceballs. There's some amusing wordplay humor similar to that of "Comb the desert!" where you see them taking it literally and using giant combs. There's also some zany antics that echo "You idiot! You've captured their stunt doubles!" The movie also echoes that of Monty Python in that it uses its pathetic budget to its advantage rather than being hobbled by it.
The general plot revolves around a cowboy/bounty hunter who elects to hunt down a nefarious outlaw only to discover they have a history with one another. Along the way he meets a helpful native and a buffoon. Well, our hero's horse gets killed by (itself! lol) the villain, so our cowboy is on a quest for revenge now.
The humor here is probably going to be divisive. It's not exactly situational humor like Seinfeld or anything similar. Nor is it high-brow humor like that of Fraiser. As I said, it's more of a hybridization of Brooks and Python in its application. But though it echoes Brooks, it doesn't quite fall into the niche of satire or parody either (It doesen't really scream "Star Wars" or "Frankenstein"). Having said that, there are even some moments were it wanders into Looney Tunes complete with our villains being foiled by the hero standing around holding a 'detour' sign.
The Good: Again, a divisive area, but I enjoyed the humor for the most part. I won't say it caused a roaring belly-laugh, but it did get more than one chuckle out of me. I credit them for taking what should have been a hindrance (the budget) and turning it into a strength. We've all seen low-budget films that fail to overcome this obstacle, so kudos to them for the achievement. Considering that most of the actors are complete amateurs; this could could be a lot worse. The main actor is our strongest contender here and manages to carry the weight of the film quite respectably. He's not Oscar material for sure, but he sells the character. The Native helper is a bit of a toss-up. He's not irredeemable in his acting, but his portrayal is a bit wooden (though I suspect this was intentional; IE: he was meant to be Vulcan-like). The rest of the gaggle are much the same way, they don't leap of the screen and into your heart, but they are serviceable.
The Not so Good: There are a lot of 'dead scenes' scattered throughout the film. Yes, I know that even in a comedy the humor doesn't need to be on-call 24/7. But here, there just seemed to be a lot of empty voids that could have been improved. Whenever the humor takes a break, it creates a lull that allows your amusement to languish. It's a lot like going mudding. When you're having fun, you're having fun; but when the car gets stuck you have time to realize that you're in trouble. It doesn't kill the movie, but it keeps the humor from continually rising. It's like watching Alien and seeing Ripley stop to work on her knitting after having just seen someone's head ripped off. You didn't undo the terror of watching a guy get his head ripped off, but you did kill the on-the-edge-of-your-seat tension. And for the more politically-correct crowd, there are some questionable decisions. As I mentioned, there is a Native-American sidekick. This of course leads to "We spekum funny" dialogue. While (to me) it's not quite up there with Nightbeasts treatment or PeterPan's 'What makes the redman red' level of racism, it does put its toe on the line sometimes.
Final Thoughts: Not too bad. If you enjoy the Mel Brooks/Monty Python brand of humor then I'd recommend giving it a watch (if you can find it). Like myself, it may not make you belly-laugh, but you might get a chuckle or two. It gets points for overcoming its budget, and for its honesty. It knows what it is and it doesn't try to be anything else. It embraces its genre wholeheartedly and you know the cast and crew were fans and were paying homage to it. But again, there are just a few spots that needed another coat of polish to keep the momentum of the humor going. The inclusion of the Native-American humor "can" be judged as a product of the time, but like the General Lee, it just doesn't hold up to modern-day sensitivities.
To me, this film is very: Mel Brooks if he had to work with a shoestring budget. Despite the fact that it's a Western-theme (Yes, I know Mel had Blazing Saddles), its very reminiscent of Spaceballs. There's some amusing wordplay humor similar to that of "Comb the desert!" where you see them taking it literally and using giant combs. There's also some zany antics that echo "You idiot! You've captured their stunt doubles!" The movie also echoes that of Monty Python in that it uses its pathetic budget to its advantage rather than being hobbled by it.
The general plot revolves around a cowboy/bounty hunter who elects to hunt down a nefarious outlaw only to discover they have a history with one another. Along the way he meets a helpful native and a buffoon. Well, our hero's horse gets killed by (itself! lol) the villain, so our cowboy is on a quest for revenge now.
The humor here is probably going to be divisive. It's not exactly situational humor like Seinfeld or anything similar. Nor is it high-brow humor like that of Fraiser. As I said, it's more of a hybridization of Brooks and Python in its application. But though it echoes Brooks, it doesn't quite fall into the niche of satire or parody either (It doesen't really scream "Star Wars" or "Frankenstein"). Having said that, there are even some moments were it wanders into Looney Tunes complete with our villains being foiled by the hero standing around holding a 'detour' sign.
The Good: Again, a divisive area, but I enjoyed the humor for the most part. I won't say it caused a roaring belly-laugh, but it did get more than one chuckle out of me. I credit them for taking what should have been a hindrance (the budget) and turning it into a strength. We've all seen low-budget films that fail to overcome this obstacle, so kudos to them for the achievement. Considering that most of the actors are complete amateurs; this could could be a lot worse. The main actor is our strongest contender here and manages to carry the weight of the film quite respectably. He's not Oscar material for sure, but he sells the character. The Native helper is a bit of a toss-up. He's not irredeemable in his acting, but his portrayal is a bit wooden (though I suspect this was intentional; IE: he was meant to be Vulcan-like). The rest of the gaggle are much the same way, they don't leap of the screen and into your heart, but they are serviceable.
The Not so Good: There are a lot of 'dead scenes' scattered throughout the film. Yes, I know that even in a comedy the humor doesn't need to be on-call 24/7. But here, there just seemed to be a lot of empty voids that could have been improved. Whenever the humor takes a break, it creates a lull that allows your amusement to languish. It's a lot like going mudding. When you're having fun, you're having fun; but when the car gets stuck you have time to realize that you're in trouble. It doesn't kill the movie, but it keeps the humor from continually rising. It's like watching Alien and seeing Ripley stop to work on her knitting after having just seen someone's head ripped off. You didn't undo the terror of watching a guy get his head ripped off, but you did kill the on-the-edge-of-your-seat tension. And for the more politically-correct crowd, there are some questionable decisions. As I mentioned, there is a Native-American sidekick. This of course leads to "We spekum funny" dialogue. While (to me) it's not quite up there with Nightbeasts treatment or PeterPan's 'What makes the redman red' level of racism, it does put its toe on the line sometimes.
Final Thoughts: Not too bad. If you enjoy the Mel Brooks/Monty Python brand of humor then I'd recommend giving it a watch (if you can find it). Like myself, it may not make you belly-laugh, but you might get a chuckle or two. It gets points for overcoming its budget, and for its honesty. It knows what it is and it doesn't try to be anything else. It embraces its genre wholeheartedly and you know the cast and crew were fans and were paying homage to it. But again, there are just a few spots that needed another coat of polish to keep the momentum of the humor going. The inclusion of the Native-American humor "can" be judged as a product of the time, but like the General Lee, it just doesn't hold up to modern-day sensitivities.