I don’t know if anyone expected Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone to be such a gigantic hit. But now as the series of rugged family dynasties and land conflicts has entered its fourth season, Paramount has given Sheridan free reign to do pretty much whatever he wants. And so the Yellowstone franchise has grown with a prequel series, 1883, that will deepen our understanding of the powerful Dutton clan.
So there’s no Kevin Costner in this one, but the cast of this prequel is pretty damn great. Is there anyone more suited to a frontier drama like this than Sam Elliott? He’s joined by Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett, Audie Rick, and Billy Bob Thornton in the story of the building of the Yellowstone ranch empire. Here’s the synopsis:
James and Margaret Dutton embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America as they are fleeing poverty to seek a better future in America’s promised land — Montana. Shea Brennan has the herculean task of guiding the group from Texas to Montana, and he does not suffer fools.
1883 will hit Paramount+ on December 19th. Yellowstone season 4 kicked off on November 7th. Sheridan’s other series, Mayor of Kingstown, debuts on November 14th.
One Shot is directed by James Nunn who came up with the story that Jamie Russell based the script on. One Shot is the third collaboration between Nunn and Adkins. Nunn first directed Adkins in 2013’s Green Street 3: Never Back Down and again 3 years later in Eliminators. The title, One Shot, is a double entendre. The title refers to the one shot the Navy SEALs have to stop the terrorist’s plot. One Shot also refers to Nunn filming the movie in one take, similar to the award winning 1917. Nunn and Adkins discussed creating an action movie filmed in one seamless take during the filming of Eliminators. Now, years later, it has finally come to fruition.
The action in One Shot is enjoyable throughout. There are enough different weapons and fighting styles to satisfy most action tastes. Adkins is a master of his craft and that is in no short supply. The biggest issues are a sense of repetitiveness and not feeling connected to the characters. The character’s motivations are briefly glossed over and quickly forgotten. There’s a lot of people shouting in a room, break for a gun fight, back to shouting. Visuals and close combat ratchet up the film’s intensity while the script leaves a lot to be desired. There are multiple cheesy moments, but the action sequences try and make up for them. When the dust settles, One Shot, is a middle of the pack action film. The filming style adds some uniqueness, but the script and eye rolling moments take away. It is worth a rainy-day watch though.
