|
John Lee Hancock's revisiting of the legend shows the defenders
of the Alamo to be a various bunch there for their own reasons.
Sam Houston (Dennis Quaid) is a hard-nosed politician who
was initially more interested in getting land than anything
else and he was prepared to let the mission defenders perish
so he could gather and train an army. It made good military
sense, but a bit harsh on the fellows cut-off by the Mexican
army.
William Travis (Patrick Wilson), who takes over command of
the fort, begins in a bad light as a man who deserts his family
but eventually proves his worth in preparing the defences.
And James Bowie (Jason Patric) of massive knife fame does
not come away from the movie as having deserved all the laurels
he has been given by history. Best of all, however, is the
role of Davy Crockett (Billy Bob Thornton) who plays the former
congressman and frontiersman to utter perfection.
Thornton shows Crockett - a living legend - as only a man
who goes to Texas for land and finds himself not only fighting
the Mexicans, but his own reputation. He is not stupidly brave,
he fights mainly because people expect him to and he accepts
his lot with grace and humour.
Thornton is the outstanding character of 'The Alamo' and
brings even more realism to the film.
On the Mexican side, the mean tyrant Antonio Lopez de Santa
Ana (Emilio Echevarría) is seemingly larger than life
and is a true movie bad guy. He executes folk all over the
place and is a man you can truly hate.
There is a long build up to the battle scenes as the characters
are introduced and developed but when they arrive they are
excellent. They look superb and the surround sound work for
your system adds to the feeling of being amongst the action.
Some people I have chatted with did not think much of 'The
Alamo', but in this less-than-humble opinion it is a marvelous
tale told extremely well and in a moving, not soppy way. Great
characters, top-notch performances and exciting battle scenes.
Who could want more?
Conclusion: Movie 85% Extras: N/A
|
