Young Guns (1988)
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A group of young outlaws becomes embroiled in a violent conflict over land and power in the New Mexico territory.
The story
In Lincoln County, New Mexico, English cattleman John Tunstall hires a wayward young gunman named William "Billy the Kid" Bonney to join the "Regulators" who lived and worked on his ranch. Tunstall tries to educate and civilize the young men in his employ, and clashes with rival rancher Lawrence Murphy, a well-connected Irishman in league with the corrupt Santa Fe Ring. When Murphy's men kill Tunstall, the Regulators are deputized to hunt the killers. However, the group's internal dynamics are tested as the young men, led by the hotheaded Billy, find themselves pursued by bounty hunters and forced to navigate the treacherous landscape of the American West.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After the death of John Tunstall, the Regulators—including Billy the Kid, Doc Scurlock, Jose Chavez, Dick Brewer, "Dirty" Steve, and Charlie Bowdre—are deputized to hunt the men who killed their mentor. Tensions rise as Billy's impulsive actions lead to the deaths of several men, including the informant McCloskey. The group becomes wanted men after a shootout with a bounty hunter, leading them to flee to Mexico. During their journey, Charlie marries a local woman, and the group eventually faces a final, desperate siege at the home of lawyer Alexander McSween. Amidst a burning house and a hail of bullets from a Gatling gun, the Regulators fight through the siege. In the final confrontation, Billy kills the corrupt Lawrence Murphy. The film concludes with a narrated epilogue detailing the fates of the survivors: Chavez moves to California, Doc marries Yen Sun, and Billy is eventually killed by Pat Garrett, with his grave marked "PALS" next to Charlie's.
- First release year
- 1988
- Runtime (minutes)
- 107
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Christopher Cain
- Writers
- John Fusco · writer
- Cast and characters
- Emilio Estevez · Billy; Kiefer Sutherland; Lou Diamond Phillips; Charlie Sheen; Dermot Mulroney; Casey Siemaszko; Terry O'Quinn; Jack Palance; Terence Stamp
- Genres
- Western; action
- Themes
- loyalty; corruption; coming of age
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- Western; Action; Historical Fiction; Brat Pack
- Franchise connections
- Young Guns
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who were divided over its historical inaccuracies and narrative, though the cast's performances were generally praised.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 43% · scale: percentage · review count: 40; Metacritic · score: 50 · scale: 100 · review count: 13
- Production trivia
- The film was the first production by Morgan Creek Productions.; Tom Cruise made a non-speaking cameo as one of Murphy's henchmen.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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