Ambush at Dark Canyon

I find many of the low budget Westerns from the last decade are just downright unwatchable. This was an exception. Solid story, decent acting and pretty good characters. For sure worth a watch.

After an opening scene that sets up the mystery of Marshal Duke Donovan (Kix Brooks) and his involvement in an Old West bank robbery, the film employs a lengthy flashback to tell that story and eventually reveal the identity of some ambiguous characters. Tried and found guilty of robbery and murder, the former lawman is sentenced to life at Yuma prison instead of death by hanging, in deference to his career as a law officer up till then. When he learns that gang leader Levi Hardin (Luke Massy) plans to kill his wife, Donovan relies on the connections he made in prison to formulate an escape with fellow convict, Cyrus Parker (Ernie Hudson). When Donovan does find his wife, she'd already been badly hurt by Hardin and dies shortly after. The expected confrontation eventually occurs, and I had to laugh during the shootout between Hardin's gang and Donovan's bunch, which now included the deputy sheriff (Ronnie Gene Blevins) who was sent out after him following the escape from Yuma. In order to gain a handful more ammunition, Hardin shot his partner Walker! No loyalty there, right? The picture tries to throw the viewer a curve early on when reporter Jesse Helms (Andrew W. Walker) seeks out the only surviving witness to the Donovan shootout with Hardin, and the reveal shouldn't come as a big surprise. Suggesting that Seymour Redfield might have been deputy Tom Sullivan who was rumored to have killed Donovan and then disappeared, it's Donovan himself who breaks the silence on his real identity. You have to hand it to the reporter for agreeing to keep that secret until Donovan does die; he's going to lose his job over it!

The only reason I wanted to watch this movie was to see Sydney Penny. But she had only about five minutes in the whole thing. Disappointed. This last sentence is to fill out the minimum character requirement.

This is one where we knew the twist before the story got started. The story is told as a flashback aka "Little Big Man" but not as good. Marshall Duke Donovan takes part in a 1892 Arizona bank robbery that goes bad. People are killed. He claims he was coerced, that his wife was threatened. His sentenced is reduced to life in prison. The question remains, "Is Kix a cereal killer?" Duke in prison. Duke finds out bad guys after his wife. Duke breaks out, goes after bad guys. Prison sheriff and deputies go after Duke. You can figure out the rest from the title. That is pretty much it. Dark Canyon wasn't very dark, nor was it much of a canyon. The acting was bad. Kix Brooks was pitiful. In the saloon scene when he has his gun pointed at the girl and delivers his lines, I was laughing at the scene. It was that bad. 6 stars for the great sound track, also provided by Kix. Also released under the title "Dark Canyon"

Since she bought it, we forced ourselves to watch. The film was full of mistakes. Lucky for me I watched it while more time was spent doing a crossword puzzle.

How do you make a movie marketable? Well ask the Germans (distributions)! They always think of something, mostly connected to something that is popular at the time. Renaming this movie into "Hateful Ambush at ..." you immediately think, you have heard this somewhere before. Which you'd have at the end of 2015 and early 2016, because of Quentin Tarantinos eighth movie (Hateful Eight). So the German distribution is looking for the quick money they can make, not considering, what the viewer or consumer might think. Not many will be happy let me tell you. But apart from that fact and it's impact on German viewers, what does the movie have to offer? Not that much action unfortunately and not too much quality either. While it does try to be different and a slow burner, it doesn't really achieve that either

But who was the genius who cast Kix Brooks in the lead role of Duke Donovan? Whoever it was needs a clue: Kix Brooks is a terrible actor. I have no training but am pretty sure I could do better. I mean please, it was painful.

I bought my copy on the day it was released and got to watch it last night. I cannot believe all this talent in one amazing package. I give it 5 stars +. I am glad you guys gave us the best of both. I was simply blown away by Kix Brooks. He rocked it in every way, shape, and form. I especially liked Ronnie Blevins character as well. The soundtrack that Kix Brooks and Randy Houser did was so incredible and very well done. William Shockley does an excellent job in doing his character as well. I am a huge fan of his. I am so proud of all involved with Team Two Entertainment. Keep up the good work and make some more films for us your fans to enjoy. I too enjoyed it from start to finish.

(There is a small spoiler at end of article as the only part I personally felt was something that would not be done given the circumstances. It will be clearly noted in case readers want to skip that part) Initially I was wondering how they were going to tie the opening in with the rest of the movie, however it transitioned remarkably well, so well in fact when it transitioned back briefly it caught me off guard but once again smoothly back into the story. I found with 1 exception (the spoiler to come later) that the entire story and sequencing was credible enough to actually have some basis in facts. It was an enjoyable watch from start to finish and if you like Western music, some really great soundtracks are worked into the movie. The acting was excellent and you caught up in the characters to the point that if it had been presented as a retro documentary you would have no issue in following it or believing the story/event lines. The movie is clearly defined and you are never left scratching your head (again with the exception of the single spoiler issue). There was no unnecessary gore and even the violence was tastefully done and actually made sense in character portrayal. This is a movie I have watch several times but some scenes though not highly graphic are suggestive and probably best not shown to small children. SPOILER ALERT: The single issue I had with credibility the exiting from a tunnel at night with a lighted lantern, which obviously could have been seen from a long distance off and especially where the exit was located and as the scene unfolds there are obviously people nearby.