First off, I love this film. Seriously one of my favorite western films. The quotable scenes from this movie, for me, make it an amazing movie. With that being said, I can also acknowledge some of this movies downfalls. For instance with the writing within this film. They really leaned into the glorified masculine energy often found within westerns. This is part of the reason that the film is so awesome. It is fun watching the nonstop drama and action playing out on screen. The stand offs, the fights, the “this town ain’t big enough for the two of us” type of energy is prevalent all throughout Tombstone – (1993). But this is really the full extent of the story. My understanding is that this story is at the very least loosely upon real events, so I may have to give the plot a break, but I still can’t give the Acting/Writing category more than a 7/10 due to it really not being a standout of the film for me. The quotes and the acting from Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, and Michael Biehn specifically are what keeps this score as high as it is.

As for the Visual Effects, Casting/Set Design/Costumes, and Impact categories, these all earn scores of 8/10 due to being good, but not quite excellent. Starting first with the visuals. There are some incredibly striking visual effects and scenes within this film. From the standoff in the bar between Doc Holiday and Johnny Ringo, to the Wyatt Earp’s solo walk into the river while shooting down basically the entire Cowboy’s gang. There are some incredible moments. But this movie is hindered by the times, and there were definitely moments where it decreased its overall score for this category. As for Casting/Set Design/Costumes category, this earns an 8/10 for having some incredibly beautiful settings for scenes. Also, the casting for this film for me was nearly perfect. Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, and Michael Biehn were all perfect for their roles, and really adopted their characters to the end. But damnit if there weren’t a few moments like the raining scene that killed the Set Design score for me. I understand that they were again hindered by the times, but the fact that you can so clearly see the bounds of the rain machine in that particular scene post Morgan’s death really stood out to me. So, an 8/10 it receives for the category. Finally the Impact score earns an 8/10 due to this movie being AWESOME in my opinion. It is so quotable, has awesome character designs, memorable stand offs that highlight the movie, and for me is up their with the best westerns ever. But it is not the most impactful film. And if you are not in the right mood for the film, then I can totally see how this film may not be enjoyable. Still lots of fun for me though.

As for the Film Score, this category earns a 9/10 for me due to the surprisingly good sound design, and memorable sound track. The big moments get complimented with expressive music which creates suspense. The inspiring moments are capitalized with fitting music. So this category gets an impressive 9/10 from me. When it comes to this movie, I truly enjoyed the character’s, the suspense, the drama, and the irony of who survives throughout the wild west battles. So even though this movie gets a 40/50 for an overall score from me, it is still one of my favorites. I would recommend this film to anyone who loves a classic western drama, and to anyone who is looking for a decent introduction to the genre.

– Josh