Search - Prairie Fever on DVD

KEVIN SORBO, LANCE HENRIKSEN, AND GREAT FEMALE CASTING

fmwaalex | Austin, TX USA | 04/06/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"PRAIRIE FEVER



Can you imagine how excited I was to see a new film out that stared not only the great Lance Henriksen but also Kevin Sorbo as well, it could only be great. Luckily I was right and this turned out to be one of the most original westerns I have seen, plus not only does it have those two but also some excellent female characters. I remember when this first came out and all I did was look at it in the store and as soon as I got home out from the bag comes this DVD, how did that get there? Turns out my girl had seen me eyeing it and picked it up when I wasn't looking, oh how I love her. So in it went later on that day and it was excellent, now the second time around when I watched it with my grandfather over at his house it was still just as good.



The film follows Preston Biggs [Sorbo] a former sheriff who killed his wife by accident when she was being held hostage. Now years later he is still blaming himself and drinking the rest of his life away, until a group of women give him back his life. After being locked up after a bar fight the sheriff offers him a job taking three women [two at first] who apparently have a thing called Prairie Fever back their families. While having to deal with these three women who are all off the wall crazy [it seems] he comes across a woman [Dominique Swain] who just left her husband [Henriksen] tied to the bed back at the town. She is a strong stubborn woman that seems to have a healing touch with the three others, which also drives Biggs crazy because he obviously needs her help. So off he goes and must deal with the husband after his wife, one of the girls ex husband and his brother and some people from Biggs's past. All of this makes for one entertaining movie.



Dominique Swain deserves most of the credit for this movie because his script had some very strong and excellent female characters which are not only rare in film in general but definitely in westerns. Plus had to the fact that the story is pretty original and you have one good flick. Directors Stephen Bridgewater and David S. Cass Sr. also did a great job on this film relying more on the character dynamics more so than the usual multi gun shoot out. I don't know if this was made for TV or not though I think it was but the lack of violence adds to the parts that do have it, it was done real well.



Kevin Sorbo as usual does a great job on this film bringing his usual swagger to the lead hero role, even though the hero is flawed. Of course Lance Henriksen is great as well in the lead villain role although the ending may surprise you a bit, maybe he isn't that bad. Still the best performances come from the ladies who make this movie what it is, particularly the three with the fever. Jamie Anne Allman is great as Olivia the artist in disguise who her whole life wanted nothing more than to draw, she may not be that crazy considering. Then there is Jillian Armenante who plays Lettie a woman who is insanely religious, mostly because her husband's brother raped her. And then there is a favorite of mine Felicia Day who was wonderful as Blue who is an excellent musician and can get down on a piano. Then there is Dominique Swain the woman who brings the ladies around and helps them trust again after all of them have been very wronged by men in their past.



This was a wonderful movie and while not the best western ever made it may be the best from all the recent ones in the past year or two. I would recommend this film not only to western lovers but to film lovers as well. This is a well paced and well put together story that showcases some strong female characters. To all those even slightly interested I would say buy now and skip the rental.

"

Sorbo delivers another great performance!

R. Sorrow | Georgia USA | 06/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After his solid performance in Avenging Angel,I wasn't sure what to expect from Kevin Sorbo in Prairie Fever. He didn't disappoint. Here he plays a down and out ex-sheriff,driven to the bottle by grief & guilt after losing his wife in a bank heist gone awry. He gets a chance at redemption when he agrees to transport three women,all suffering from prairie fever,back to civilization. Along with sharpshooter Olivia,who he first saw in the Clearwater saloon,he battles not only the desert,but two guys he put in prison years earlier and the husband of one of the women he's been paid to transport. Also on their trail is Olivia's partner,Monte,played superbly by Lance Henrickson. It all makes for one heck of an adventure. Included in the dvd are two interesting interviews,one with Kevin Sorbo and the other with Henrickson. If you love westerns,you should definitely add this one to your collection!"