Young Guns

R

Released Aug 12, 1988

1 hr. 47 min.

Western

Action

List

43%

40 Reviews

Tomatometer

76%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

The year is 1878, Lincoln County. John Tunstall, a British ranch owner, hires six rebellious boys as "regulators" to protect his ranch against the ruthless Santa Fe Ring. When Tunstall is killed in an ambush, the Regulators, led by the wild-tempered Bill the Kid (Emilio Estevez), declare war on the Ring. As their vendetta turns into a bloody rampage, they are branded outlaws, becoming the objects of the largest manhunt in Western history.

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Critics Consensus

Young Guns rounds up a posse of attractive young leads, but this cheerfully shallow Brat Pack Western ultimately has too much hat and not enough cattle.

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Chuck Houck C

Full of 1980's corniness, if you're in the mood for some vacant entertainment with a little bit of nostalgia, Young Guns is great for those last 2 beers after midnight on a Friday night.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/24/24

Full Review

Adam P

One of my favorite western films. Excellent cast! Great Story! Great Ending! A film I can watch over and over again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/15/24

Full Review

Matthew A

Just watched it again on 4k blu-ray and WOW is it better than I remembered. Probably because it got overshadowed in my brainpan by its successor Young Guns 2 with its awesome soundtrack. Highly recommended (especially on 4k blu-ray)!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/05/23

Full Review

Zach T

An eighties western classic.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/04/23

Full Review

B-HoleShebang !

Emilio Estevez as BillyThe Kid is part psychopath and part hyena, laughing hysterically as he guns people down. He seeks vengeance for the murder of a man he barely knows, not that he needs an excuse to kill people, but he continuously puts his own life in danger because he's adventurous, I guess. Following him is a great cast of young actors, but it's not really clear why they follow him, as they would be much better off seeking their vengeance without Billy. Charlie Sheen plays the ultimate voice of reason for the group. Who saw that coming? Jack Palance plays our ultimate bad guy. An Irish gangster/cow barron without the slightest attempt at an Irish accent. It's basically the same character he played the following year in Batman. When he calls out for his sex slave "China" I half expect him to accidentally call out "Sugar Bumps." The best part of the film is the score. It's so fantastically cheesy 80's, and set against the old west, it is weird and wonderful. Not the best film overall, but a great cast, and really fun to watch!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/11/23

Full Review

Shayla S

A favorite! I still know every line in this movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/17/23

Full Review

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Christopher Cain

Director

Emilio Estevez

William H. Bonney

Kiefer Sutherland

Josiah Gordon 'Doc' Scurlock

Lou Diamond Phillips

Jose' Chavez y Chavez

Charlie Sheen

Richard Brewer

Dermot Mulroney

Dirty Steve Stephens

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Ed Potton

Times (UK)

... If you don’t take it too seriously it’s an entertaining romp.

Aug 5, 2022

Full Review

Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

A grownup could die in this wasteland.

Mar 25, 2019

Full Review

Dave Kehr

Chicago Tribune

''Young Guns'' is a very Dean-ish, sensitive delinquent melodrama disguised, for no good reason, as a western.

Rated: 2/4

Mar 25, 2019

Full Review

Aaron Neuwirth

Why So Blu

To my surprise, there’s a movie here that features a fair amount of grit.

Rated: 7/10

Dec 13, 2023

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Too much pretty-boy posturing by several of its Brat Pack stars.

Rated: 2/4

Oct 4, 2023

Full Review

David Sterritt

Christian Science Monitor

The polite word for his kind of filmmaking is "classical.'' Another word is "trite."

Mar 25, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

The year is 1878, Lincoln County. John Tunstall, a British ranch owner, hires six rebellious boys as "regulators" to protect his ranch against the ruthless Santa Fe Ring. When Tunstall is killed in an ambush, the Regulators, led by the wild-tempered Bill the Kid (Emilio Estevez), declare war on the Ring. As their vendetta turns into a bloody rampage, they are branded outlaws, becoming the objects of the largest manhunt in Western history.

Director: Christopher Cain
Executive Producer: John Fusco
Screenwriter: John Fusco
Distributor: 20th Century Fox, Vestron Pictures, Artisan Entertainment
Production Co: 20th Century Fox, Morgan Creek Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Western, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 12, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 2, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $43.4M
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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