Karry Best movie of this year hands down!

Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

A_Different_Drummer Lordy Lordy Lordy. Since the demise of normal media channels, and the deconstruction of network TV, not to mention streaming, beaming and Google Glass, seems everyone suddenly has "skin in the game" when it comes to producing product. Halfway into this, you will have to remind yourself, possibly several times, that this has the HISTORY CHANNEL brand. That's right, the same people who will tell precisely how many cannon balls hit Fort Sumter, and where each landed, are the producers. Which means that, unlike a traditional Hollywood product, where reality is often in the eye of the sponsor, this story is likely to be pretty close to the facts. And what facts they are! If you have ever caught yourself stopping on the highway to watch an accident - rubbernecking - you are going to love this. The Hatfield McCoy tale is basically one very long accident in slow motion. Entertaining? Lordy yes. Moreso than most of what is actually coming out of Tinsel Town lately. And another thing. The brilliant use of semi-retired, seemingly shopworn, actors can teach the major studios a thing or three. Costner -- who 20 years ago seemed to be starring in every third picture in production, whether he deserved to or not -- is brilliant. Upstaged only by Bill Paxton who seems to be able to deliver entire scenes with a look of outrage that truly burns. Powers Boothe show us why he was mega-star in his day. Lovely to see Mare Winningham up and about, she practically invented the TV Movie. Andrew Howard nails the ambiance of the western outlaw perfectly, and Jena Malone shines in a cast that is already brighter than a sunny day. Wow.

Andre Raymond As a Canadian I have a somewhat different take on the American western. In film school we studied it as a genre, rather than as history. Director Reynolds, with the same deep interest most Texans hold in their hearts for the genre, gives us a wonderful, poignant entry to this genre. Costner pursues his abiding love of Westerns, after two marvellous directorial efforts in the genre and even more forays as an actor.The wonderful thing about both Kevin Costner and Kevin Reynolds is that they strive to make their westerns as both history and contributions to the genre.As a French Canadian I also tend to place each film I see in a sort of continuity within an artist's evolution rather than as a singular piece of art. As such it has merits beyond itself. Its more of a European bias that allows me to love a film for its non diagetical qualities. Remnants of the "Nouvelle Vague" way of looking at film.The Hatfields & McCoys, beyond its own merits as a western or as an historical reference point (and it has many merits) is another chapter in the collaboration and artistic exchange between Reynolds, and Costner. This one seems to be a very healing experience, after the very painful ones of Robin Hood (1991) and Waterworld (1995).Reynolds is the director who launched Kevin Costner way back when in 1985, when he cast him in Fandango. In 1990, when Costner turned his hand at directing for the first time with another western, the very risky Dances With Wolves, he turned to his friend Reynolds for advice. He even went to far as to give him "special thanks" acknowledgement in the end credits.After over twenty five years of ups and downs it is satisfying to see them collaborating again. It is great to have them finding success and recognition together. Hopefully there will be more to come.

chew-kevin-m This movie proves that the combinations of: Inbreeding, Moonshine, Grammar School education, bad dental hygiene and lack of gun control, only leads to senseless death, hardship and genocide.Costner's performance is hardly worthy of a once academy award winning director/actor.This really won:TV mini-series; also producer Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Nominated-Satellite Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television FilmUnbelievable..

chaos-rampant Apparently, this set a viewing record for cable TV and was nominated for no less than 15 Emmies. On one hand, it is good to know there is a modern audience for westerns, a genre that has largely drowned in the Lucas-noise of the last 30 years. And I fully support the mini-series format, it may just be the right canvas for cinematic narrative these days—indeed, it seems that quality American narrative tradition has largely moved to TV.On the other hand, we get close to 5 hours of the following:1) repetitive bushwacking to the point of complete numbness, and the same dour, one-note mugging throughout by rival family patriarchs Costner and Paxton. (this Deadwood writer ought to have studied Lonesome Dove: you CAN show broken lives in the afterglow of dreams)2) trite soap opera on an emotional level, with a Romeo and Juliet subplot that entirely drags this down like the James subplot does Twin Peaks.3) the same bleached , dishwater look throughout, supposedly in the name of authenticity.4) The story here is of celebrities and all the American violence that fuels and prints the legend. This is so old and familiar by now, it neither exposes nor deconstructs anything. It feels as tacked-on now, as it was once fresh in Liberty Valance.I'd like to think Costner is to fault, who like other megastars Redford and Cruise always has to appear in a streamlined environment that doesn't challenge. But no, I think what really happened was TV executives who conceived this on the lowest common level possible. It worked.