kcterrell-25046 A thoroughly predictable and trite story line, which was an enjoyable two hours. The supporting acting is top notch, and the attention to setting detail deserves attention. Well directed and the on site cinematography is startling. Redemptive story of a broken doctor who has gone west to earn a living as a card sharp while caring for a young girl in Boston whose mother he killed in a botched operation. Predictably, he becomes a local star in a small western town because of his moral compass and his developed skill with a fire arm. The old hackneyed showdown between two families over a land dispute. A satisfying comedic western. Well worth the time on a weekend night.

clayj-18274 Very, very corny. The plot, dialogue - and even the music - is trite and juvenile. It is hard to watch adults act and speak like 10 year-olds -- although 10 year-olds may have been the intended audience. Much of the acting is barely acting. It's as if Buster Keaton directed a western, tongue-in-cheek. If this were a TBS western, it would be a 'B' TBS western. And then there are the slapstick and spaghetti western moments.... After looking it up and finding out that it is indeed an Italian made-for-TV western - well, that explained a lot. The production values are high though, no suffering there. I watched it, mostly. I had Triggerman - a sequel - queued up to watch after this one. I didn't bother.

Wizard-8 I love the movies Terence Hill put out in the '70s and '80s, and I was curious to see an example of what Hill has been putting out in the present day, which explains why I rented "Doc West". Sadly, I didn't think too much of this effort. Hill still has his piercing blue eyes, but now in his senior citizen years, he looks extremely worn out and tired in this movie. The movie's sense of humor also seems worn out and tired, with the attempted humor not even generating a mild chuckle. In fact, much of the movie is (oddly) played pretty straight. I will admit that for a made-for-TV (Italian TV) movie, the production values are fairly good, from the western sets to the New Mexico countryside. But good production values can only carry a movie so far, and this movie ends up being a big disappointment.

actionfilm-2 This review is based on the U.S. DVD release of Doc West, which was originally a 2 episode program for television somewhere outside the U.S. (Italy I presume, though the film is made in English). The DVD running time is shorter than the time listed for the TV miniseries, and judging be the continuity it's safe to say it's the first episode rather than a re-editing of both episodes into a single film (as sometime happens). As such the first episode does work well as a stand alone film.The plot of Doc West is simplicity itself, stranger rides into town and becomes involved in the affairs of it's populace. As this has been done at least one or two times before, it always comes down to the handling of the material that makes or breaks such films. Fortunately star and director Terence Hill does a admirable job with the formula and proves himself a capable director. Anyone expecting the gritty feel of The Wild Bunch or nihilistic tone of Deadwood will be severely disappointed. Rather Doc West is a throwback to the clean cut family oriented westerns of old. Characters perhaps lack great depth but remain interesting, the outdoor scenery is captured well, the cast is good, and the script is nicely written. Paul Sorvino in a nice change of pace from his usual mafia roles, stars as the town's amiable sheriff.This film marks the long awaited return of Terence Hill (real name Mario Girotti) to the western genre. In the early seventies, Hill starred in the Italian western action comedies "My name Is Trinity" and it's sequel "Trinity Is Still My Name" (both films far superior to Blazing Saddles, Support Your Local Sheriff, or anything similar imho). Legendary director Sergio Leone was fond of the Trinity character and decided to use him in a film, albeit in a somewhat more serious manner. As a result Leone cast Hill in the film "My Name Is Nobody". These early films were dubbed in English, though the voice work for Hill's characters is surprisingly similar to his own real voice (which has only a bit of an accent). Hill's last western film was "Troublemakers" (a.k.a. The Fight Before Christmas) with Trinity co-star Bud Spencer. Today the actor has aged quite well and looks in fine physical shape, evidenced by his ability to wear his wardrobe from "My Name Is Nobody" for this latest film. Doc West is perhaps a more mature version of the whimsical Trinity character. This film is not the best western of the last 10 years, but it is certainly entertaining and Terence Hill's long overdue return to the western is warmly welcome. Hopefully the second episode of Doc West will be released on domestic DVD soon and it won't be too long before Hill dons the iconic cowboy duster once again.