Parents' Guide to Butcher's Crossing

This grim, pessimistic Western at times feels a little inert and uneven; it might have had more thrust, more madness, but it still captivates with its powerful visuals and fine performances. Based on a 1960 novel by John Williams (a contemporary of Cormac McCarthy's), Butcher's Crossing has a Moby Dick-like setup, with an Ishmael and an obsessed Captain Ahab, but director Gabe Polsky -- mainly a maker of documentaries -- can't seem to give the film the epic heft it could have used. Inexperienced Will largely becomes a passive observer in his own story, while Miller's motivations and behaviors are somewhat cloudy. Cage can't quite get a handle on the character, and he doesn't seem to know when to go "full Cage" or rein it in. (Although he does specifically recall Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now, either when scraping his bald dome with a razor or thoughtfully running a bare hand over it.)

But through it all are both awesome images of the buffalo (the movie was shot in Montana, where the Blackfeet Nation works to preserve the animals' numbers) and the sickening spectacle of their slaughter. There's the snowbound landscape, with all of its beauties and miseries. And there's the presence of great character actor Jeremy Bobb as wild card Fred, who's forever keeping the others on their toes. In other words, there's a rawness to Butcher's Crossing that keeps it interesting, even if it misses its chance at greatness.