Review: The Highwaymen

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

PLOT: In order to capture the infamous and elusive Bonnie & Clyde, two Texas Rangers, Frank Hamer (Kevin Costner) and Maney Gault (Woody Harrelson) are called out of retirement and given carte blanche to catch the murderous duo.

REVIEW: THE HIGHWAYMEN is the latest of those long-in-development projects to get picked up by Netflix in their bid to expand the scope of their original films. Apparently initially intended as a final Paul Newman/Robert Redford vehicle (Newman died in 2008, which gives you an idea of how long this project’s been kicking around for), it comes to the screen with two heavyweights, Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson playing to type in what I’m sure everyone involved hoped would be iconic parts.

Here’s the thing – THE HIGHWAYMEN is a movie that doesn’t really need to exist. Arthur Penn’s 1967 BONNIE & CLYDE stands the test of time as not only the definitive film to be made about the pair, but also one of the greatest films period. What’s the point of doing another take on the story when, at best, you know it’ll never be as good as what’s already been produced?

Granted, this takes a different approach, taking the law’s side of the pursuit but despite a lot of the criticism being levelled at this movie, that they portray classic “anti-heroes” in too conservative a light, the original film never portrayed them as heroes either. They were cold-blooded killers, they just happened to be played by two of the best looking people of all time (Warren Beatty & Faye Dunaway) so people liked them.

So, if Penn’s film did a good, well-rounded job telling the story, where does that leave THE HIGHWAYMEN? The only way John Lee Hancock’s film could have really distinguished itself was to focus completely on the relationship between Hamer and Gault, but instead it’s a routine, slowly paced chase movie. They get a bit of mileage out of the old-school Hamer and Gault clashing with the new-fangled methods of their F.B.I colleagues, but given that to a modern audience their technology looks antiquated, the humor never really pays off. Neither, really, does the suspense in tracing Hamer and Gault’s pursuit of Bonnie & Clyde, as we know exactly how it’s going to end?

If THE HIGHWAYMEN works at all, it’s thanks to the high production values, including excellent period detail in the way depression-era Texas is portrayed, and the two leading performances. Costner and Harrelson are old pros, and they humanize the characters, with Woody easier to relate to as the alcoholic but good-natured Gault. Hamer is a tougher nut to crack, and Costner, to his credit portrays him as cold-blooded and narrow in his view of the law as the man apparently was. He was a tough guy, but he wasn’t really a hero and the film doesn’t shy away from that

It’s too bad then that so much of the film plays out as a straight-laced chase movie, with little in the way of action, just beat-by-beat investigation. The best moments are when the film pauses for character development, with the standout scene being a confrontation Hamer has with Clyde’s father, played by the always great William Sadler. I wish the whole film had been like that, which would have made the less than heroic way the story ended a lot more interesting to see play out.

Nonetheless, THE HIGHWAYMEN is a serviceable film, thanks to the admittedly good performances by Costner and Harrelson, and the obvious skill and craft that went into making it. It’s an ultimately unnecessary film, but it's still a well-made one and worth seeing on those merits alone. After all, its on Netflix so it’s not like you’re blowing the price of admission on a ticket. It’s maybe not something I would have told people to race out and see, but as a Sunday afternoon watch, it’s fine.

The Highwaymen

AVERAGE

6

-

Viewer Ratings (0 reviews)

Add your rating

1 star 2 stars 3 stars 4 stars 5 stars 6 stars 7 stars 8 stars 9 stars 10 stars