This movie on Blu-Ray is great -- what an underrated movie. AQ and PQ are really good. I live in the US and bought from Amazon UK to get the deleted scenes that were removed from the US version. I'm really glad I bought the UK version.

I'm not usually a fan of westerns but this well-paced film held my attention throughout. It has a unique look and is brilliantly and imaginatively photographed and choreographed. The setting has as much character as the actors, and you can enjoy all the details on Blu-Ray. Jaw-dropping moments, besides the gunfights themselves, included Sharon Stone storming upstairs in the saloon to the bordello (crammed with background happenings), and every time you got a wide shot of the scenery behind the actors.

It is a little disappointing that there are no extra features. All you get is a fine transfer of the film itself, with English, Spanish and Italian (if memory serves) Dolby TrueHD sound. But this is a film you'll want to savour the look of even in the absence of a commentary track or featurette.

I am a big fan of some of the great Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood movies of the past and this film owes a lot to these classic westerns but with an added modern twist. The performances are all great from the very impressive cast of Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe Lance Henrickson and Leonardo di Caprio. The plot is not original as the film is all about Stone's character avenging her father's death. Many of the villains are both ugly and nasty. The gunfighting contest is an interesting twist as is Sharon Stone taking on a role you would have associated with Clint Eastwood.

All in all this is a very enjoyable film and looks very impressive in Blu Ray.

I'm glad that I have the chance to be the first reviewer of this movie, for in general it was considered as a failure both for S Stone and S Raimi to resurrect style and hype of spaghetti-westerns.Despite its several flaws (like numerous annoying shots of the main characters' eyes staring intently at each other to enhance suspense, Ms Stone's at times blank face when it should reflect stronger emotions, some characters so bad and revolting that they make you chuckle), I've seen it for the second time and it made me grab my chair in childish excitement.
The plot is stark simple (see above, but in short a dozen rascals participating in a lethal shooting contest till last man standing), as well as the reasons driving the main characters to participate in the murderous contest: Ms Stone - to avenge her father, the Kid (L d Caprio) - to win his father's respect, Herod (J Hackman) - to keep townsfolk submissive and to teach his best and repented "pupil" Cort (R Crow) a lesson of abeyance, others - for money (but they don't matter).
True, leading actors carry out the plot on their steady shoulders: * R. Crow emanates sexual charisma and suppressed prowess (long before world wide fame as macho Maximus the Gladiator) even if he spends all the movie shackled and beaten. ...*L de Caprio is well into the shape of boyish and outside haughty/inside weak-trying-to-prove-he's-better-than-his-father, long before downpour of post-Titanic fame. *J Hackman isthe perfect scoundrel,ageing scavenger, full stop. As to * Sh Stone, she remains one of the sassiest and talented actresses for me(praise her, fore she spends 2/3 of the movie rather disheveled), despite several movie flops she's participated in. She's carried her role well, with mixed feelings of despair, indifference and revulsion (at least I can't imagine any other actress in this role).
The end is unexpected and is not a usual annoying happy-end. What more do you need? Watch and enjoy and don't compare this movie with any earlier masterpieces. ...it may count S Raimi's best movie so far. Read more ›

Review? Gene Hackmann, Russel Crow, Leo DiCaprio and stunning Sharon - for those for whom it's not enough: plenty of action, packing story, great acting and the "good, old days" - as for me this is one the "must haves". And with blu ray great transfer, the picture is clean and sharp, and you hear the bullets whistling as if you where there...

GREAT STUFF!

Blimey.
Sam Raimi does it again, and makes a great movie from very poor pickings. His innovative direcorial style and creative minimalist use of SFX make this a surprising visual treat.- His cinematographer must have been working hard to get the lighting right on 99% of the shots, as most of the movie is shot outdoors. -the more money in the kitty, the more external shots.
Stone isn't a strong lead, but is well supported by her co stars, Hackman, Dicaprio, and Crowe in his first Hollywood role.
The film is typical of the nineties, i mean when have you ever seen a decent female cowboy in a mainstream Hollywood movie?- Political correctness enters the movie making arena!
As is always the way with Raimi, good and evil battle it out, while neither side are particularly complex, it's still fun predicting the outcome.
The slightly cliched costume choice and the (at times) cheesy dialogue do not hamper the film as much as you might think, and the steamy scene between Crowe and Stone makes it even more appealing. (Producer Stone actually put production on hold to wait for Crowe to finish filming in Oz)
Memorable for the gender role reversal, seeing a woman get tough, and most of all, the amazing clean teeth of the goodies, compared to the blacked up teeth of the baddies!