Director: Justin Lee
Writer: Justin Lee (Screenplay)
Starring: Kevin Makely, Bruce Davison, Jenny Curtis, Meg Foster, Todd A Robinson, Mark Ryan
Plot: Taking place during 1876 in Montana, a ruthless headhunter tracks his own Brother through Big Sky country with the help of a young fur trapper.
Tagline – Mercy is something you beg for.
Runtime: 1 Hour 50 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Gritty Western
Story: Any Bullet Will Do starts when headhunter Hollis Ransom (Makely) arrives in the small town to collect his bounty from Jonathan Carrington (Davison) before stopping off at Ma Whitman’s (Foster) bar. Everett Ransom (Robinson) the brother of Hollis who is a murderous man, that Hollis is hired to eliminate them.
In need of a guide, Hollis reluctantly agrees to take the services of Rose Gage (Curtis) who knows how to deal with the snow-covered mountain ranges of Montana, can Hollis get his revenge.
Thoughts on Any Bullet Will Do
Characters – Hollis Ransom is lone headhunter that isn’t afraid to collect any bounties, he has a tortured past with his wife murdered by his own brother during the war, now he hunts his brother and must learn to trust Rose who can guide him to the end of his revenge mission. Jonathan Carrington pays the bounty hunters, he is ruthless when it comes to business though not always keeping his word. Rose Gage is the young woman that is the only one that will help Hollis in his journey across the mountains, she knows how to survive the terrain proving to be an excellent partner in his journey. Ma Whitman runs the local tavern, she will look after the loyal customers including Hollis.
Performances – Kevin Makely in the leading role as the headhunter is good, he makes us feel like he would be an outsider too which is what we need from this performance. Bruce Davison is solid enough in his supporting role, he doesn’t get that much screen time though. Jenny Curtis is strong in her role and works wonderfully well with Kevin. The rest of the cast do fit the roles they are given.
Story – The story here is a old school western revenge one, with one man hunting down the person that killed his wife, this person just so happens to be his brother though, giving us a sibling rivalry in the fallout of the civil war. When it comes to the lone man on a revenge journey we see how reluctant they are to let others in, this is Hollis, we see how the one person he does let in, is only there dreaming of a better life for themselves. My only issue with the story is not getting to see just how twisted Everett is, sure we see what he did to Hollis’s wife, but on the journey he seems to pick up a reputation which makes him a terrible man, seeing a couple of action would only make us hate him more.
Western – The western theme is one I have spoken about as one that we don’t see too often now, this shows we can do them and we can step away from the heated environment.
Settings – The setting for this film is snow-covered mountain ranges which look as beautiful as they do seem deadly, showing us the man might not be the only danger for the men.
Scene of the Movie – Final showdown.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not using Bruce Davison enough.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the surprise westerns of the year, we get to see just how strong characters can come together in a battle even if it is between a family, we have two strong performances and a shoot-out worth waiting for.
Overall: Western full of gritty and determination.
Rating
