Last Shoot Out

This low-budget Western looks great, with its minimal use of the lonely station, a stagecoach, and a horse and wagon, but it's also a bit too talky and low-key, with minimal action and little spark. Directed by the prolific Michael Feifer, Last Shoot Out treads very familiar ground, from its mismatched collection of characters (Stagecoach, The Tall T) to its single location (Man of the West, Old Henry), but it still feels listless, as if it's shrugging to acknowledge that it failed to come up with anything new. For the first two-thirds, everything is covered by dialogue -- which is frequently repeated -- adding to the movie's passive quality.

Feifer seems to have an appreciation for the sights and sounds of the Western genre, and his camera revels in rich details. The well-worn grooves of some of the character types tend to work, including the easy repartee between Billy and Red. A character named Twigs (Jay Pickett) adds an interesting wrinkle; he works for the villains but has a past with Billy. But top-billed Dern is barely in the movie (he's an advertising device), and a romantic subplot between Jocelyn and Billy is senselessly, forcefully shoehorned in. When the action finally kicks in, it's too little, too late, and Last Shoot Out leaves off with a whimper rather than a bang.