Despite being one of the rare Canadian films to get a theatrical release in Canada as big as some Hollywood blockbusters, "Gunless" was a big bomb in theatres. A big reason for that was probably an inadequate promotion campaign; despite all my hours of watching TV, I didn't see one commercial for this movie. Some people may claim that the movie being a western doomed its commercial prospects, but if you look at the Hollywood westerns that have been made for the past 30 years, you will see that the GOOD westerns have almost always done at least decent business.
As you might have guessed, "Gunless" isn't a good movie. It isn't a movie that provokes hatred or real dislike from viewers, but it's kind of bland and toothless. Paul Gross was a poor choice as the American gunfighter. What the role really needed was someone who oozes a tough charisma, like what John Wayne and Lee Marvin gave in their performances. The production values, despite a hefty budget for a Canadian movie, often make the movie look like a made-for-TV production. And the comedy isn't that funny, coming across as goofy.
Not everything about the movie is bad. The background scenery (shot in southern British Columbia) looks very nice. Also, when the movie decides to be serious, it actually isn't that bad. I think that if writer/director William Phillips had treated the premise of this movie in a more realistic and serious fashion, we might have had something here. But as it is, it's a movie you'll forget not long after watching it.
As you might have guessed, "Gunless" isn't a good movie. It isn't a movie that provokes hatred or real dislike from viewers, but it's kind of bland and toothless. Paul Gross was a poor choice as the American gunfighter. What the role really needed was someone who oozes a tough charisma, like what John Wayne and Lee Marvin gave in their performances. The production values, despite a hefty budget for a Canadian movie, often make the movie look like a made-for-TV production. And the comedy isn't that funny, coming across as goofy.
Not everything about the movie is bad. The background scenery (shot in southern British Columbia) looks very nice. Also, when the movie decides to be serious, it actually isn't that bad. I think that if writer/director William Phillips had treated the premise of this movie in a more realistic and serious fashion, we might have had something here. But as it is, it's a movie you'll forget not long after watching it.