Amiable con man Jack Cooper is on a westbound stagecoach, headed for the next batch of suckers who will mistake him for an easy mark. Fiery Sarah O'Rourke rides the same coach, handcuffed to lawman Bill Speakes and headed ... more »for the hangman. In a few hours, all should reach their destinations. But the trail they travel takes an unexpected turn: Cooper and O'Rourke are soon off the stage and running for their lives. The law ends and the chase begins in a very alive tale of wanted-dead-or-alive fugitives (Linda Fiorentino and Craig Sheffer) pursued by a marshal (Sam Elliott) who's a law unto himself.« less
William B. (Habiru) from ORTING, WA Reviewed on 11/20/2012...
I like most of Sam Elliot's work but did not care for this one as much. It was a fair western but his playing a BAD- Good-guy was a little painful to watch.
2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
Another great original western by TNT
07/01/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"TNT seems to be the only source of good quality Westerns these days. This is certainly a good one and worthy of anyone's video library. You'll love the soundtrack, and you'll love some of the sets, and you'll enjoy the original story. On top of that, Sam Elliott is great as a marshal hellbent on justice... or revenge. Buy it or rent it, but be sure and watch it. You won't be disappointed."
GOOD GRIEF - I MUST HAVE SEEN THE WRONG MOVIE!
M. Hartmann | Milan, Michigan United States | 06/03/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I will admit that I bought it for Sam Elliott -- but what a disappointment.
He is great in the character that he portrays, Bill Speakes, a Marshall? He is apparently blinded to the true character of his son.
Sarah O'Rourke, was she married to the Marshall's son? Hot Diggity to the black eyes given to the character on the stage who bullies his wife.
Jack Cooper was a plausible con-man - Did he and she come out of the shoot-out alive?
With Cooper looking out for his brother and generally acting honorable to Sarah, he came out almost decent in character.
Could have done without the poor gal who did the bare top scene - nothing alluring there!
Not one of the better westerns that I have seen. And I know that Sam Elliott has done better. [I hope]
Ah well, don't waste your money on the DVD -- no extras, no intel on the actors and their characters.
See it if you must!"
Worth seeing but don't expect anything special
MalachiX | 06/17/2001
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Desperate Trail is a decent film but nothing really amazing. The story is fairly strait-forward with nothing truly origional but decent. Unfortunatly the characters could use some work. None are particularly well-developed or interesting. Scheffer and Forientino are both rather flat leaving Eliot with the only strong performance and his character really should have gotten more screen time.The action sequences are generally well done with a good use of slow motion and editing. What really pumps up the scenes is the excellent soundtrack. They aren't masterfully done but are exciting enough to warrent seeing the movie.Desperate Trail is a competent western but nothing revolutionary."
Save Your Money.....
D. Haw | Fountain Valley, CA United States | 03/01/2006
(1 out of 5 stars)
"This film is just awful. The plot seems to suggest that if your husband abused you, you're entitled to rob a stage and pistol whip any man who abuses women, and if you caused an accident that crippled your brother, you are also entitled to steal money to give your brother what he wants. Linda Florentino plays an abused wife who becomes a gun toting stage robber with a very sarcastic mouth, bad dialog, and a silly looking outfit, and she is the heroine. Craig Sheffer steals money, sleeps with whores, wears a silly looking hat covering a silly haircut, and he is our hero. Sam Elliott looks like he'd rather be somewhere else, and he should have been. All in all, a very poor western."
Sam has done much better
C. A. Luster | Burke, VA USA | 03/12/2007
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Please all this is far from Sam Elliot's better Westerns. See "The Sacketts', "Conagher", "The Shadow Riders", or "The Quick and the Dead". This is far less a believable Western. Few if any women did what this woman did let alone the whole storlyine reeks of trying to be modern, not authentic. Sorry but no character development in my book does not make a good movie. Not to mention these were not exactly the kind of characters I would want to see developed."