Young Guns II (1990)

Released 1990, "Young Guns II" details events as told by 90 year-old "Brushy Bill" Roberts, who claimed to be Billy the Kid in 1950, shortly before his death. The plot is essentially accurate to history, revolving around Pat Garrett (William Petersen) being hired to track down Billy (Emilio Estevez) and his gang, which includes Chavez (Lou Diamond Phillips), Doc Scurlock (Keifer Sutherland), "Arkansas" Dave Rudabaugh (Christian Slater) and Henry William French (Alan Ruck). James Coburn (who played Pat Garrett in Sam Peckinpah's 1973 film "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid") is on hand as John Chisum while Viggo Mortensen plays one of Garrett's men. This sequel to 1988's "Young Guns" is almost as good and in some ways even better. For instance, the 80's pop rock score of the former is replaced by excellent music from Alan Silvestri, which has some moving parts. Speaking of 80's rock, Jon Bon Jovi has a couple of songs on the end credits ("Blaze of Glory" and "Billy Get Your Guns"). Billy the Kid was only 21 when he supposedly died in 1881 and Estevez does a good job of capturing the wild axx punk whereas Chavez and Henry are the most likable characters. On another pictorial front, the Southwest cinematography nicely captures the Old West. Besides these positives, the highlight for me was Jenny Wright as Jane Greathouse. One of her scenes is topped off by an unexpected "Whoa Mama" moment. This is the first and only time I've heard of her or seen her. Her career unfortunately fell apart shortly after this film due to substance abuse, but I hear she's healthy now, albeit no longer interested in acting. You don't have to view the first movie to enjoy this one; but it wouldn't hurt.The film runs 104 minutes and was shot in Arizona and New Mexico GRADE: B

Geoff Murphy took over directing duties for this sequel, which opens with Billy The Kid(again played by Emilio Estevez) as an old man trying to tell his story of how he escaped the fate recorded by history to survive, as John Chisum(played by James Coburn) hires lawman Pat Garret(played by William Petersen) to track down Billy and his gang(returning Kiefer Sutherland & Lou Diamond Philips, along with Christian Slater & Alan Ruck) and kill them, as they are wanted outlaws he in particular wants eliminated, but Billy tells a different fate for them then previously described... Adequate sequel isn't as good as the first, with a contrived new story, but it is still put across in an entertaining fashion.

After the end of the Lincoln County War a new governor comes to town - one gen. Lee Wallace. He is here to bring order back to the region and plans on doing so by hanging whoever was connected to the war (nevermind what history tells us). Amongst those captured are Doc Scurlock (Kiefer Sutherland) and Chavez y Chavez (Lou Diamond Phillips). Meanwhile Billy the Kid (Emilio Estevez) is roaming the state rustling and hustling. Even tries to get pardon from the new governor, only to be tricked and put in jail. Billy soon manages to escape and breaks out his old pals with him. Together with some new pals like Arkansas Dave (Christian Slater) and Hendry William French (Alan Ruck) the come back as the scourge of Lincoln County. But this time a former friend and ally Pat Garrett is hired as the new sheriff...When taking on this movie Emilio Estevez stated it would be closer to historical fact and more gritty. And I would have to say he lied. As far as the original part took some historical liberties this one just rapes them. Naturally some of the changes made in the first part had repercussions in the follow-up (like the death of Charles Bowdre), but I find no logic behind recasting Sutherland and Phillips in the follow-up and even less in them being killed off (given that both Chavez and Scurlock actually had relatively long lives for gunslingers).The main problem with the movie isn't however the history, but the general tone, which basically attempts to make a cool western. Characters are supposed to be savvy, funny and fun, while none of the grit of western movies makes it to the forefront. The whole Billy the Kid character is very poorly thought out by Estevez and his portrayal is one of the weakest. The movie (as in the first part) lacks heart and plods out from beginning to end with no real attempt to entice and engage. The biggest flaw is the lack of a proper counterpoint to Billy's character, someone who would put sense to his actions. There are a few brief scenes, which attempt to do this, but neither Pat Garrett or Doc Scurlock are given good enough lines to actually be able to pull it off. Instead the scenes just dissipate without any dramatic consequence.Given that the action is also not worth of any note it is not surprising that the movie has not stood the test of time and is slowing dropping into oblivion. Nonetheless the movie does have a brilliant score, although I did find myself wondering at times if it actually fits a western.

Young Guns II is directed by Geoff Murphy and written by John Fusco. It stars Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christian Slater, William Petersen, Alan Ruck, Vigo Mortensen and Balthazar Getty. Music is scored by Alan Silvestri, with contributions from Jon Bon Jovi, and cinematography is by Dean Semler Brushy Bill Roberts, old and crusty, claims to be Billy The Kid. Which is quite a claim considering the Kid was long thought to have been killed by Patrick Floyd Garrett in 1881. Roberts tells a listening historian that after the break up of the Tunstall Regulators, the remaining members hooked up with Garrett and Arkansas Dave Rudabaugh and still lived the outlaw life.....Young Guns was released in 1988 and became a big enough hit to warrant this sequel two years later. Reuniting gunslingers Billy the Kid (Estevez), Doc Scurlock (Sutherland) and Chavez (Phillips) from the first film, Young Guns II follows the same formula that worked two years previously. Billy is still a borderline nut case and his gang, for better or worse, follow him into a number of escapades. This time around, though, we have some added interest in the form of Christian Slater's cocky Rudabaugh, who, as an egotist, wants to run the gang himself. Things are further given a lift when Garrett (a darn fine William Petersen resplendent with major face fuzz) leaves the gang and is persuaded to become a law man. His first job being of course to catch Billy!Both Young Guns movies are frowned upon by many old school Western purists, which to a degree I understand. They lack any sort of psychological aspects outside of a brat packer like cast shooting and quipping with care free abandon. Character depth is lacking so there is nothing on which to hang your hat on. Here, much like the first film, creative license is used with historical facts but the core basis of story is solid, with many of the events leading up to the documented death of Billy the Kid holding true. Major problem here, though, is that the makers are spinning off from the iffy claim of Brushy Bill Roberts that he was Billy the Kid and did not die at the hands of Pat Garrett. Knowing Billy survives the pursuit and show-down with Garrett at the start of the film kind of dilutes the wonder and impending drama! Film also at times feels like a composite of Little Big Man, Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid and of course Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid.However, both films, and more so with this sequel, have such a sense of fun like homage to them it's not hard to forgive the obvious flaws. Action is plentiful, with much blood shed during the course of the story, while the story always remains intriguing by way of the character dynamics. Semler's photography is more in tune with the Wild West this time around, as is Silvestri's score, the latter of which lifts parts of his Predator arrangement to blend with more traditional cowboy harmonies. Great song from Bon Jovi to close the film down as well. There's also a nice link to Peckinpah's movie with an important cameo for James Coburn as John Chisum (Coburn played Pat Garrett). But most of all it's just great fun to be in the company of Estevez's Billy, true enough to say it comes at the expense of the other characters around him, it's a film owning show, which also dubiously swerves us into cheering for the baby faced "outlaw hero", but it plays out as a rollicking good ride in spite of grey area thematics and roll call of clichés. And boys, oh boys, Jenny Wright pops in to raise the temperatures considerably with a Lady Godiva moment. If for nothing else, the Young Guns movies got people talking about the Western in the MTV age, that has to be a bonus to the discerning Western fan. Acknowledge the faults by all means, but viewing them as gunslinging fun wrapped around real Western folklore might just help you enjoy the experience. 7/10