Shadowheart (2009) Reviews

• Dreck

  amills-182010-07-26

  As I watched this terrible film, I was reminded of a bad High School drama project. The characters are one dimensional, the story line is something that any HS kid could come up with, very formulaic. The score leaves nothing to the imagination. You have the soaring violins and happy sounds when we meet the dad and are expected to learn what a good man he is, as an example. Bad guy goes from having rotten teeth in the beginning of the movie, and 15 years later has a set of pearly whites. I guess they invented cosmetic dentistry in the interim. And even small things, like the guns are from the early 1800s, but are supposed to be late 1800s models. Looking at the film, you realize there was some budget here, as the cinematography is fine, but the rest of the film is just dreck.

• Shadow-Cliché

  fwomp2009-08-31

  Being a proud member of Amazon.com's Vine reviewers, I found myself pondering why some movies were available on occasion (usually ones I've never heard of), while others were not. I also consider myself a responsible reviewer; in other words, I'll read, sample, or watch whatever it is I get from Amazon's Vine program, regardless of what it looks like on the outside. Unfortunately, a pattern is emerging for The Vine program films. These are the seldom heard of ones I mentioned earlier. To give you an idea as to what types of films are being offered through The Vine, I'll use this one — SHADOWHEART — as an example. First, let's take into consideration the fact that the film was produced by first-time film production company Desert Moon Pictures. Okay. So. Big deal. Now let's look at the main actor, Justin Ament. His film repertoire is not exactly stellar. He's had a lot of uncredited work (see "extra"), obviously trying to break into Hollywood's mainstream. He's written two screenplays: this one, and another for THE PATH OF EVIL. The Path of Evil, like Shadowheart, hasn't been lauded as very good cinema. But why? Well, the easy answer is that the films just aren't that well thought-out nor well put together. In Shadowheart, we see cliché after cliché, and old character after old character. It's a recycle mish-mash of seriously poor proportions. Think of just about every Italian western starring Clint Eastwood and you'll have seen every character in this film many times over. The only exception to the poor characters is Angus Macfadyen (best known for his role as Robert the Bruce in BRAVEHEART) as the wicked — but still cliché stereotype — Will Tunney. He played (perhaps overplayed) the role of the ruthless and amoral killer and made it, at the very least, fun to watch. Everything else in this story was completely predictable. When I saw the young protagonist with the young girl in the beginning, I knew what would befall them long before it actually happened. And when I saw the sheriff trying to take the dastardly Will Tunney to the next town for imprisonment and possible hanging, I knew they'd never make it there. And this list of obviousness goes on and on and on and on. So, getting back to my original quandary: why are some films available on The Vine and others aren't. Well, it's becoming painfully obvious now. Those DVDs that can't sell are given away in hopes of finding a sympathetic audience. But I simply cannot sympathize with drivel such as this. I'll write my review and post it for all to condone or trash, but I simply cannot give this film a positive spin when there's simply none to be found.

• Talk about predictable!!!

  cckling2010-02-11

  This was probably the worst movie I have seen in many years. It went from the youngster starting out on his own and returning after the war to retrieve his past. He saves the Indian couple who later return to save him. He takes on the bully who killed his father. The bully takes everyone's land because the railroad is coming. He marries the heroine, she dies, and he seeks revenge. Guess who comes out on top in the end? What a terrible movie...no wonder it never made the theaters...nobody would pay to see it. (the music was good however). The acting was as predictable as the movie itself...Spider as the wicked henchman who didn't say anything but carried out his orders...Connor who was beaten and shot, yet recovers in a matter of hours (in the same time frame that Mary's brother never knew she had been killed) gets a horse and a gun and rides into town for revenge only to be challenged by the brother to get the marshal. Talk about clichés.

• What happened to the bounty hunter?

  RVBUILDER2010-01-01

  Possible spoilers ahead. Years after James left town he became a bounty hunter with the reputation of bringing his quarry back more dead than alive. He looked and acted like an hombre who could take care of himself and stay alive in his chosen profession. So what happened to all that experience when he handed over Will Tunney to the ancient sheriff and his slow-witted deputy? Didn't anybody notice Spider and Tunney's two other minions leave town in a hurry? Did they all think Tunney would roll over and let himself be taken? Apparently so, since the whole town just went to a wedding, after which the newly-married couple were sitting out in the open with a flashing neon sign over their heads that said "KILL US". Geez.

• A weak, unsatisfying effort

  adbmd2009-08-28

  I hate to write those words, as I can only imagine the work that the entire cast and crew puts into a production like this. However, it fell short -- way short. My 9 year old daughter, her friend, and I all agreed it was a "bad movie -- that was terrible" (their words.) No redemption as promised -- just revenge. Just plain bad acting early on; boring for the first 15 minutes; music intrudes constantly, not helping the dialog; many lines mumbled/unintelligible; continuity gaffes intrude; and so on. I will say the production values were pretty good -- lighting, color, some good shots. LMAO that the character of "spider" is the writer/director -- who, justly, gets it in the end. While the plot is entirely predictable, so what, it's a western. I take exception to the supposedly "Christian" values. Throwing in scriptural quotations, having a pastor as a sympathetic character and vague spiritual references do not count. "Shawshank" is a much more Christian film, IMHO, or any of a huge number of other films that actually engage your mind and faith in challenging ways. Sadly, this film was just plain disappointing. Even at $1 at Redbox.