|
www.kevacho.com
©2002-2024
Kevin Michael Vance
Writer - Portland, Oregon
|
|
|
Go Back To Reviews
Title: WESTENDER
Director: Brock Morse
Year: 2003
Reviewed: September 14, 2005
| Rating: |
|
 | |
| |
| |
 | |
Fast Food Meal-Third Highest Rating |
[Rating Definitions]
|
|
|
All right, Westender- the fantasy based, independent movie, filmed entirely in Oregon... you know what? I liked it.
For me, it gets a low FAST FOOD MEAL review.
Yes, this is as low budget as it comes (barring, of course, some hideously low budget horror films I've seen recently). Yes, you can buy most of the swords you see in the movie on ebay. Yes, the costumes aren't great. Yes, the acting is sometimes not so good. Yes, the gore (what little there is) and the make up could be much, much better. But here's the thing... I still like it.
Westender, for lack of a better word, has heart, bloody well more heart than a slew of Hollywood films. When you watch the film, you can tell that these guys really, really wanted to make a good movie, regardless of the budget constraints. The actors, albeit sometimes not so great, put their bodies and passion into their performances. Some of the scenery is utterly breathtaking, and all natural, I might add, which, in this age of copious amounts of CGI, is all the more profound. The musical score is fantastic. Yah, I mean it. I loved the music. The music had more depth and more emotional power than many of the more recent pieces John Williams has cranked out. Sure, the story could have gone further there and less here, but the dialogue was good. Sure, Asbrey, the hero was walking around in plastic armor, but the women were almost as breathtaking as the scenery.
There's also one other thing that makes Westender special- the character arc of Asbrey. Again, I loved it.
Maybe it's the geek in me striving to get free, maybe it's because I was weaned on fantasy stories as a boy, maybe it's simply cause I like men carrying swords and buxom bar wenches... who knows. Suffice it to say, I loved Westender.
|
|
