Appaloosa was a great western that makes you remember classic westerns like Unforgiven. It was a film that was simple, yet deep and all around a very entertaining western. I don’t know if the western genre should be brought back, but I do enjoy seeing a few really good westerns come out nowadays, such as The Assassination of Jesse James last year. The movie followed all the rules of any classic western, which at times meant there were no rules. The film did extremely well at bringing you to that period, while being brutul and ruthless at times, but with comic relief thrown in all around you. It’s a simple story about two best friends (Ed Harris and Viggo Mortenson) who are paid by towns to bring about their own brand of justice. The town where the story takes place is called Appaloosa and an outlaw by the name of Bragg (Jeremy Irons) needs to be taught a lesson. Are the two up to the challenge or will a love interest (Renee Zellwagger) for Harris’ character stand in the way.

Appaloosa simply and subtly tells a story of friendship, love, rivalry, and the brutality of the west. Viggo and Ed share such chemistry with each other each in a perfect part, Ed Harris plays Virgil Cole a subtle, yet tough marshall who answers to no one, and Mortenson as Everett Hitch, a loyal and caring friend whose trigger finger is just as uncanny as Cole’s. Jeremy Irons shines as a brutal murderer of Appaloosa. The movie actually opens with Irons shooting and killing three men, and doesn’t stop building tension until the unexpected resolution. If you’ve ever liked a western, you’ll like this one. 

Grade: B+