Quigley Down Under

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Jay W "Quigley Down Under" came out the same year as "Rescuers Down Under", 1990. After Crocodile Dundee, Hollywood was transfixed on Australia. But, as "The Simpsons" point out, the trend did not last. These films represent the tail end of this fad. "Westerns" had long passed their box office prime, and Eastwood had not yet deconstructed it in "Unforgiven" 1992. But enough of the context of the time, how is the movie? It is really good. It doesn't do anything to reinvent the wheel, but it delivers a really good time. The story is pretty simple, and it gets things going right away. Quigley is hired by Marston as a sharpshooter. When Marston reveals that Quigley's job would be killing Aboriginal People, he opposes, and the two find themselves at an impasse. From there Quigley finds himself against 20 or so memorable henchmen he must defeat on his way to the final boss battle. Here are some reasons to love "Quigley Down Under": #1 Alan Rickman: Alan Rickman was just rising as the new go-to villain actor, this happening before "Prince of Thieves" but after his debut in "Die Hard". He absolutely delivers in his role. He plays Marston in the darkly comedic but still intimidating presence that only Rickman can pull off. #2 Tom Sellick: Tom Sellick had nearly landed the role of Indiana Jones. Outside of watching his screen test, his part of Quigley is the closest we are ever going to see to him as Indiana. Sellick has the perfect look for being a classic cowboy. He's got the physicality, the voice and of course, the mustache. #3 Laura San Giacomo as Crazy Cora Crazy Cora is such a fun and unique character. Laura plays it in such a way that you are never quite sure if she is completely insane, or just messing with everyone. It is a character that could so easily be annoying, but she is a delight. She also has the most emotionally gripping and satisfying scene of the movie. The character of Quigley is one that I would have loved to see in a series of movies. I love how much he uses his rifle for. He of course uses it for shooting, but he uses it in a fist fight, a chase scene and a nutcracker. I love how beautiful they make Australia look; they take full advantage of their unique setting. Sometimes the best of the west, can be found in the east. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/21/24 Full Review Samuel B While this isn't on a par with Unforgiven or True Grit, it is a quality entry into the western ethos. Simon Wincer, the director, did pay attention to little details. Quigley and Cora having raspy voice at first among the Aborigines following their near dehydration, for example. Mostly, Wincer paid decent homage to Australia and the customs of the time this was set in, the 1890s. Selleck was well cast as Matthew Quigley, giving a good portrayal of a decent and heroic Bunyanesque figure. Laura San Giacomo was wonderfully playful and lost and freely over the top with her lively portrayal of Crazy Cora. She was convincingly nuts while still being endearing. Of course Ben Mendelsohn shows prominently, not yet the star he has become, but with a slight promise of the potential on the horizon as the villain sidekick O'Flynn. The one that steals the movie, though, is Alan Rickman as Elliot Marston, the villain. He portrays Marston, as he did in Die Hard, as the villain you love to hate. The supporting cast is credible, if not spectacular. That is a drawback. It is not, however, a large enough drawback to destroy the film as some critics have intimated. Nor are the pacing and story issues. It is a decent, if not spectacular, story fairly told Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/27/24 Full Review Merrianne M I absolutely loved this movie when it came out and still do. Those that criticize it must not understand it's supposed to be a lighter western . Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/17/24 Full Review Nathan W You know something... I think Tom Selleck could have had a career in Westerns. He has a certain ruggedness and charm that really fits the genre. I know this movie got mixed reviews, but I thought it was a slightly above average take on the classic Western. For starters... Its hard to think of a more beautiful location to film in because the scenery was breathtaking. Tom Selleck and Laura San Giacomo had some chemistry together. Their witty banter provided much of the comedic value. The plot got surprisingly dark at times, which reflected the real life inspiration for the film. The acting was fine for the most part, the score was well done, and there was a decent amount of action. Granted the story wasn't all that interesting, but there was more than enough entertainment value. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/15/24 Full Review Lucia di L Such a boring movie. The worst thing in this movie is Tom Selleck, because he is such a lousy actor. Best thing is Rickman. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 04/20/24 Full Review Audience Member Tom Selleck gets to display all the charm and movie star qualities that initially got them cast as Indiana Jones. In this film we get to see just what that may have looked like. Obviously Harrison Ford was fantastic and completely owned that role. By watching this film it’s clear select would’ve excelled as wellRickman fantastic as the villain sequences on a satisfying ending Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/09/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Quigley Down Under

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