Today’s quick review: Big Kill. Following their latest misadventure, scofflaws Jake Logan (Scott Martin) and Travis Parker (Clint Hummel) partner with James Andrews (Christoph Sanders), an accountant from back East, to travel to Big Kill, Arizona, a mining town where James’ brother owns a saloon. But when they arrive in Big Kill, they find the town half-deserted, James’ brother missing, and justice dispensed by a gun-toting preacher (Jason Patric).
Big Kill is a Western about three travelers who end up in a town where they are decidedly unwelcome. Big Kill features a dramatic plot offset by doses of humor. Jake and Travis are meant to be likable rogues, while James serves as the moral backbone of the group. But in spite of a premise with some potential, Big Kill’s execution leaves much to be desired. Flat dialogue, a linear plot, and an uneven tone make it a film with little to offer.
Big Kill struggles to turn its ideas into a tangible reality. Jake and Travis are shallow and uninteresting, neither talented nor charming enough to be the heroes the film wants them to be. On paper, James gives the film its heart, but his character isn’t weighty enough to do so in practice. Furthermore, the leads are a poor fit for the story, better suited for a breezy comedy than the tense drama Big Kill tries to sell itself as.
The mechanics of the plot have similar issues. Big Kill divvies up its story into bite-sized chunks, each with another serving of exposition and at most one or two other characters for the leads to interact with. Not every scene follows this pattern, but enough of them do to make the early movie feel linear and repetitive, with a needlessly large supporting cast. Again, the story ideas have potential but never come together as intended.
In spite of all of this, Big Kill has a few things going for it. With a few more jokes and a script to scaffold them, Jake and Travis could have been the comedic heroes they were destined to be. Smarter use of the film’s supporting cast and the introduction of a few more meaningful plot threads could have heightened the drama considerably. And the setting of a crime-ridden mining town could have supported a much more compelling story.
Watch Big Kill only if you’re in the mood for a Western and aren’t feeling too exacting about quality. Big Kill makes an earnest effort, but it lacks the clear vision and raw skill needed to accomplish what it tries to do. As it stands, the movie is outclassed by most other entries into the Western genre, and the majority of viewers would be better off skipping it.
For a Western anthology with better drama and more black humor, try The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. For a Western with more well-rounded characters, try Tombstone. For a Western with a similar premise and a much darker tone, try The Duel. For a Western about a more competent hero intervening in a crime-ridden town, try A Fistful of Dollars.
5.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.5 for a decent premise marred by weak execution.