Young Guns II *** (1990, Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christian Slater, William Petersen, Christian Slater, James Coburn) – Classic Movie Review 9792

Director Geoff Murphy’s 1990 youth-appeal Western film Young Guns II stars a returning Emilio Estevez, who give a fine, credible reading of Billy the Kid in this sequel to the 1988 Western hit Young Guns, in which cattle baron John Chisum (James Coburn) pays Billy the Kid’s former friend Pat Garrett (William Petersen) a $1000 bounty to kill him.

The screenplay examines the outlaw’s last two years and ponders whether he was actually killed by Garrett, who quits the gang of young guns as they race for Mexico.

Young Guns II is an affectionate reworking of the old story, though the plot is confusingly told in John Fusco’s screenplay and the movie doesn’t add much to the other 47 versions of the tale, most memorably Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, in which Coburn played Pat Garrett.

The cast, Dean Semler’s cinematography, Alan Silvestri’s score and Jon Bon Jovi’s Oscar-nominated theme song ‘Blaze of Glory’ are strong assets, and Murphy handles it with gritty determination. Thanks mainly to the cast, time is on the movie’s side and it has become a cult favourite.

Also in the cast are Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christian Slater, Alan Ruck, R D Call, James Coburn, Balthazar Getty, Jack Kehoe, Robert Knepper, Tom Kurlander, Viggo Mortensen, Leon Rippy, Tracey Walter and Jenny Wright (as Jane Greathouse).

Jack Kehoe, Serpico, The Sting and Midnight Run actor, died at age 85 on 14 January 2020.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9792

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