...a shoddily made bore consisting of worn-out clichés and one-dimensional characters.
Next, we come to the bad which is basically everybody else in the film. In particular, I cast my gaze at Casper Van Dien. His acting isn´t terrible so much as it´s downright uncharismatic. He´s completely miscast in the Clint Eastwood role. I know comparing him to the Man with No Name is unfair, but it´s hard not to draw comparisons when the filmmakers try so hard in making him look like Eastwood with the scruffy beard and dusty poncho. Van Dien just can´t pull off the raspy voice nor does he possess the steely eyes or well-lined face of Eastwood. The script falls into the bad category as well. The dialogue is cheesy and there´s a lot of redundancy happening here. Riley makes sure we remember that the railroad is coming. How? By saying it every time he shows up on camera. We also watch Tate and his crew murder so many families, we grow numb to it. It´s done nearly identical each time. They gun down the husband, the wife cries, they paw and grope at her, and then they shoot her.
Finally, I come to the ugly, the directing. The film was helmed by Craig R. Baxley who comes from a family of stuntmen and who directed that cinematic masterpiece, "Stone Cold" starring Brian Bosworth. Baxley´s directing on "Aces ´N Eights" is pedestrian for much of the film, but it is his work on the action sequences that is far worse. The fight scenes and gun fights are clumsily handled with close-ups that are too tight, goofy titled angles, and shaky camera work that obfuscates the action.
VIDEO:
The video is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The transfer is clean with no discernable grain or blemishes. There´s nothing about the picture that pops out which isn´t a surprise from a low-budget, direct-to-video production.
AUDIO:
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. Nothing too spectacular here, even though the film is filled with the sound effects of gunfire and fists-a-flyin´.
EXTRAS:
Interview with a Legend – A Chat with Oscar-Winner Ernest Borgnine (12:38) is an on-set interview with the famous actor. Borgnine mostly talks up the film and briefly touches upon his career and making "The Wild Bunch." It's not nearly as interesting as I hoped it would be.
On the Set with Casper Van Dien (16:13) is another on-set interview with Van Dien discussing the film and his career. This one was a snoozer.
A Wild Bunch of Surprises – Ernest Gets a Gift (1:11) is a clip of the cast and crew presenting a gift to Ernest Borgnine, his original revolvers and gun belt from "The Wild Bunch."
FILM VALUE:
"Aces ´N Eights" made its premiere on Ion, the cable channel originally known as PAX TV which was founded as a wholesome, family-oriented alternative to the majority of other channels. That´s a bit surprising considering how violent the movie is, even in a truncated form. "Aces ´N Eights" is by no means a bloodbath; it´s quite tame in comparison to much of network television. It´s just not something I expected from the channel that once hosted a drama starring Billy Ray Cyrus. In any event, "Aces ´N Eights" is a shoddily made bore consisting of worn-out clichés and one-dimensional characters. I think I´ll go watch "A Fistful of Dollars" for the hundredth time to wash this acrid taste out of my mouth.
Finally, I come to the ugly, the directing. The film was helmed by Craig R. Baxley who comes from a family of stuntmen and who directed that cinematic masterpiece, "Stone Cold" starring Brian Bosworth. Baxley´s directing on "Aces ´N Eights" is pedestrian for much of the film, but it is his work on the action sequences that is far worse. The fight scenes and gun fights are clumsily handled with close-ups that are too tight, goofy titled angles, and shaky camera work that obfuscates the action.
VIDEO:
The video is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The transfer is clean with no discernable grain or blemishes. There´s nothing about the picture that pops out which isn´t a surprise from a low-budget, direct-to-video production.
AUDIO:
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. Nothing too spectacular here, even though the film is filled with the sound effects of gunfire and fists-a-flyin´.
EXTRAS:
Interview with a Legend – A Chat with Oscar-Winner Ernest Borgnine (12:38) is an on-set interview with the famous actor. Borgnine mostly talks up the film and briefly touches upon his career and making "The Wild Bunch." It's not nearly as interesting as I hoped it would be.
On the Set with Casper Van Dien (16:13) is another on-set interview with Van Dien discussing the film and his career. This one was a snoozer.
A Wild Bunch of Surprises – Ernest Gets a Gift (1:11) is a clip of the cast and crew presenting a gift to Ernest Borgnine, his original revolvers and gun belt from "The Wild Bunch."
FILM VALUE:
"Aces ´N Eights" made its premiere on Ion, the cable channel originally known as PAX TV which was founded as a wholesome, family-oriented alternative to the majority of other channels. That´s a bit surprising considering how violent the movie is, even in a truncated form. "Aces ´N Eights" is by no means a bloodbath; it´s quite tame in comparison to much of network television. It´s just not something I expected from the channel that once hosted a drama starring Billy Ray Cyrus. In any event, "Aces ´N Eights" is a shoddily made bore consisting of worn-out clichés and one-dimensional characters. I think I´ll go watch "A Fistful of Dollars" for the hundredth time to wash this acrid taste out of my mouth.
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[release]23686[/release]