Hey folks, Harry here... yeah, this was what I was afraid of. By trying to tell all sides of the stories, you're never given a reason to feel for one side over the other. To feel for any of the characters lost, or cheer for any of the triumphs. Of course, that's the sacrifice you make when you try to tell the story of TEXAS and not the story of the ALAMO. Here ya go...
Hey Harry,
Long time reader, but this is the first time I've ever had anything related to a scoop. Well more of a review. I was recently part of a test screening for the Alamo in Pasadena. I haven't seen any reviews of it and was told by the suits that we were one of the first audiences to see it. To preface this they did say that it was still somewhat rough (color correction and all...) but pretty much done. Dunno if this is the right place to send it, hell I don't know if you care, either way here is a quick review....
To start this movie is long....noticeably long. It's roughly 2 hours and 45 minutes. I generally don't mind long movies, but this one stuck out as long. I won't ruin any of the movie but suffice to say this film throws you into the Alamo pretty quick. Not a lot of exposition but what is there is a bit confusing even for one like myself who is moderately versed in Alamo lore. And then the waiting begins.....lots of waiting....expostion.... lots of waiting. We all know what is coming. We can feel it. We all KNOW the ending here.
The forced character building is just that - forced. We have Jim "Doc Holliday" Bowie, William Barret Travis, Sam Houston, and of course Davey Crockett. All of the parts are played rather well, especially Dennis Quad as Houston. But because of the amount of main characters all are a bit thin and can quickly be reduced to stereotypes or cliches. Jim Bowie was a lot like Doc Holliday from Tombstone, except less drunk. Travis was the typical young rookie officer forced to be a hero. In an attempt to "play down" Crockett I fear they almost ruined him .They wished to take away the over the top image of Crockett and add "realism". In taking him down a few steps they almsot break his legs in the process, he appeared afraid several times and really out of place at the Alamo. However I say almost ruined, because of two scenes. One in which Crockett retells a grisly unheroic tale and his scene with Santa Anna towards the end. These two scenes really salvaged the ch! aracter. Again the best character is Sam Houston. He had quite a bit of depth, ranging from drunken failure to heroic general, all of which is pulled off well. If he ahd been the focus of the film the film would have been better off for it.
But I digress we know what we all came to see - the battle for the Alamo. It was decently shot but if anyone has seen a little movie called "Glory" than they have already seen "The Alamo". You got a bunch faceless guys dying at a fort. Not once did I feel anything for anyone that died at the Alamo. Hell, I CRIED at "Glory". This - Nothing.
I won't even go into the lack of historical accuracy (where are the conscripts? Indians? Goliad? How Santa Anna was really captured?...)
But the fatal flaw of this film was something small.....well two small things. They had a young child on both sides : One Tejano, one Texan. At the final batle they "coincidently" meet....well you can see what is coming.....we are forced to watch these kids periodically show up in the movie and the payoff is horribly cliched and melodramatic. The addition of the teenage soldiers is forced and obvious. We're supposed to see two soldiers, "brothers" if you will, fighting against each other. This waste of time and melodrama brings the movie down and slows it down quite a bit. If these scenes were removed, you would have a good film. Not great but good. If they are left in what you have is a decent film which is relatively entertaining for those who enjoy a war movie - ultimately lacking in depth but overflowing with screen time.
This is my first review (if it isn't painfully obvious....) so use it if you like and if you don't well that's fine too. Cry Havok....
- Liquid Havok
