This above-average but violent made-for-television western pits the villainous land-hungry railroad against defenseless small-time ranchers whose lands lay on the route sought by the railroad. Stuntman/action director Craig R. Baxley helms this exciting little B-movie horse opera with flaws to spare. All the bad guys sport long white dusters. "Guardian of the Realm" lenser Yaron Levy's color photography constantly thrusts you into the thick of the gunfire, and the hand-held camera work lends a sense of verisimilitude to the action that enhances this oater. As the protagonist Luke Rivers, Casper Van Dien is actually tolerable for a change, and the beard gives him a lot of maturity. Late in the action, he puts on a poncho and vaguely resembles Clint Eastwood. Basically, Van Dien plays a gunslinger who has tried to hang up his six-gun and reform himself. Naturally, the villains compel him to strap on his hog-leg one more time. The sturdy cast includes Bruce Boxleitner as a believable gunfighter. Ernest Borgnine of "The Wild Bunch" plays one of the foremost ranchers--Prescott--that the greedy, murderous railroad has been harassing about his land. These villains don't beat about the bush. When they embark on their reign of terror, expect to either wince or grimace at the results. "Sugarland Express" star William Atherton is Howard, an unscrupulous local railroad official who displays no qualms against killing to make a point. Of course, the devious Chicago-based railroad company doesn't want to pay a penny more for the land.
"Aces 'N Eights" springs a couple of surprises along the way without violating any of the formulaic conventions of westerns. The Dennis Shryack and Ronald M. Cohen screenplay observes all the clichés and then wields them with style. For example, D.C. Cracker, the Bruce Boxleitner gunfighter is reminiscent of Ben Johnson's gunfighter in "Shane." Jack Noseworthy of "Breakdown" stands out as a member of the railroad who has come to negotiate a peaceful settlement between the railroad and the landowners. The gunfights are noisy but not bloody. The treacherous hired guns working for the railroad terrorize and murder land owners and their wives to scare them into selling out. The sign of a good movie is that the characters change over the arc of the narrative, and three characters alter their activities by fade-out. The finale is a well-staged gunfight between the heroes and the villains with a surprisingly conclusion. If you enjoy westerns like those that George Montgomery and Randolph Scott made, you'll probably enjoy "Aces 'N Eights."
"Aces 'N Eights" springs a couple of surprises along the way without violating any of the formulaic conventions of westerns. The Dennis Shryack and Ronald M. Cohen screenplay observes all the clichés and then wields them with style. For example, D.C. Cracker, the Bruce Boxleitner gunfighter is reminiscent of Ben Johnson's gunfighter in "Shane." Jack Noseworthy of "Breakdown" stands out as a member of the railroad who has come to negotiate a peaceful settlement between the railroad and the landowners. The gunfights are noisy but not bloody. The treacherous hired guns working for the railroad terrorize and murder land owners and their wives to scare them into selling out. The sign of a good movie is that the characters change over the arc of the narrative, and three characters alter their activities by fade-out. The finale is a well-staged gunfight between the heroes and the villains with a surprisingly conclusion. If you enjoy westerns like those that George Montgomery and Randolph Scott made, you'll probably enjoy "Aces 'N Eights."