30 years old, almost 31, one of the greatest Westerns ever made. Val Kilmer, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Dana Delany, and Kurt Russel: how they got this powerhouse of a cast, I have no idea. Filled with eminently quotable—and quoted—one-liners and block-busting performances, I promise you this trailer if anything undersells the experience of watching the film.
This dramatization of the shootout at the OK Corral, and the events leading up to it, and those after it, is gripping and visceral. And while not 100% factual, it absolutely puts you in the feel of the Old West, the heat and dust, the edge of the frontier, the lawlessness and the need for law.
Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp turns in one of the best performances of his long career, as does Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday. Michael Biehn as the sociopathic Johnny Ringo is chilling, and Powers Boothe as the leader of the Cowboys is gregarious but just as murderous.
The movie moves fast, and provides plenty of action, but has time to develop the characters, even side ones (aided by impeccable performances even in minor roles). It is, wall to wall, simply a great film.
If you’ve never seen the movie, watch it. If you have seen it, watch it again. Don’t sleep on this classic.