3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Piggybacks Off The Original, Jan 21 2003
This review is from: Return to Lonesome Dove (VHS Tape)
I once read that when Larry McMurtry saw RETURN TO LONESOME DOVE he was so enraged he responded by writing "Streets of Laredo." A Lonesome Dove fan such as myself can only speculate what kind of sequel might have been written had "Return" never hit the airwaves. Maybe the characters of Newt and July Johnson would have survived into such a sequel; perhaps the Hat Creek Cattle Company would have flourished in Montana, rather than Call having to go back to Texas to eek out a living as a bounty hunter. But I digress.
RETURN TO LONESOME DOVE tries hard, very hard, to deliver a story worthy enough to follow the original mini-series. And with gifted actors like Jon Voight, Oliver Reed, and Louis Gossett, Jr., it certainly had the star power. But instead, this sequel goes down the road of "been there, done that": another livestock drive from Texas to Montana (only this time, the animals are wild horses); another murderous half-breed villain (Dennis Haysbert as "Cherokee Jack"); and a "new" Gus McRae in the form of Ranger Gideon Walker (William Peterson). We also are given a bonus storyline centering around Gus' illegitimate daughter, appropriately named Augustina Vega (Nia Peeples), who hates her late father and is obsessed to confront Call, who she believes is responsible for the death of her mother. Throw a grumpy and petulant Clara Allen (Barbara Hershey) into the mix, and RETURN TO LONESOME DOVE comes across as contrived and as palatable as a piece of horse leather.
The cast does well with what it has to work with, and to be fair, the film does contain some poignant and entertaining moments. But RETURN TO LONESOME DOVE's most glaring fault is the fact that it was made at all. The producers should have adhered to the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
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4.0 out of 5 stars
So-So, Jun 27 2004
By A Customer
After watching the sequel to one of my favorite movies of all time, I'd have to say that I have many mixed feelings. Although not a terrible movie, it doesn't come close to the original. Something about this movie really bothered me, but I couldn't put my finger on exactly what it was. I think it may have been mostly due to casting. After becoming attached to many of the original characters, I found it distracting to try and adjust to a new actor/actress portraying them. I did however like the character of Gideon and wished he had been in the original movie. I also enjoyed Reese Witherspoon and wished she could have been in the original as well. As much as I like Jon Voight, his performance paled in comparison to that of Tommy Lee Jones in the original. Hard to believe Jon Voight was the original choice for the original Lonesome Dove, huh? I also found the children that came along for the drive to Montana to be a distraction as well. All in all I'd have to say that it's worth a view. After all, the cinematography and music alone are breathtaking.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Return to Lonesome Dove, April 9 2004
Don't overlook this simply because Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones aren't "in the picture." This is a wonderful depiction of the magic of Larry McMurtry and Jon Voight does a great job as Captain Call.
I bought this about one year ago and I'd recommend it to any "Lonesome Dove" fans.
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