The story of Wyatt Earp is fairly well known. People have heard of the gunfight at the OK Corral. Doc Holliday is a name known from legend. All these elements and more are present. I have no idea how historically accurate their portrayals are and I don't care. What I do care about is that this was a fun movie.

Wyatt Earp and his brothers move to Tombstone to try and put their pasts behind them and cash in on the silver rush. While there, they get sucked back into the law enforcement business and try to clean up the town for decent folk. The problem is that the bad guys are really bad. As a result, the bad guy body count just keeps climbing until Wyatt triumphs. That's the story but it is not the "entertainment".

I like seeing the bad guys get their comeuppance as well as the next guy but what makes this movie work is a combination of the story and the characterizations and the acting and the cinematography. It's all good. Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday does an especially fine job but the others get kudos as well. The good guys are "good" but they do have their human problems as well. The bad guys are nothing but bad and, eventually, dead.

No one is going to earn academic credit for the history in this movie (I hope). That is beside the point. The purpose of this one is to see the good guys beat the bad guys and feel good about it. That alone is worth the price of admission.

Put your mind on hold and just sit back to enjoy it.

This is one of the most entertaining westerns ever made and as such, ranks right up there with "Shane," "Open Range," "Ride the Man Down" and Eastwood's "The Unforgiven." It is a story of changing times that haven't quite changed enough. Kurt Russell gives his best performance as Wyatt Earp, coming to Tombstone with his brothers to settle down and put his lawman days behind him. Tombstone is a wild town still and a group known as The Cowboys and a young gunslinger named Johnny Ringo begin to make this impossible.

Dana Delany is radiant as the actress Wyatt falls for even though he is married. His wife has become a drug addict and his marriage is not the stuff dreams are made of, but Dana Delaney is. The film takes its time as Wyatt and his brothers are slowly drawn towards the history we have come to know, and the aftermath we may not.

This is a multilayered story more faithful to the truth than most versions. What makes this film superior to other westerns is the depth of the story and the realistic performances of the cast. The finest of the aforementioned is Val Kilmer's extraordinary turn as Doc Holliday.

This film more realistically portrays the relationship of Holliday and Wyatt than any other film. Kilmer's Holliday is dangerous and intelligent, and above all, loyal to perhaps his only real friend in life, Wyatt Earp. Kilmer so became the real Doc Holliday that it was said he remained in character on the set at all times, even when the camera was not rolling. His performance is something that will always be remembered by anyone who watches this film.

Wyatt is a real man in this film with raw courage but no self delusions. He is no gunman and realizes he can not beat the quick and dangerous Johnny Ringo in a gun battle. Doc Holliday, in spite of his illness, has Wyatt's back and arrives there first. What follows is one of the most tense and accurately portrayed gunfights in film history.

Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp remained friends until Holliday finally was overtaken by the tuberculosis which had plagued him for years. As in real life, Wyatt Earp actually does find happiness and settles down with Dana Delaney after his wife dies in this film. The real Wyatt became quite wealthy in the latter part of his life.

The rich tapestry of events that formed the legend of the dangerous Doc Holliday and Marshall Wyatt Earp are given the best and most accurate screen treatment ever filmed. This is a must see western. You will never forget it and you will never see a better and more colorful true to life performance than Val Kilmer's turn as Doc Holliday.

Just finished with the third viewing of this movie, and still don't see what the big deal is. I have finally concluded two things, this is the most over-hyped western to grace audiences and Powers Boothe is probably the worst actor I have ever seen, his rendition of Curly Bill is nothing short of embarrassing with the meant to be sinister laugh.

The only semi cool part of the film is when Wyatt(Russell) dresses down Billy Bob Thornton in the saloon. And possibly the gunfight at the infamous OK Corral.

"I'm not your Huckleberry". Whats up with that. Everyone quotes that movie line like it is one of the greatest. The character of Val Kilmer is intresting at best, but largely forgettable.

The end after the Earps pull out is rushed way beyond enjoyment, though it wouldn't matter because exacting revenge on the bad guys would hold not satisfaction because they were nothing short of ridiculous.

Costner's Earp was pretty bad too, but not nearly as rancid as this. I watched it a third time because I really wanted to like it. This is nothing but corny.

After successfully cleaning up Dodge City, Wyatt Earp (Russell) moves to Tombstone, Arizona. Earp, along with his brothers and their wives intend to start a new life away from law enforcement and more towards making a living, getting rich, and running their own business. They wish to settle down, have children, build a nice big house, and live off their business, not off busting peoples heads and getting shot at. It just so happens that Earp's good friend, Doc Holliday (Kilmer), is also in Tombstone, making his living as a cards player. However, a gang of red satchel wearing cowboys who call themselves "The Cowboys" are causing problems in town. They embark in various acts of random violence, which leads to the legendary confrontation between Holliday and the Earp's. This inevitably leads to the shoot-out at the OK Corral.

"Beware of the pale horse. For the man who sits on him is death, and hell follows with him."

George P. Cosmatos (Leviathan, Cobra, Rambo: First Blood II) directs Tombstone, by far his greatest work. Tombstone and the cast of characters, setting, character development, landscape, and scenery is the greatest western ever made. I am sorry Mr. Eastwood, and all your Oscars, but Tombstone is head and shoulders above Unforgiven. It is not even close to be honest. The development of Doc Holliday as a character, and Val Kilmer delivers a Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean) type performance. Tombstone was awesome, and Cosmatos deserves all the credit in the world.

"Doc, what the hell are you doing this for? You ought to be in bed."
"Wyatt Earp is my friend."
"Heck, I have lots of friends."
"I don't."

The cast of Tombstone is amazing. One of my favorite three actors is in this movie, and he has a bit part, Billy Bob Thornton. The cast of Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Priestley, Powers Boothe, and Michael Biehn was awesome. The cast alone does not make a movie, all-star cast or not. The director who developed each character did a wonderful job of creating a strong presence for all the above actors. The film was amazing, powerful, lines were well delivered, and the on screen presence of Kilmer was a beautiful thing to watch.

"In fact, your so drunk your probably seeing double."
"I have two guns, one for each of you."

Tombstone is a great, great movie. It is easily the best western I have ever seen. I have shown this film to people who do not even like westerns, but when they watch this film, they love it. Kilmer as Doc Holliday is just so mesmerizing as a character. Russell is good, and Elliot is good, but Kilmer is just plain amazing. Tombstone is a MUST have in your DVD collection. If you own one western, this is it. You can feel safe buying this film without having ever viewed it.

"Are you going to do something, or stand there and bleed?"

Grade: A+

I had no intention of writing a review of this movie, as so many others have done a superb job of that already. Then I noticed that the most recent of the few negative reviews was from a viewer in Asheville, NC, where I live. As this fair town has suffered enough from such "sensitive/enviromentalnut/socialist/hippy" types I thought it necessary to balance the record.

This film is simply magnificent. The acting, the sets, clothing, pace of action, the soundtrack, etc., etc., are all done to perfection. It combines the best elements of a historical film and a solid action movie. Perhaps the strongest feature is the character development. It does a fine job of letting you know just what kind of people the main players really are, without wasting time with unnecessary acting or dialogue. Also, there are high dramatic moments that are burned into my brain, especially Russell's "and Hell's coming with me!" declaration at the train depot.

There are some significant variations from historical truth, such as the gunfight between Ringo and Holliday (never happened; the real Johnny Ringo committed suicide years after the Ok Corral shootout). On the other hand there is much that rings true, such as the relationship between Wyatt and Josie, the pivotal battle at the OK Corral, and the character (or lack thereof) of Ike Clanton.

Few films have the power to inspire, entertain and enlighten at the same time. Tombstone does so magnificently. Watch it. And if you're ever in Asheville, NC, remember that we're not all like the America-bashing, six-dollar-cup-of-coffee-drinking, would-be-artist-except-for-the-lack-of-talent trust fund brats you'll see hanging around downtown.