I picked up this movie today at the grocery store of all places. I’m a Tom Selleck fan so I picked it up. At $9.99 I figured it was certainly cheap enough and Mr. Selleck wouldn’t disapoint me, I was right on both counts.

Last Stand at Saber River is based on the Elmore Leonard novel of the same name and stars Tom Selleck, Suzy Amis, Haley Joel Osment, and Keith & David Carradine among others.

For those who have seen other Tom Selleck films, this movie has a lot in common with Crossfire Trail, and if you liked that one, you should like this one as well.

Tom Selleck plays Paul Cable, an embittered Civil War soldier who was shot and wounded “in the butt” as his character puts it, and leaves “The War of Northern Aggression” to come back home to his wife and children. It isn’t the physical injury which causes him to leave though, it is the things he has seen and experienced which push him past the breaking point. He moves his family back home to Arizona from Texas and finds men living in his house. He also finds Union sympathizers which leads to a decidedly frosty welcome home.

There is a significant amount of gun play in the movie, but not over the top. The films violent scenes are all in context and anyone killed by Paul Cable deserves it. Keith & David Carradine play Vern & Duane Kidston, the villains in this story, but they aren’t the blood thirsty evil men which you’ll find in many other westerns. Besides a threat to shoot and hang Paul Cable, they generally stick to lawful means of espressing their dislike of Mr. Cable. Vern Kidston even has Paul in his sights one day and decides not to shoot. It is only the actions of a rabid southern agent which bring things to a real boil and set up the final conflict.

I enjoyed this movie a lot and I think you will too. I give this movie two thumbs up.