
Young Guns
1988, Action/Western, 1h 42m
37 Reviews 50,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
Young Guns rounds up a posse of attractive young leads, but this cheerfully shallow Brat Pack Western ultimately has too much hat and not enough cattle. Read critic reviews
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Movie Info
Cast & Crew
William H. Bonney
Josiah Gordon 'Doc' Scurlock
Jose' Chavez y Chavez
Richard Brewer
Dirty Steve Stephens
Charley Bowdre
News & Interviews for Young Guns
Critic Reviews for Young Guns
All Critics (37) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (15) | Rotten (22)
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A grownup could die in this wasteland.
March 25, 2019 | Full Review… -
''Young Guns'' is a very Dean-ish, sensitive delinquent melodrama disguised, for no good reason, as a western.
March 25, 2019 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review… -
Yet the story is told with too much affection for gunplay and the only thought worth preserving is that these mythic figures of the Old West often were very young men. Big deal.
March 25, 2019 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review… -
Though it pales beside such antecedents as Arthur Penn's "The Left-Handed Gun" or Sam Peckinpah's "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid," it has a slick, smoky vigor.
March 12, 2019 | Full Review… -
The boys shoot, ride, flirt, get high on peyote and revel in enough self-adoring, anachronistic behavior to have all but inveterate teenyboppers swearing vengeance on the film's makers.
March 4, 2019 | Full Review… -
As Billy the Kid, Emilio Estevez is the nominal star here, but no one really shines.
March 26, 2009 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Young Guns
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Feb 22, 2012This is far from any such allegations of being underrated. Sure it's very well-acted by the entire cast, especially by Sutherland as Doc and Estevez as Billy the Kid, as well as action-wise quite tense, but the storyline is historically inaccurate and generally uninteresting. Plus the soundtrack is close to a fatal flaw, as techno does not fit in the right mood and setting.Max G Super Reviewer
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Sep 01, 2011Although the stars are nice to look at, the story, characters, and plot aren't all that interesting. It's the typical western, and I really don't care for westerns anyway. The action was probably the best part. Overall, it's okay, but I bet other people just watch it for the stars as well.Aj V Super Reviewer
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Jul 19, 2011I'll admit that Young Guns isn't all that great of a movie, but sometimes it's just nice to hear six reasons why the west was wild. It's basically an 80s movie set in the west with a cast of teen idols playing outlaws. In many ways it feels like a brat pack movie rather than an actual western, but I think that was obviously the intent here. It's undoubtedly got it's fun moments here like the peyote scene and the overuse of blood and insensibility when it comes to death. Somehow, this does end up feeling like some kind of bizarre prequel to Pat Garret and Billy the Kid. I never picked up on that before, but there are definitely some similarities. You've got the excellent taste in slow motion killings, character development that defies tradition and seemingly an entrance into the mind of a western outlaw. Now how can you beat a cast like Emilio Estevez as Billy, Kiefer Sutherland as doc, Lou Diamond Phillips as Chavez and a pre-drug Charlie Sheen? I guess if you threw in Zod and Jack Palance it'd be perfect. Oh wait, they are in it. The story is really easy to get into and the characters all have their goofy qualities. I think the more times I see this, the more I seem to enjoy it and and accept it for what it is. The 80s saw very few westerns, but this is the quintessential 80s western by far.Conner R Super Reviewer
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Jun 28, 2011The film suffers from an extreme lack of development, overly quiet spots, abrupt events, the occasional expendable scene, some gratuitous forms of violence, dialogue that worsens as the film progresses, a bit of a cop-out ending and an overact-tastic performance by Lou Diamond Phillip. Still, though it's not perfect, the film is supported by solid and somewhat unique production designs, good sound, decent cinematography, a progressive increase in compellingess, some effective comic relief and solid action sequences, especially the last. As for the soundtrack, it gets a bit corny, but is still pretty solid. Of course, the real question is "Does it fit?" Yes, if this took place in the then-modern '80s times. Sure, it fits the premise, but often contradicts the Western theme, but when it does fit, it really livens things up and when it doesn't fit, it's still fairly entertaining. Now, let's discuss the "Young Guns" behind "Young Guns". The ensemble members are charming and have great chemistry, but are - as I said - barely developed. They're entertaining leads, but there's little to invest in them outside of that. Still, their likeable charisma do a decent job at redeeming the underdevelopment, as do the particularly solid performances by Estevez and Sutherland. It may not be the most compelling ensemble, but there is enough to like about them to keep the film going. Now, I know what you're thinking "How many more times are you going to repeat your point until you fill-out this paragraph?" Yeah, I think I'm good. At the end of the day, "Young Guns" is flawed and not terribly outstanding, but still boasts enough colorful music, decent action and charm to be a genuinely enjoyable ride.Cameron J Super Reviewer
Young Guns Quotes
William H. Bonney/"Billy the Kid": | Reap it Murphy, you son of bitch. |
William H. Bonney/"Billy the Kid": | I like these odds! |
"Dirty Steve" Stephens: | Did you guys see the size of that chicken? |
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