Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)1993 and it was the battle between two films based on the iconic western figure Wyatt Earp. Screenwriter Kevin Jarre ("The Mummy", "Glory", "Rambo: First Blood Part II") and Kevin Costner were originally set to make the film together but due to a disagreement, Costner would go on to film "Wyatt Earp" while Kevin Jarre would take his script to Buena Vista for distribution and sure enough, it became a contest of sorts as who would get their movie out first and which one would dominate in the box office.
Fortunately, despite numerous problems on the set of "Tombstone", if there is one thing that the film had was its all-star cast as Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, Charlton Heston, Jason Priestly, Dana Delany, Thomas Haden Church, Billy Bob Thornton, Michael Rooker, Terry O'Quinn and many more.
Directing the film would be George P. Cosmatos ("Rambo: First Blood Part II", "Leviathan", "Shadow Conspiracy"), cinematography by William A. Fraker ("Rules of Engagement", "Father of the Bride Part II", "Street Fighter") and music by Bruce Broughton ("Lost in Space", "Bambi II", "Tiny Toon Adventures").
In the end, "Tombstone"earned $56 million domestically and did much better than Costner's "Wyatt Earp" in the box office.
VIDEO:
"Tombstone" is presented in 1080 High Definition (2:35:1). For the most part, the good news is that "Tombstone" looks very good on Blu-ray. The cinematography by William A. Fraker is absolutely beautiful during some of the scenic shots overlooking the fields, the skyline, dusk and dawn. While many parts of the film showcases many colors and for the most part, detail of the town, the saloon, the skin pores, etc. look great on Blu-ray, I noticed that the scenes look a bit dark at times. I haven't had the chance to compare with the original DVD release of "Tombstone" but there are times that seem as if shots were taken during overcast or the shadows of the hats are covering the faces of people.
But despite the dark look of some scenes, "Tombstone" definitely looks sharper and more contrast is seen on the Blu-ray release and blacks are nice and deep. Only one scene which was stock video where you a bit of aliasing but for the most part, I didn't detect any major artifacts or blemishes.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
"Tombstone" is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD MA (48 kHz/24-bit), French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital. Audio dialogue is quite clear and for the most part, the majority of the film is dialogue driven until you get into short action scenes at the O.K. Corral and the final half hour in which the film starts to have more action-based scenes. But one of the things that you will notice is the use of the surrounds in terms of capturing the ambiance of the outdoor scenes. I was watching when Wyatt and Josie were horseriding and are taking a break and all of a sudden I started hearing birds chirping and rustling the trees. I thought that was pretty cool. Also, you will hear the thunderstorms come to life and of course, the gun battle sequences in which you hear rifle shots, gun shots and more. Overall, "Tombstone" sounds very good via lossless.
Subtitles are in English SDH, English ESL, French and Spanish.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"Tombstone" comes with the following special features in 480i, English 2.0 Dolby Digital audio and subtitles in English SDH, French and Spanish. Included are:
* The Making of Tombstone - (27:19) This featurette goes into the cast of Tombstone as they talk about their characters and filming a Western. Director George P. Cosmatos talking about making an authentic Western and the gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
* Director's Original Storyboards - (4:00) A special feature showcasing the original storyboards of Director George P. Cosmatos.
* Trailers and TV Spots - Featuring two theatrical trailers (:60 and :120) and the "Friends" TV spot (:30).
JUDGMENT CALL:
"Tombstone" is an enjoyable film and for those who enjoy Westerns and for those who like the stories of lawmen vs. the outlaws, the film is quite entertaining and a storyline in which both Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer actually do a remarkable job. Russell as the Wyatt Earp, the caring brother and also not afraid of anyone! And Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday at his most charming and also his most vulnerable and how Kilmer plays off the sickly version of Holliday is really well-done.
But what I did enjoy about "Tombstone" when I first watched it over a decade ago, was how it tried to capture the life of Wyatt Earp and led to the "Gunfight of O.K. Corral" and "Wyatt Earp and the Immortals". Granted, the film is not exactly historically accurate and the adaptation would be of what took place had to receive the Hollywood touch but for the most part, it did capture many of the stories that took place especially with Virgil Earp becoming a marshal, some of the battles that took place and more.
If there was one thing that I was hoping for, it would be a more climactic battle between Wyatt and Curly Bill Brocius. With Brocius being the leader of the Cowboys, I felt that the battle between both men was rather short. Also, there were some scenes of certain characters that felt out of place and this goes with the troubled production as the original screenplay was longer and had a story emphasizing sub-plots of the various characters but was nixed. The fact that "Tombstone" has quite a bit of starpower, I just felt that certain characters were never utilized and if they were, what was the purpose. For example, why was Deputy Billy Breckinridge (played by Jason Priestly) even shown and also, with no historical fact towards his sexuality, why was she shown to have gay tendencies? Also, the character of Sherman McMasters (played by Michael Rooker), just an added scene showing why he broke off with the Cowboys would have been nice to see as well.
As for the Blu-ray, the film definitely looks and sounds better than its predecessor. It's important to note that the Blu-ray version features the 130-minute version and not the 135-minute director's cut version of "Tombstone". Missing is the audio commentary by director George P. Cosmatos and also "The Tombstone Epitaph - Actual Newspaper Account" featured in the Director's Cut Televista DVD version. But the making-of featurette, director's original storyboards and trailers remain intact. But you can't help but be pleased with this Blu-ray release.
Overall, "Tombstone" was an enjoyable Western that I have seen a good number of times. Does it rank high compared to the best Western's out there? Definitely not but in my opinion, it's the best Wyatt Earp film that I have seen yet and it's a film that I just found enjoyable from beginning to end. Definitely recommended!
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Kurt Russell (Miracle, Death Proof) and Val Kilmer (Deja Vu, The Missing) will blow you away in this explosive, action-packed adventure! And now, the legendary battle for justice in Tombstone hits home on Blu-ray™ for the first time ever. Russell is U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp; Kilmer is the outrageous Doc Holliday. Together, they team up to lay down the law in a notorious showdown with ruthless outlaws at the O.K. Corral. With an all-star cast that also includes Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Dana Delany, Jason Priestley, Michael Biehn and Hollywood icon Charlton Heston, this Wild West epic will transport you back in time and land you smack dab in the center of the crossfire. So strap on your six shooters as you experience the remarkable picture and theater-quality sound of Tombstone in Blu-ray™ High Definition.
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