Dollar For The Dead (1999) [DVD]

Lone gunslinger Cowboy (Emilio Estevez) appears to exist solely to protect the weak from the many criminal elements inhabiting the lawless Wild West. One of the beneficiaries of his kindness tips him off about a horde of treasure, but in order to claim his reward, Cowboy has to shoot down opposition from two sides: a mercenary gang who have been on the treasure trail for years; and a band of self-elected lawmen, known as The Regulators, led by Cowboy’s nemesis, Reager (Howie Long).
In the tradition of the classic Sergio Leone westerns which rocketed Clint Eastwood to stardom ‘Dollar For The Dead’ is brought up to date with dazzling action setpieces and slow-motion shoot-outs in the directorial style of John Woo. Cowboy (Emilio Estevez) a lone gunslinger, of grey eyed coldness and very few words rides into town, trailering a single wooden coffin behind him. Hotly pursued by The Regulators, a band of self-appointed lawmen, who are hell bent on revenge, and led by the imposing figure Reager (Howie Long), this mysterious figure is a man with no name and a man with no home, whose only role in life appears to be to utlise his incredible gunslinging skills to defend those who are unable to do so against the oppressive bandits and ruthless cowboys in this lawless society. It is on one such occasion when he rescues crippled civil war veteran, he is entrusted with the secret of untold treasures, and now has not only Reager and his vengeance riddled posse to deal with but also another band of ruthless outlaws who have made the search for the gold their life’s worth. It’s incredibly stylised action all the way as this cold blooded killer must utilise all of his skills in a battle against overwhelming odds, as the mystery behind the single wooden coffin slowly infolds.