The Virginian (2014) Trace Adkins, Ron Perlman, Victoria Pratt, Steve Bacic, Brendan Penny Movie Review

The Virginian (2014)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Trace Adkins in The Virginian (2014)

South West

Having been raised by Judge Henry (Ron Perlman), a successful cattle baron, South, aka "The Virginian" (Trace Adkins), works as his ranch enforcer who in his eyes is fair when it comes to his treatment of rustlers although others, including big city writer Owen Walton (Brendan Penny) think he is also brutal. But South, because that is what he prefers to be called, begins to question himself when whilst trying to get to the bottom of a recent spate of rustling he finds himself becoming sweet on new school teacher Molly West (Victoria Pratt).

Every opinion I looked at before watching "The Virginian" not only seemed to praise it but also mentioned other versions of Owen Wister's frontier story and as such mentioned the various differences. But what about if you have never seen one of those other adaptations, what if this 2014 version of "The Virginian" is the first adaptation you have seen. That just happens to be the case here and I hate to say it but this incarnation of "The Virginian" did little for me, not that it is a bad movie just one which isn't overly memorable.

Victoria Pratt in The Virginian (2014)

The reason why it isn't memorable seems to spring from this version of the story as we have South just doing a job but finding himself questioning what he does because he has fallen for the pretty Molly West and things don't seem as clear cut when it comes to the rustling. It just isn't overly exciting and seems despite only being 95 minutes long feeling painfully drawn out. Yes there is a twisted storyline when it comes to the rustling and that leads to the relationship between Judge Henry and South changing but it never grabs you neither does the romantic storyline.

That really leaves the acting and when it comes to the likes of Ron Perlman, Steve Bacic and Victoria Pratt they all do what their characters call for but I bet you would struggle to remember what it is that they did even a day after watching this. Then there is Trace Adkins as South and it seems to me to be a case of say it slow, low and come across as gruff as you can and it kind of works, well works for a while until it adds to that sense that "The Virginian" is being drawn out.

What this all boils down to is that this version of "The Virginian" is an okay but nothing special western with about the only thing being memorable is the deepness of Trace Adkins voice.


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