The critical and popular success of the Lonesome Dove miniseries just about ensured a sequel or three. The first spinoff, Return to Lonesome Dove, was rushed out without author Larry McMurtry's input, but Streets of Laredo, which McMurtry scripted from his own novel, returns us firmly to his brutal West. Legendary Texas Ranger Captain Woodrow Call (James Garner, who steps into the boots left by Tommy Lee Jones with comfortable assurance and understated courage) has turned bounty hunter, and he heads off on the bloody trail of vicious Mexican gunman Joey Garza (Alexis Cruz), a sadistic, angry south-of-the-border rebel without a cause. Lonesome Dove echoes through the story: Call's former trail hand Pea Eye Parker (Sam Shepard) is enlisted in his posse and Parker's wife, Lorena (Sissy Spacek in the role Diane Lane created in the original and the desert-worn soul of this story), follows in their wake with news that the psychopathic renegade Mox Mox (Kevin Conway), who once held her captive, is alive and back on the warpath.
McMurtry's Old West is not a pleasant place, and Streets of Laredo is not for the faint of heart. It's a lawless, racist, brutal world where might may not make right, but it certainly holds sway in isolated desert towns and lonely trails. Yet for all the tragedy and violence, McMurtry finds hope in the love and respect that breaks down racial barriers, holds families together, and creates new ones. --Sean Axmaker
Customer Rating: Summary: Can I give it a NEGATIVE rating? Comment: When I watched Lonesome Dove originally, I literally fell in love with this movie. I don't remember when it ever on television but I guess that it was at one time. Eventually I watched the rest of the movies - and of all the movies made from the Lonesome Dove stories, I have to say that the last one - the "Streets of Laredo" was the worst of any of them - a disaster from the very start. After seeing the original LD, I watched Dead Man's Walk - I was amazed at how well these actors - the two that played Gus and Woodrow - recreated their characters' personalities - exactly the same as they were portrayed by Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones. You'd almost be able to swear up and down that these actually were the same two main characters when they actually were younger - Honestly, they couldn't have done a better job if they'd wanted. It seems like to me that this series could have ended a million different ways but the way they ended it was definitely the wrong way. It goes completely against the story set up in the 3 proceeding chapters and other than the fact that Call lost his leg just like Gus had in the original movie (isn't that just a little too ironic?), it didn't look like a sequal to any of the previous movies, that is besides the names of the characters. I read the book "Comanche Moon" in 1997 or 1998 and realized after I'd finished reading it, realized that THIS is the book that they should make the next movie out of. It should have been the second movie made - I know it hadn't probably been written yet - but it is set in the natural chronological order of events between the time of Dead Man's Walk and the Original LD. I'll bet that it would be better than all the others before it, put together (and now I know that I was right). Originally, I purchased the entire set of movies on VHS but when eventually I purchased the DVDs, I bought all of the movies in the series EXCEPT SL. I've never liked the movie and will never again waste my time or my money with that movie ever again. I'm just sorry that I wasted my time watching it in the first place. I expected it to be as good as the rest of the previous movies. I just wish it had ended differently - It was definitely a HUGE disappointment. Customer Rating: Summary: Old Captain Call follows Gus's Leg Demise Comment: This is a pretty good video. It is all part of the great Lonesome Dove series. Kind of sad, but at least he lives on, unlike Gus did. Customer Rating: Summary: Review of Streets of Laredo Comment: Excellent film! The story is great! Typical Amazon shipping - fast and well wraped. Customer Rating: Summary: Not a great sequal to Lonesome Dove Comment: Very disappointing. Lonesome Dove is one of the greatest movies of all times. I had hopes the follow up would be close to the same but it lacked in every way. The cast is not nearly as good and the movie is just tiring all the way through. It drags and does not live up to Lonesome Dove.
