Kings - The Complete Series (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)This show does have its faults. The biggest one is how modern speech is intermingled with Shakespearean dialogue... it gives the show gravitas, but it cuts back on the realism. There are some unlikely events, but since this is a retelling of a Bible story in a modern setting, I don't mind it, and as a sci-fi enthusiast I even like it. The show does take things very seriously, with two unlikely security guards providing comic relief that quite frankly, isn't very funny. There is a lot about the world that we don't know, and there is little exposition, which will drive alternate universe fans up a wall. Additionally, if you jump into the series mid-stream, it may take you a few minutes of viewing to become acclimated.
If you can get past those faults, you'll find some of the best there is on TV right now, especially network TV. Sub plots that seem to have nothing to do with one another cleverly weave together throughout the hour to come to surprising twists at the end. Though the characters are mostly archetypes, they are very interesting, and you want to know more about them-- especially Silas and how he became king. The way religion is portrayed and how it affects things is very reminiscent of the new Battlestar Galactica; the multi-ethnic cast reminiscent of Star Trek, politics will have you waxing nostalgic for The West Wing, and best of all, it's not another cop, lawyer or doctor show. It's not insipid reality TV or a recycled sitcom. This is truly original, intelligent programming.
Unfortunately, due to the worst viral marketing campaign I have ever seen, I don't think we'll get another season, so get this show and watch it on your own. NBC did very little to promote this series, but is going out of its way to push another cheap cop drama on us. The show, the story, the actors, and we, the viewers, deserve better. If we're lucky, maybe a cable channel will pick it up and we'll get some more brilliance. NBC should not have been given the chance to kill this critically-acclaimed show. It deserves to be on HBO-- and in your DVD collection.

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Witness the riveting rule of a modern-day monarchy in Kings: The Complete Series, the compelling, thought-provoking drama starring Golden Globe® winner Ian McShane (Deadwood). King Silas Benjamin (McShane) rules the country of Gilboa with steely determination unmatched by any rival. During a tense battle with the neighboring nation of Gath, David Shepherd (Chris Egan, Eragon), an idealistic young soldier from the countryside, heroically crosses over dangerous enemy lines and rescues a critical prisoner-of-war – the King’s son. Now, the lives of David and the King will become powerfully intertwined as greed, war, romance, forbidden love and secret alliances threaten to tear apart the kingdom. Co-starring Allison Miller (17 Again), Susanna Thompson (NCIS), Sebastian Stan (Rachel Getting Married), Eamonn Walker (Oz) and Dylan Baker (Revolutionary Road), this epic David-and-Goliath tale has critics proclaiming, “Kings is a big, ambitious, imaginative fantasy…" (Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly).

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Lonesome Dove Collection (Lonesome Dove/Streets of Laredo/Dead Man's Walk) (1989) Review

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(More customer reviews)LONESOME DOVE ~ This may be the greatest movie ever made. Both Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones give the performances of their careers as retired U.S. Marshals Gus McRae and Woodrow Call, and the rest of the star-studded cast shine, as well. The unique scenery of the film is absolutely breathtaking to behold. And the music . . . . . . . Basil Poledouris composes what may very well be the greatest film score of all time!! (In my opinion, the works of Mozart and Beethoven don't compare to this!) Director Simon Wincer went on to helm such fantastic Westerns as QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER, CROSSFIRE TRAIL, and MONTE WALSH. I could go on forever praising this gem of a film, but there are two other movies to review. So I'll sum it up in four words: sheer and utter perfection.
STREETS OF LAREDO ~ Though it can't possibly compare to it's predecessor, this makes for enjoyable Western fare. James Garner does a great job as Captain Call, though he can't quite fill in Tommy Lee Jones' shoes. The cast is above average here, too: Sam Shepard is awesome as Pee-Eye, and no matter how brief Randy Quaid's screen time, you can't take your eyes off him. However, I found Sissy Spacek to be whiney and quite annoying. I just recently found a similarity between this and the first film, plotwise: both update old, cliched Western plots (the cattle-drive in LONESOME DOVE and the bounty-hunter-gone-after-vicious-killer here) and update them with fine form. But this sequal doesn't do it nearly as well as the first. Oh, and that whole relationship between Call and that little girl was just weird and extremely out of place.
DEAD MAN'S WALK ~Here's an idea: make a prequal to the Emmy Award-winning LONESOME DOVE. While this may work on paper, it doesn't on film. Mainly because you'd have to find actors who could successfully portray younger versions of Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones. David Arquette and Johnny Lee Millar just can't do that. While their performances are decent, you just can't manage to firmly believe that these two boys are Gus McRae and Woodrow Call. And who the hell made the casting decision for the younger Clara (excellently played by Angelica Huston in the first film)? She ... like few actors I have ever had to watch.Funny, though; all the lead actors are sub-par, but the supporting cast rules; F. Murray Abraham, Brian Dennehy (who is killed off far, far too quickly), and Edward James Olmos included. Though the music in this movie is good, it feels out of place. But by far the worst thing about this film is the ending; the last twenty minutes may be the most godawful I have ever seen. It totally ruins the whole dramatic impact of the actual Dead Man's Walk scene that takes place before it. This scene is without a doubt the best part of the movie, and is one of the best, most powerful I've ever seen. They should've just ended the movie after this scene, right before that final twenty minutes or so. It would've been a much better movie.
In the end, it might be a good idea to just pick up a copy of LONESOME DOVE (be sure to buy the two-disc edition, which has far better picture quality than the single-disc flipper) rather than this entire boxed set. On the other hand, it looks great on your shelf, and comes with a free copy of the soundtrack to LONESOME DOVE.
LONESOME DOVE: * * * * *
STREETS OF LAREDO: * * * 1/2
DEAD MAN'S WALK: * * 1/2

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Lonesome Dove began life as a Larry McMurtry screenplay written for the big screen, with John Wayne, James Stewart, and Henry Fonda in mind for the roles of aging Texas Rangers Gus McCrae, Woodrow Call, and Jake Spoon. That too-good-to-be-true project never happened, and McMurtry shelvedthe story for some years and then revived it as a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The latter was subsequently adapted for the glorious 1989 televisionminiseries starring Robert Duvall as Gus, one of the most endearing andheroic figures to come out of Old West mythology, Tommy Lee Jones as theequally noble but taciturn Woodrow, and Robert Urich as their fallen comrade,Jake. Set in the late 19th century in a sleepy Texas town, we meet Gus andWoodrow long after they put their days of settling the West behind them. Busy as cattle ranchers yet spiritually idle, the two head out on one last great adventure to set down new stakes in Montana, a journey that is fraught with terribledangers, reunions with old loves, and unexpected collisions with destiny. An exemplary and moving Western drama with magnificent performances from Duvalland Jones (and great support from Anjelica Huston, Rick Schroder, DannyGlover, and Diane Lane), "Lonesome Dove" paved the way for threesequels, two of which are in this collection. "Streets of Laredo"features James Garner this time as Woodrow Call, who is hired by a railroad company to track down a young criminal and comes face to face with his ownpast. The other is "Dead Man's Walk", a powerful prequel in which wemeet Gus (David Arquette) and Woodrow (Jonny Lee Miller) as young men and Rangers recruits, facing their first challenges together. The jewel in thecrown of this collection is the original film, but the other titles arehighly enjoyable and bring a sense of sweeping narrative to theproceedings. "--Tom Keogh"

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