Customer Reviews

Comanche Moon: The Second Chapter in the Lonesome Dove Saga

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Just in case you're either new to the Lonesome Dove series, or you're wondering if this DVD is the complete miniseries but you're confused by the title "second chapter"....This is indeed the complete Comanche Moon series DVD, and it's the "second chapter" because the chronology of the story is:

-Dead Man's Walk
-Comanche Moon
-Lonesome Dove
-Streets of Laredo

Although, the way The Lonesome Dove book series was written by Larry McMurtry fell in this order:

-Lonesome Dove (1985)
-Streets Of Laredo (1993)
-Dead Man's Walk (1995)
-Comanche Moon (1997)

Lonesome Dove, the novel and the miniseries, were as classic as classic gets. The Novel is one of the only books that I've ever read more than once. And the miniseries adaptation is just as memorable. The miniseries starred Robert Duvall as Augustus McCrae, Tommy Lee Jones as Woodrow Call, Rick Schroder as Newt, Diane Lane as Lorena Wood, Danny Glover as Joshua Deets, Robert Urich as Jake Spoon and Anjelica Huston as Clara Allen. What a line up of A-listers giving A-list performances. Duvall and Jones absolutely nailed the characters created by McMurtry in the novel. And Director Simon Wincer really preserved the integrity of the novel.

Streets of Laredo and Dead Man's Walk were good books, and adapted to fair-at-best miniseries. So when I saw that Comanche Moon was coming to CBS as the final book adaptation miniseries in January 2008, I was not that excited. But I couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised. Comanche Moon was a very good book and the miniseries was equally satisfying.

In Comanche Moon we find McCrae and Call as Texas Rangers as the Civil War is ending. They aren't involved in the Civil War as much as they are still battling the Comanches as well the cruel and diabolical bandit Ahumado. Val Kilmer is Captain Skull, and together with Gus, Woodrow and some other rangers they head out to the plains to get the bad guys.

There's a good amount of violence in some sequences, but some of the brutalities in the book have been tamed down for TV. (I.e. in the book Captain Skull's eyelids are removed by one of Ahumado's henchmen as a form of torture; that treatment is completely removed from the TV series.)

The miniseries producers did a smart thing: They brought back Wincer in the director's chair. And he once again brought a McMurtry novel to life with class and integrity. Comanche Moon (the novel or the miniseries) is no classic like Lonesome Dove was, but it was highly entertaining and enjoyable. However, like the last third of the novel, the Comanche Moon miniseries comes to grueling slow-down (in part 3 of the 3-part series). But it didn't take away from the enjoyment of watching Gus, Call and their crew as young, Pre-Lonesome Dove Texas Rangers looking for their place in life and trying to preserve life for others.

Steve Zahn is Gus McCrae and Karl Urban is Woodrow Call. They clearly read the book, watched the first miniseries and got some terrific direction from Director Wincer; they really captured the essence of their characters. And Val Kilmer should get an award for his portrayal of Captain Skull. There are some other popular (TV) actors in Comanche Moon, and they all combine to give us a very good CBS miniseries based on a very good book.

If you missed Comanche Moon on TV and you liked Lonesome Dove, you'll find this DVD quite enjoyable...with no commercials. Oh, and just how did the town of Lonesome Dove get its name?...Well, you'll just have to add this DVD to yer cart to find that out, pards.

The important news for anyone considering purchase of this DVD is that it is the extended version -- which means that all the stuff CBS cut out so that they could squeeze in 8 million commercials is back. This is 284 minutes WITHOUT commercials. Regardless . . . Comanche Moon is a quality production . . . a very rare thing on TV today. The story is intelligent and the acting quality very good. Many critics roasted Val Kilmer, calling his performance over the top. I have news, folks . . . the character he plays was intended to be over the top. This is a very refreshing mini-series. Most of what we get on TV today is total garbage. Watch Steve Zahn reprise Robert Duvall's role. It's worth the price of the DVD just to see Zahn in this serious role. And Wes Studi is great as Buffalo Hump. For anyone who loved the Lonesome Dove mini-series, this is a must have. This is where it all began, pardner. It's great fun seeing the characters at this early stage in their lives and trying to figure out who is who and remembering what happens to them later. Ever wonder how Blue Duck got so nuts? Highly recommended if you like quality TV!

I have been waiting to remember why I loved the first Lonesome Dove and basically not liking any that followed. The friendship between Woodrow
and Cal while the horror goes on is similar to our sit at home watching TV
America. It is a nice Yin Yang dark and light that reflects our real world.
Friendship is how we get through all the BS. Comanche Moon with all the
the excellent production values and excellent acting had me whistling in appreciation; I was not bothered a bit by the historical mistakes because the charm of the characters had me smiling. Sequels are tough and it is
hard to live up our memories of a great series. Comanche Moon completes
the saga: the beginning journey that illuminates Lonesome Dove's
bitter sweets themes.

"Commanche Moon", is a fairly interesting prequel to "Lonsome Dove", which I think most LD fans will appreciate.

While Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call as played by Steve Zahn and Karl Urban may take some getting used to, by the film's conclusion, the actors are firmly established as their characters. Zahn does a great job of portraying the McCrae character as fleshed out by Robert Duvall, but anytime he would be situated next to Urban, I found myself wishing that someone had put him on a soap box or something, to add a few inches.

Karl Urban as Call was as wooden as the Tommy Lee Jones Call, but Val Kilmer as Captain Inish Scull is great. I was a little surpised at how well the film followed the book in how this character, and his antagonists were true to McMurty's vision.

If you're looking for answers to your questions about "Lonesome Dove", "Commanche Moon" pretty well illustrates the prior exploits of most of the LD characters and the reasons for their actions. Buffalo Hump and son, Blue Duck are well represented. Maggie Tilton is only part of the dialogue in "Lonsome Dove", but in "Commanche Moon", her relationship to Call is far more expanded and explained, especially in comparison to the earlier "Dead Man's Walk".

Even more revealing, "Commanche Moon" also goes into some detail concerning the prior exploits of Jake Spoon and his relationship to McCrae and Call. "Don't take up with any hoodlums. We'd hate to have to hang you," is something spoken to Spoon by McCrae towards the end of the film that is said in jest, but LD fans will be able to immediately pick up on the irony.

Like "Lonsome Dove", there were various points where I, as a viewer, thought that the story could end, but then surprisingly, the story continued. Therefore, when the end of "Commanche Moon" finally did come, it was sort of a surprise. The good thing about the ending itself is that it is an apt lead-in to "Lonesome Dove", which, timeline-wise, begins only about ten years later.

"Commanche Moon" isn't a great film, like "Lonesome Dove", but it's a very good one, and I think, a better addition to the LD series than "Dead Man's Walk" or "The Streets of Laredo".

I've given it five stars because it doesn't need to great to be enjoyable, and I really enjoyed "Commanche Moon".

Back in the 1840's the State Texas was known as the Texas Republic, a harsh environment where several cultures clashed: Apache and Comanche, Anglos and Hispanics, for the most part, Mexicans. The battle over land, water and resources was furious, the spirit of these men as they set out to conquer, indomitable. The Texas Rangers were members of a law enforcement agency that investigated crimes from murder to political corruption, tracking fugitives and forging most important events in Texas history.

In their early days, the Texas Rangers protected the frontier against Indian attacks on settlers, then serving as scouts, spies, couriers, and guides for those wishing to settle in the West. These men were trained to aim, fire and reload their weapons from horseback, an amazing development from the usual technique of dismounting before shooting at enemies and reloading.

This is the second installment to a trilogy centered on the lives of two men, Augustus "Gus" McCrae, played by Steve Zahn and Woodrow Call, played by Karl Urban.

Comanche Moon presents the Rangers, now serving under an eccentric character played by Val Kilmer, working to protect the territories against the Comanches. Buffalo Hump, played by Wes Studi, and his son Blue Duck, played by Adam Beach.

We see the men falling in love, with Call playing the role of a quiet, introspective and isolative man who does not know how to understand and therefore, handle women, get involved with a prostitute who bears him a son. McRae falls in love with the store owner's daughter, Clara, but because his style of life is not to be depended upon, they never make it to marriage.

The movie brings romance, adventure and a view to life in the west. Don't miss it.

Comanche Moon This is the last of the TV Mini-Series Lonesome Dove. And People it did not disappoint me. This was Great!! You will truly love it!!

I thought this recent TV miniseries was okay but a far cry from "Lonesome Dove, " as it was being compared since it is a prequel to that famous story.

"Commanche Moon" is definitely worth a watch for any fan of westerns. Just don't expect it to be as intense as "Lonesome Dove." Steve Zahn and Karl Urban are not Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones, and the characters they play aren't as strong. Some say it's unfair to criticize this movie because of the comparison but you have to compare it - it's the story of the same two leading Texas Ranger characters: "Woodrow Call" and "Gus McCrae."

The main difference, I found, was that this prequel is a lot of slower and more relational (the two Rangers and their women) at times. Yet, I didn't mind that because the two main women were pretty ladies and likable people. They were played nicely by Linda Cardelini ("Clara Forsythe") and Elizabeth Banks ("Maggie."). They helped make this long movie palatable. Maggie's son "Newt" was a wonderful kid, too - the kind of boy every parent would want.

The most interesting character, I thought, turned out to be "Inish Scull," played by Val Kilmer. As in the western film, "Tombstone," Kilmer almost steals the show from the leads. "Scull" is really an original, if I ever saw one: a strange dude, indeed.

Actually, all of the supporting actors in here did a fine job, from Keith Robinson's "Deets" to Wes Studi as "Buffalo Hump." I always find Studi to be fascinating, no matter what role he plays. I wish he had had a bigger role in this miniseries.

One thing this film has in common with "Lonesome Dove" and other good westerns: the scenery and photography. It's just beautiful at times and is a joy to watch. We also have an excellent director of this film: Simon Wincer.

Another thing, you get your money's worth: the two-disc DVD version is about 4 hours and 40 minutes.

When I first saw "Comanche Moon," I too compared it to "Lonesome Dove," (in my opinion, one of, if not the best Western movie ever made). But watching it since, I've learned to watch it for what it is as it's own movie, trying not to compare the actors in "Moon" with those in "Dove." You know what? It's a pretty damn good cowboy movie.

Having read the book to "Comanche Moon", I never thought it would be adapted to screen, simply because it was too violent, but here, the filmakers have been able to tone it down without compromising its integrity, & this film is at best a faithful adaption, I doubt it could have been done better, everything seen here happens in the book, set some 20 years after "Dead Man's Walk" & some 20 years before "Lonsome Dove", we see Gus & Woodrow in their 40's & are now somewhat more experienced in the jobs as Texas Rangers under the command of Captain Inish Scull played with comic genius by Val Kilmer, he embodies this character the same way McMurtry penned him, Steve Zahn takes over the role of Gus, played by David Arquette in "Walk" & by Robert Duvall in "Dove" it is clear Zahn studied Duvall's mannerism & personality from "Dove", Zahn made me believe he could be a younger Duvall, just as Arquette did in "Walk", & Karl Urban totally captures Tommy Lee Jones' mannerism from "Dove" & even his voice as a younger Woodrow Call, just as Johnny Lee Miller did in "Walk" In this we meet Pea Eye, Deets, & Jake Spoon, & we get to meet Blue Duck as Buffalo Hump's undisiplined teenage son, Blue Duck is just as nasty here as well, casting Linda Cardelini as Clara was also a smart move, Jennifer Garner played her in "Walk", but Cardelini looks more favorable to Anjelica Houston in "Dove", Simon Wincer who directed "Dove" does so here & it is clear he hasn't lost his flare for directing beautiful landscapes, it is just as long as "Dove" at about 5 hrs., but never boring, if you are a "Lonesome Dove" fan, then you won't be disappointed, I was really impressed with the attention to detail, not to mention consistensy, some locations look like the same ones used in both "Walk" & "Dove", & we see Newt born & the beginning of what later becomes "Dove", the filmakers & McMurtry have delivered with consistensy which always wins me over, & Zahn & Urban do Call & Gus justice, it is not easy to fill Jones' & Duvall's shoes, but they pull it off, Wes Studi is perfect as Buffalo Hump, Eric Swieg's portrayal in "Walk" was menacing, & Studi takes it a step further, all in all, a great adaption & prequel to "Lonsome Dove", this one will make you want to watch that one again.

I think this was an excellent prequel to Lonesome Dove! Granted... IT IS NOT LONESOME DOVE. They will never top that series... or even match it... who even expects it? When I say Steve Zahn playing Gus I thought, "This is going to be terrible! How did they select him?", but I was plesantly surprized! He was excellent as Gus... mimicing Duval I thought was great... irritating... not at all... this was a young Gus, just as I would have expected him to be. Steve did an excellent job! I did expect a little more from Karl. He could have opened up a little more, studied the character Call a little more. I just didn't find much in his character other than being stiff. The other characters: Deets, Pea Eye, and Jake Spoon where not developed in detail, but it did make connection... it was a short series. Maybe if it were as long as Lonesome Dove... Technically correct... probably not, but you can be just as critical to most all movies. I will certainly add it to my collection as it fills the gap. I do wish it were longer or that they would add another series prior to Lonesome Dove for further character development. I loved Val Kilmer's role, but I wished they would have developed or explored Gus and Calls' relationship with him more. His character was weird, but I suppose that he was a source lending to their qualities and his wife supporting Gus as a playboy.