So rare comes a movie that has the scale of a grand epic, so rare comes a film that blends action, adventure, romance, comedy and drama, and so rare comes a film that let us indulge with a sweeping vista of cinematography and exemplary visual magnificence - yet these all mislead us to believe that this is such a stunning film, because after all, it made us forget how silly and stupid the dialogues were and how formulaic the plot was.
Ron Howard directed this 1992 film, with a prospect of feeding critics with an Oscar prospect. But as what was mention, it's beguiling, this film. Throwing in two of Hollywood's premiere actors, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, one could bet that a film made by these two golden rods would a blasting one. It wouldn't work anyway, if makers would thrown again another Cruise-Kidman team-up, because Cruise's just felt too belittled and inconspicuous compared to what Kidman had already established after the divorce, knowing that she's now one of cinema history's greats. But perhaps, way back in 1992, it could have worked.
Glad to tell that the film could somehow entertain audience with it's own scale, giving us a familiar story about a man who lost his land, and had his father killed due to a rebellion against a land tyrant, and swore to revenge. One of the most hateful scenes in this film was when Cruise's character felt so wrathful and swore vengeance but left the village with the broadest of grins, and the villagers having a merriment of some sort. They're Irish alright, and they have this cheerful aura around them, but Cruise's expression felt too misplaced in the scene. And so this was one of the film's weaknesses, and with action and adventure, where Kidman and Cruise rode horses to mark and grab their land, which was freely bestowed by the US Government, was treacherous enough to make us believe that this was a sweeping epic film of the south.
The relationship between Kidman and Cruise was even too formulaic. We already know about two people quarrelling each other, doesn't seem to fit with each other's character perfectly, and while they continue to bawl like cats and dogs throughout the rest of the film, they would somehow realize that they were falling in love.
Even Cruise's character turning into a boxer felt also too misplaced in the film's plot, and Kidman, whom which I dearly adore as an actress, didn't show any of her acting strength.
Bottomline, one frail mind would enjoy this film, having to forget the movie's own weaknesses and rather focus on the film's looks and feel. Blimey, I admire the film's cinematography, it's brilliant, but one must not judge on the looks alone. The story was somehow a bit muddled.

Rating: B-