Movie Review: "Bone Tomahawk" (2015)

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“Bone Tomahawk” seemed to possess the elements to be a solid western. A great title. Kurt Russell heading a good cast. Very creep premise of cave dwelling cannibals that even terrify indians. Yet the movie disappoints. So what went wrong? Running a whopping 132 minutes, “Bone Tomahawk” is overlong and slowly paced to get where it is going and too often bogged down in pointless trivial chatter. Editing out 30 minutes would tighten “Bone Tomahawk” into a taut western. The movie opens with Purvis (David Arquette) and Buddy (Sid Haig) murdering and robbing a camped party then stumbling into a burial ground which is never good. A spear kills Buddy and a wounded Purvis makes it to a saloon in Bright Hope. Sheriff Hunt (Russell) arrests Purvis on suspicion alone. Local rancher Arthur (Patrick Wilson) is down with a broken leg and wife Samantha (Lili Simmons) is the town sawbones. Her services are required to patch up Purvis. All hell breaks loose the next morning. A stableboy has been brutally slaughtered. Samantha, Purvis and Deputy Nick have been abducted. An indian scout warns they are pursuing certain death. Hunt is duty bound while nothing will stop Arthur from rescuing his wife. They are joined by Old Chicory (Richard Jenkins) and gunman Brooder (Matthew Fox). The ride is a long one especially for the audience and this is where the movie really needed to pick up the pace. Confrontation with Mexican bandits could have been better executed. The appearance of the cannibals ignites intense action with an avert your eyes gruesome scene. The mute tribe are frightening. Arthur’s ongoing leg issue adds to the tension. “Bone Tomahawk” gets good at this point. Cast is fine. Russell has become the epitome of grizzled western character. Production values are excellent. The film only cost $1.8 and looks as good as any high budget movie. First time writer-director S. Craig Zahler deserves credit for a unique premise and making a western when the western is nearly an extinct genre.