Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventures of Pecos Bill

PG

Released Mar 24, 1995

1 hr. 36 min.

Kids & Family

Fantasy

List

48%

21 Reviews

Tomatometer

52%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Legendary American folk heroes come to life as young Daniel Hackett (Nick Stahl) embarks on a quest to save his father's farm from a greedy land baron (Scott Glenn). As Daniel struggles to help his dad (Stephen Lang), he encounters storybook characters such as the tornado-roping Pecos Bill (Patrick Swayze) and hammer-wielding John Henry (Roger Aaron Brown), as well as gun-toting Calamity Jane (Catherine O'Hara) and ax-hauling Paul Bunyan (Oliver Platt) with his loyal blue ox, Babe.

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Critics Consensus

Tall Tale draws on American folk legends for a family-friendly adventure with disappointingly little appeal.

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kyle m

Capturing the innocence and wonder of a 1950s western, Tall Tale heavily leans into the mythology of the wild west, giving folk heroes like Pecos Bill, John Henry, and Paul Bunyan the awe and reverence of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. With legendary cinematographer Kaminski, the world comes alive with gorgeous viduals. Swayze gives it his all, and Oliver Platt turns Bunyan into a humorous grump of a giant. It's aimed for the little kid inside all of us who wanted to be a cowboy.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A farm family, in 1905 old west, must ward off a land baron and the family kid employs the help of some American legends. I think most people that have heard the legends of Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan and John Henry have a preconceived notion of what they look like and how they act. This movie doesn't hold to my preconceptions. The one exception is Roger Aaron Brown as John Henry, I knew exactly who he was when he appeared on screen. Oliver Platt got a few laughs out of me, but his Paul Bunyan looked more like Radagast the Brown from the Hobbit movies than a lumberjack. I feel Patrick Swayze was miscast as Pecos Bill. I just wanted Sam Elliott in that role. Scott Glenn plays the lead kid and he did a passable job. The story had some weird twists and turns that didn't work for me. Also, why is Catherine O'Hara in this movie? What is the point of her character? It is a fun premise with a poor execution, but if it sounds like something up your alley then check it out.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Bonitinho, esperava que fosse especificamente sobre a lenda de Pecos Bill, mas foi um historinha fofa, sendo introduzida a lenda, muitas cenas de ação, mas para os guris curtirem mesmo, pouco drama, participação razoável de Pecos Bill, nada muito espalhafatoso ou especial, mediano…

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

One of my favorite movies as a kid

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This Disney movie was alright. Patrick Swayze, Scott Glenn, Oliver Platt, Nick Stahl, Roger Aaron Brown, and the rest of the cast did a decent job in this movie. The plot to the movie was kind of adventurous and entertaining. It wasn't as great as I thought it would be. If you haven't seen this movie yet, don't waste your time. In my opinion, it's really worth watching.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

r 9

A tad messy in its execution, but a cool film nevertheless. I'll be honest, it oddly took me a while to catch on to what was happening; I found all the dots, so to speak, but didn't connect them quick enough for some reason. Nonetheless, throughout, I was very much enjoying the film. The cast are terrific, they certainly elevate the film up in my thoughts. Patrick Swayze, Oliver Platt and Roger Aaron Brown are entertaining in the respective roles as Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan and John Henry. A young Nick Stahl isn't amazing, but his performance is satisfactory. Scott Glenn, meanwhile, is a solid villain. Away from them, you have the likes of Jared Harris, Stephen Lang, Scott Wilson and Catherine O'Hara appear - I would've loved to have seen more of O'Hara as Calamity Jane, there was great potential there for a big team up with Swayze's character; sadly we only get them together for a short time. The premise is a strange one but one I liked. It could've came out better no doubt, though it is still done to a suitable level. 'Tall Tale' is a fun flick from Disney.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Jeremiah S. Chechik

Director

Patrick Swayze

Pecos Bill

Oliver Platt

Paul Bunyan

Roger Aaron Brown

John Henry

Nick Stahl

Daniel Hackett

Scott Glenn

J.P. Stiles

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Ed Hulse

Entertainment Weekly

The exquisitely photographed landscapes pull you out of your living room and into the grandeur of the West.

Rated: B+

Aug 16, 2017

Full Review

Joe Leydon

Variety

If the kids can be enticed into theaters during opening weekend, "Tall Tale" is a safe bet to generate strong word of mouth.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Janet Maslin

New York Times

This is not the stuff of which legends are made.

Aug 30, 2004

Full Review

Mal Vincent

The Virginian-Pilot

Parents might take the time to read the American folklore tales to children before going. However, even this might become confusing, because the movie seeks to rewrite folklore by getting cute, though never humorous, with the legends.

Rated: 2/4

Feb 25, 2022

Full Review

People Staff

People Magazine

Dang it if Disney's latest for kids doesn't seem like The Wizard of Oz in chaps, sharing that classic's structure but minus its imagination, charm and songs.

Aug 16, 2017

Full Review

TV Guide

It's homespun homily time: TALL TALE may look like a rousing adventure story for the whole family, but it's really a vehicle for the kind of tiresome moral aphorisms that only William Bennett could love. . .

Rated: 3/5

Aug 16, 2017

Full Review

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Synopsis

Legendary American folk heroes come to life as young Daniel Hackett (Nick Stahl) embarks on a quest to save his father's farm from a greedy land baron (Scott Glenn). As Daniel struggles to help his dad (Stephen Lang), he encounters storybook characters such as the tornado-roping Pecos Bill (Patrick Swayze) and hammer-wielding John Henry (Roger Aaron Brown), as well as gun-toting Calamity Jane (Catherine O'Hara) and ax-hauling Paul Bunyan (Oliver Platt) with his loyal blue ox, Babe.

Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Executive Producer: Bill Badalato
Screenwriter: Steve Bloom, Robert Rodat
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Walt Disney Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Kids & Family, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 24, 1995, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.2M
Sound Mix: Surround

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