2 hours 14 minutes, USA 1993
Director: George P. Cosmatos; Producers: Sean Daniel, James Jacks and Bob Misiorowski; Screenplay: Kevin Jarre; Photography: William A. Fraker; Production Design: Catherine Hardwicke; Editing: Frank J. Urioste, Harvey Rosenstock and Roberto Silvi; Music: Bruce Broughton.
Stars: Kurt Russell (Wyatt Earp), Val Kilmer (Doc Holliday), Sam Elliott (Virgil Earp), Bill Paxton (Morgan Earp), Powers Boothe (Curly Bill Brocius), Michael Biehn (Johnny Ringo), Charlton Heston (Henry Hooker), Jason Priestley (Billy Breckinridge), Jon Tenney (John Behan), Stephen Lang (Ike Clanton), Thomas Haden Church (Billy Clanton), Dana Delany (Josephine Marcus), Billy Zane (Fabian).
Based on the old story of Wyatt Earp, Tombstone is a very entertaining western adventure with excellent cast, script and action sequences. The story centres around Wyatt Earp (Russell) and his brothers, Virgil (Elliott) and Morgan (Paxton). The three arrive in the Arizona boom-town of Tombstone where, after a life of fighting lawlessness in places like Dodge City, they plan to settle down, open a saloon and retire. That all changes, however, when the local sheriff is killed in the street by Ike Clanton (Stephen Lang, The Hard Way, Manhunter), a local hoodlum and member of the feared cowboy gang. Wyatt settles the situation and takes Clanton into custody, but Clanton is released on a technicality. Wyatt refuses the job of sheriff, but the town soon declines into chaos without any law enforcement. The arrival of Wyatt's old friend, the tuberculosis-riddled drunken dentist Doc Holliday (Kilmer) sets Wyatt's mind even further away from law, and the two open a saloon in Tombstone's main street. However, Wyatt's run-in with Ike Clanton attracts more of his cowboy buddies, notably Curly Bill Brophy (Boothe) and Johnny Ringo (Biehn).
An antagonistic relationship develops between the Earps and the Clantons, which finally culminates in the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral. Ike Clanton survives the gunfight, and seeks to wreak revenge for the death of his brothers and friends. Ike kills Morgan and wounds Virgil badly, and then runs. Wyatt vows revenge and, teaming up with Doc and some friends (including Michael Rooker from Cliffhanger) sets off to destroy the cowboy gang once and for all.
In my opinion, Kurt Russell (Tango And Cash, Overboard, Unlawful Entry) is a very underrated actor, because here he gives a very emotional performance as the retired gunslinger who is forced back into action by circumstances beyond his control. Wyatt doesn't want to fight or get involved, but the plight of the townsfolk stir his sense of right and wrong. Val Kilmer (Willow, Top Gun) plays the consumptive Doc Holliday with consummate gusto, mimicking the Southern drawl perfectly and getting some great lines too (a cowboy tells the drunk Doc that he is seeing double and cannot shoot straight, to which Doc replies 'I've got two guns - one for each of you'). Good support from, among others Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton (Aliens, Weird Science) finally graduating from teen films to adult entertainment, Michael Biehn (The Terminator, The Abyss, Aliens) as the evil Johnny Ringo, Powers Boothe, and Charlton Heston in a cameo as the grizzled ranch owner Henry Hooker. There are also small parts for Billy Zane (Back To The Future, Dead Calm), Dana Delaney (Housesitter), Jason Priestley (from Beverly Hills 90210 in his first movie role) and Joanna Pacula, as Wyatt's morphine-addicted wife. Greek director George P. Cosmatos, usually seen directing low-budget B-Movies, shows he can handle the stars and come out of it with all credibility intact. A rousing score by Bruce Broughton adds to the emotion of a film which is far better than Kevin Costner's over-long epic on the same story.
A film review by Jonathan Broxton 1994