You won't be disappointed!

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Legendary lawman and gunslinger, Wild Bill Hickok, is tasked with taming the wildest cow-town in the west. While delivering his own brand of frontier justice, the infamous gunfighter's reputation as the fastest draw in the west is put to the test. Chris Hemsworth is main star league, Liam Hemsworth? he is more of a secondary league but Luke Hemsworth? Is probably no league. This movie had no charisma, nothing was going on and why in the hell were Kris Kristofferson and Bruce Dern in here? Oh i know why because the paycheck was probably good. (F)

Sometimes you take a chance on a movie you never heard of and you find a little gem. Other times, you end up wasting an hour and half of your life like you do when you watch this movie.It's rare that I watch a movie where the writing and direction is so bad that I actually looked up who the writer (Michael Lanahan) and director (Timothy Woodward Jr.) were for no other reason than to make sure I never watch anything from either of them again. It's almost like the director read the script, knew it was going to suck, then decided to see if he could one up the script by directing a jumpy movie with no flow. The writing was so bad that you could almost feel the actors not wanting to say the lines. some of the scenes were so stupid you had to actually laugh, like when the bad guys shoot up Wild Bill's house, throw a stick of dynamite in there, then when the dynamite gets thrown out by Bill, one of them goes, "We must've got him!" Sure buddy, most dead guys throw dynamite back. Then there was the rip off of Gladiator where Trace Adkins' character brings his fiance and son in for a little questioning before eventually smacking them both. The makeup person, who may have also been the director based off the ridiculous "black eye" they put on Cameron Richardson after getting smacked, seemed to want to one up the other ridiculousness by putting on a "black eye" that basically made it look like she got hit by a 2x4 across the side of her face.And who did the casting? Luke Hemsworth looks nothing like Wild Bill Hickok and I'm telling you, he's definitely the worse acting Hemsworth and that's saying something. Kris Kristofferson has a look on face in every scene like he knows he's just phoning this gig in and Trace Adkins just is not a very believable bad guy. Maybe it's those commercials he does for Wounded Warrior. It's hard to take him as a bad guy and he doesn't have the acting chops to pull it off.Bruce Dern? His yellow teeth were the best part of his role. He was also involved in one the dumbest scenes of the movie and that's saying something. Hickok tries to distract the kid (who was randomly shot when some guys come into town shooting their guns) by telling him some dumb story while Dern (the doctor) takes a bullet. It might have made more sense if the doctor actually took the bullet out while the kld was being distracted but no, he waits until the story is over and then the kids screams in agony as the idiot takes out the bullet.Want to know why the movie gets two stars vs one? There's a nice sunset scene with a train in the beginning that fools the viewer into thinking this movie might be decent, but alas, it's mirage as you soon enough will be inundated with dialog a 10-year old might write for his school play. Oh, and there's a nice side boob scene with Cameron Richardson. That's about it!

RELEASED IN 2017 and directed by Timothy Woodward Jr., "Hickok" stars Luke Hemsworth as the titular lawman and gunslinger, nicknamed Wild Bill, who is commissioned as Marshal to tame the wildest cow-town in the Old West, Abilene, Kansas. Kris Kristofferson plays the noble mayor and Bruce Dern the town doctor while Trace Adkins is on hand as the nefarious mogul of the town. Cameron Richardson plays the woman they vie for whereas Kaiwi Lyman appears as Hickok's gunfighter rival. Except for the opening sequences, this is a town-bound Western similar in theme to those Wyatt Earp Westerns where Earp has to clean up a town (Dodge City, Tombstone, whatever). Since practically the entire story takes place in town it's irrelevant that California substitutes for Kansas. It's great to see old Western stars Kristofferson and Dern in fairly significant peripheral roles. Luke is stalwart as the protagonist and the movie really drives home the bold resolve it would take to tame a wild cow-town. Meanwhile the hulking Adkins is formidable as the heavy. While this is a relatively low-budget adult Western (with a little bit of cussing, nudity, covert sex) and there are obvious mistakes here and there (e.g. the kid's bandage appearing on the wrong leg), not to mention the cast probably learned their lines the night before, as well as the predictableness concerning Mattie's kid, the script and main cast keep things compelling. There are several highlights and a few spectacular shots, like the train bridge in the opening act and, later, the moonlit sky. In short, the movie's entertaining for a low budget Western that doesn't overstay its welcome. Western fans who don't demand Grade A quality should eat this up. Keep in mind that not every Western can have the mega-funds of blockbusters like "Dances With Wolves" and "Unforgiven." Just don't look to "Hickok" for accurate history. Nevertheless, I'd watch "Hickok" over the comparatively dull "Wild Bill" (1995) any day. THE FILM RUNS 1 hour 28 minutes and was shot in Agoura (Paramount Ranch) & Santa Clarita, California. WRITER: Michael Lanahan. GRADE: B/B- (6.5/10)

Anybody who knows anything about Old West heroes knows that the legendary 'Will Bill' Hickok bit the dust in Deadwood, South Dakota, in 1876, when a disgruntled poker player by the name of Jack McCall cold-bloodedly came up behind him and blew the back of his head off. Described as an appallingly bad gambler, McCall had grown despondent with his losing streak, and he surprised Wild Bill when the latter least expected it. When he died, Hickok held black aces and eights, known now as "The Dead Man's Hand." Later, McCall went to trial, was convicted of murder, and swung on the gallows. "Traded" director Timothy Woodward, Jr's predictable, but entertaining biographical rehash of the famous lawman's life in "Hickok," adds little of consequence what is generally known about the protagonist's notorious reputation. More specifically, Woodward confines himself to Hickok's daring exploits during the American Civil War and his early years as a lawman in Abilene, Kansas, and his troubles with glaucoma, before his tragic demise in Deadwood. Of course, Woodward and "Perfect Target" scenarist Michael Lanahan alter history so it least interferes with their bullet-riddled, horse opera. Although he wore his hair shoulder-length, with a mustache, the eponymous hero is clean-shaven and closely trimmed. In his first starring role, Australian native Luke Hemsworth holds his own as 'Wild Bill' against veteran actors like Trace Adkins, Kris Kristofferson, and Bruce Dern. Hemsworth wears black well and looks sufficiently imposing. Hawaiian native Kaiwi Lyman-Mersereau deserves honorable mention for his performance of another real-life ruffian, the infamous John Wesley Hardin. Meanwhile, Adkins is appropriately cast as the primary villain, and his deep, grouchy voice accentuates his villainy. Kristofferson and Dern exist on the fringe, with Kristofferson earning more screen time with a backstory that restores his youth. What distinguishes "Hickok" from many low-budget westerns is the attention to detail that Woodward has paid to the settings. The Dozens of extras wander the streets of Abilene so that it looks like the town is inhabited. settings look convincing, and the superior production values lend "Hickok" greater authenticity. Spanish lenser Pablo Diez's widescreen cinematography captures the moment every time with either wide-open long shots or atmospheric close-ups."Hickok" unfolds during the American Civil War with a brief skirmish between Union and Confederate soldiers. Under heavy fire from Southern cannon and a multi-barreled Gatling Gun, an audacious Hickok (Luke Hemsworth of HBO's "Westworld") vaults astride a horse and charges the enemy, brandishing two cap and ball revolvers like Clint Eastwood in the classic "Outlaw Josey Wales." You'd think that the guys on the rapid-firing Gatling Gun could have turned Hickok into a sieve. Instead, they are such inept marksmen that he comes out without a scratch. Of course, they couldn't kill our hero because that would stop the action dead in its tracks. After this brief but bloody opening gambit, "Hickok" picks up the life of the celebrated gunslinger seven years later. 'Wild Bill' is accurately portrayed in one instance as a vagrant who cannot afford a train ticket. Nevertheless, Hickok's intervention in a poker game later where one player accuses the other of cheating brings him to the attention of Abilene Mayor George Knox (Kris Kristofferson of "Heaven's Gate"), and he hires him as town marshal for $150 a month and board. Hickok tries to cut a bargain with villainous saloon-owner Phil Poe (Trace Atkins of "The Lincoln Lawyer") for quarter share of their profits, and they have a tetchy relationship, especially after Hickok bans all firearms from being worn in Abilene. Worse, Poe learns that his betrothed, Mattie (Cameron Richardson of "Rise: Blood Hunter"), was once married to Hickok. Poe smashes up Mattie's face, and his villainy gets out of hand. At this point, Poe wants 'Wild Bill' dead, and he is prepared to pay anybody whatever it takes to put Hickok in a hole six-feet deep. Initially, the first contender is none other than John Wesley Hardin (Kaiwi Lyman-Mersereau of "American Crime"), but the two gunslingers have too much admiration and respect for each other. Hickok convinces Hardin to pin on the badge of a deputy marshal to keep him on the right side of the law. These two have an interesting scene in Poe's bar when they compete against each other with target practice on a bottle. Hickok shoots the cork out of it, but Hardin goes one better and shoots the cork out of the bottle while its spins! For the record, as many as eighteen notable actors have portrayed the flamboyant, fast-draw, sharp-shooter on the big screen as well as the small screen. Luke Hemsworth joins the likes of such greats as William S. Hart, Gary Cooper, Roy Rogers, Forrest Tucker, Guy Madison, Charles Bronson, Jeff Bridges, and Josh Brolin who have all portrayed this colorful personality. Unfortunately, "Hickok" isn't as exciting as earlier movies, among them "The Plainsman" (1936), "Will Bill Hickok Rides" (1942), the 1966 remake of "The Plainsman," "Little Big Man" (1970), "The White Buffalo" (1977), and "Wild Bill" (1995). Woodward stages the shoot-outs without the acrobatic flair that characterized Spaghetti westerns in the 1960s and the 1970s. Most of the violence is impromptu, and the participants don't stick around long after they have emptied their revolvers. The low-budget becomes somewhat obvious because most of the action takes place in Abilene instead of out on the plains. The grand finale in Poe's saloon near fade-out with Hickok and Harden knocking down Poe's paid pistoleros is the exception to the rule. During the moments leading up to it, Hickok and Poe are staring each other down, until Poe shouts that he will shell out $500 to the first man to kill 'Wild Bill.' Woodward doesn't wear out his welcome with this slowly-paced, 88-minute oater that boasts an adequate amount of gunplay. Altogether, "Hickok" qualifies as a fair account of 'Wild Bill' shenanigans in the context of a formulaic 'town taming' western.