The Long Riders

The hook in Walter Hill's mythic retelling of the James-Younger outlaw legend is in the casting; the James, Younger, Miller, and Ford Brothers are played by a string of acting brothers, the Keachs, the Carradines, the Quaids and the Guests. The film begins as outlaws are robbing a bank. After the ...more

Walter Hill's colorful account of the waning days of the James-Younger gang has its moments but doesn't make much of an impact. The film tracks the four sets of brothers who formed the gang through their final period together, concluding with the fateful Northfield, MN, raid. Hill's gimmick of using actual brothers to play the characters is amusing for the first five minutes, but once the novelty wears off, a sense of detachment sets in. The director, while far more knowledgeable historically ...more