Hickok (2017)

Lazy, terrible script, one dimentional characters, flat and boring. Exactly the same kind of stupidity yyou find in series like CSI and similar garbage.

Students of history know the legend of James Butler Hickok was highly fictionalized in the dime novels of his era; however, this film goes so far beyond fiction that the title and titled character could have been called Wild Bill Pisspot and no one would be any wiser that the story was supposed to be about Hickok. The acting barely existent. Kris Kristofferson has kept his streak alive by being in yet another film in which displays absolutely no acting ability. As for Trace Atkins, he definitely shouldn't quit his singing career since it's something he's actually good at. I'm sure he's having fun dressing up and playing cowboy in the movies, but he does so at the cost of his dignity. He should consider firing his Hollywood agent and any posse of yes men who deceptively praise his performance, and face that fact acting talent he has not. Luke Hemsworth's performance is mediocre at best, but I believe it's entirely a result of an idiotic, unscreenworthy screenplay and lack of directing talent. I liked Bruce Dern as the kindly old drunken doctor, but the Director and Screenwriter did him a grave disservice by limiting his role and providing him dialogue that is far beneath his talent. I'll never forget the first time I saw Bruce Dern in a movie. It was 1972, I was 11 years old watching John Wayne and The Cowboys at the local movie house, and Bruce Dern simply scared the the hell out of me and my buddies when he threatened the little cowboy with the eyeglasses. For a long time afterward, we all but despised Dern. To making such a lasting and emotional impression on a generation of movie goers is the sign of an exceptional actor. As for the editing of this not so fine feature, once could only assume the job was given to the producer's young brother-in-law in order to just get his unreal Hollywood housewife to get the hell off his back about finding Junior a job in the movie business, because this film's editing is as choppy as it gets. To all the non-psychic investors out there who actually helped finance this F-class movie, I'm sure there are many more realist viewers out there who are thinking...."suckers!"

Sadly the western is no more if the last few efforts are to be judged by.This film conclusively proves that none of the Hemsworth clan can act. It also proves that you don't really need acting talent to get into the movies these days, just a pretty boy face, six pack and some muscles, a relative in the industry or doing a Harvie Weinstein manoeuvre!Boring formulaic story that's been done to death. Main character who couldn't act his way out of a paper bag. No persona , no true grit , no tough cowboy just another Hemsworth pretty boy in a hat. The bad guy who was as mean and scary as Pee Wee Herman.The days of the good ole cowboy movie seem to be over - No more Magnificent Seven, no more Pale Riders just pretty boys who give nothing to the genre - It seems the last of the great real cowboys was indeed Clint Eastwood as none have matched his performance in any way.From the awful Colin Farrell in the dire remake of THE BEGUILED to the tragic remake of one of the best western ever THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN - It seems even a remake of the WILD BUNCH is in the offing - Oh dear is all I can say even old old movies like SHADOW OF CHIKARA beat this dull attempt at a Wild Bill Hickock story line.This is like a mid week afternoon made for TV movie - they might as well have chucked in Fernando Lamas and Jane Seymour!

I think if this story was presented without the characters having historical names, and events that could be easily researched, it would have fared a lot better with IMDb's reviewers for the film. For a Netflix original film, I didn't think it was all that bad, but my prior knowledge of Wild Bill Hickok's career caused me to shake my head a few times. Like the treatment of John Wesley Hardin (Kaiwi Lyman-Mersereau). The way the two men first met is recounted accurately enough. There was a face to face stare down between the two men, and Hardin used the 'road agent spin' on Hickok, after which they settled their confrontation with a drink at a local saloon. But Hardin staying on as a deputy was sheer invention for the story and completely unnecessary.The outcome of Hickok's (Luke Hemsworth) feud with Phil Poe (Trace Adkins) was also historically accurate, but missing a huge part of the story. In the heat of battle, Hickok also turned and fired upon another man who he thought was coming to Coe's aid. It turned out to be Hickok's own deputy Mike Williams who wound up dead in the street. That event devastated the frontier lawman, after which he became a wanderer with a guilty conscience, giving up his badge and resorting to gambling and alcohol.It seems like Trace Adkins has found himself a nice little niche in the Western genre with films destined for a Netflix release. This is the third one I've seen him in following "Traded" and "Stagecoach: The Texas Jack Story". Acting wise, he seems to be getting better with each outing, as long as he's not being asked to do the heavy lifting. His role as Phil Poe here was handled fairly well.Kris Kristofferson appears to be settling into a role as the grand old man of TV Westerns; he's also appeared in a handful lately, along side Adkins in this film and also that "Traded" flick. I guess you can't beat the work, he's not really on screen very much and usually dispensing sage advice from the sidelines, befitting his age and status among Country Western's stalwarts.As for Luke Hemsworth, this was my first look at him. Not terrible here, with room to grow as an actor. The biggest surprise of the story for me was seeing Bruce Dern show up as Doc Rivers O'Roarke. One wonders why guys like him and Kristofferson keep on making pictures into their Eighties, but darn if they don't put on a good show just the same. Here's to next time.