Tombstone

One thing I'd like to do this year is watch some of the "classic" movies I have yet to see.  One such is Tombstone.  Released in 1993, it tells the story of Wyatt Earp.  Earp moves to Tombstone, Arizona (an up-and-coming mining town) in the 1880s, hoping to get rich in retirement after serving as a lawman elsewhere in the American West.  Joining him are his two brothers, spouses, and Doc Holliday- an old friend and expert gunslinger.  Wyatt & crew get unwillingly drawn into the town's affairs when a group of outlaws known as the Cowboys terrorize the locals and gun down the town marshal.  Wyatt's desire for justice eventually defeats his self-centered plan for retirement & riches, and he takes up the role of sheriff, planning to rid Tombstone of the outlaw menace once and for all and leading to the shootout at the O.K. Corral.

I thought the movie was pretty good- had I seen it when originally released, I probably would have thought it awesome.  This leads me to a . . .

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TANGENT
Do you think when you see a movie in relation to its release affects your opinion?  As I watched Tombstone, my initial thoughts were "wow, that's dated."  Had I seen it upon release, I'm sure I would have been enthralled.  Another example: the Indiana Jones movies.  I loved them as a child; I still do.  Taking a step back, though, they're pretty cheesy movies.  Had I waited 20 years and then watched them, given the advances in movie-making, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed them the way I do now.  It's almost like you need to see it new . . . before technology makes more things possible, raising your expectations and dimming the accomplishments of the past, unless the past already has a special place in your heart.
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Back to the movie.  I liked some of the themes discussed- calling vs. selfish desires, love/loyalty/sacrifice for friends, the quest for justice, and even the end times (some themes from the Biblical book of Revelations are present).  I didn't care for the action- feeling it a bit dated (refer back to my tangent)- and it felt like they were trying to pack too much into the movie.  Too many characters, back-stories, and the like.  As a result, things felt glazed over at certain times.  Overall, though, it's pretty good.

Rating: B+