Desperate Riders Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.0

Desperate Riders Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 30, 2022

There's a relatively well known rule in some of the acting aggregations like SAG-AFTRA that only one actor at a time can have a specific given (or assumed) name registered with the union. That's one reason why a certain Michael Fox added that now iconic "J" as a middle initial, since there was already a Michael Fox registered when Michael J. Fox applied for membership. That same dictum evidently doesn't apply to screenwriters and character names, as Desperate Riders kind of hilariously proves. While there was in fact a famous blues musician with a name rather similar to this tale's focal character of Kansas Red (Drew Waters), that guy had the good sense to, like Michael J. Fox, have a "middle name" of sorts since one Arthur Lee Stevenson was perhaps better known by his nickname Kansas City Red. That similarity is more than understandable (even if the nickname in this film is kind of peculiarly random for any number of reasons). But another character who perishes rather early in the film and whose death then sets a whole series of machinations into motion goes by the name of Ben Casey. Now the fact that I could link to that name may indicate that it had an existence in the entertainment industry prior to Desperate Riders, but I guess one of the top rated and longest lasting medical dramas of the early to mid sixties is largely forgotten by many people these days, and evidently most assuredly by screenwriter Lee Martin, whose own name is similar enough to a famous actor's that it is almost ironically laugh out loud funny in this context. This story's Ben Casey is most definitely not a healer, and in fact he and his men are about to kill a young kid named Billy (Sam Ashby), whom they suspect of cheating at poker as the tale opens. Luckily (at least for Billy, that is), Kansas Red shows up to save the day, but he takes a bullet in the gut in the process, which at least allows one of this film's players you may have actually heard of, Tom Berenger, put in cameo duty as a local dentist who is the only "doctor" around and who removes Kansas Red's "gift" from Ben and sews the cowboy up.

One of the very few potentially interesting things about Desperate Riders is that Kansas Red spends much of the rest of the film grunting and groaning and finding his mobility limited by the after effects of the bullet to his stomach. That at least makes him seem slightly "vincible", though it of course turns out he's not just a great sharpshooter, he's a famous one, memorialized in the 19th century equivalent of a graphic novel that is of course in the collection of young Billy. A passing comment by Billy, as he asks for help from Kansas Red (the reason will be detailed in a moment), will alert any competent decipherer of why a writer would introduce that particular comment (which won't be spoiled here) as to an "alter ego" for Kansas Red which (unsurprisingly) makes him closer to Billy than might initially be assumed.

The reason Billy needs help is that bad guy Thorn (Trace Adkins) has killed Billy's father and kidnapped Billy's mother. Billy's mother has a close female friend named Leslie (Vanessa Evigan) who also happens to be a renowned sharpshooter (in another element that I guess is supposed to be "innovative", at least for those who haven't seen films like Annie Get Your Gun), and she ends up playing prominently into the tale as well. While large swaths of this saga are pretty much predictable from the get go, that at least may help to elide complete gaps in the narrative flow, like who all the "menfolk" who get shot by Thorn in an early vignette are (and where exactly are they all coming from?).

There's some occasionally rather scenic vistas on display (the film was evidently shot in Tennessee), and what looks like actual, honest to goodness location shooting in snowbound winter environments adds a certain authenticity to things, an authenticity which is almost instantly undercut by how absolutely spotless all these characters are throughout the film, both in terms of their clothing but also their bodies. Evidently the Wild West had very good bathing and laundry facilities.

Desperate Riders Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Desperate Riders is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. There's no technical data of any kind that I could find on the internet, and the closing credits roll do not disclose a camera. This is a competently captured presentation which I assume was finished at 2K. While this has a definite "made for TV" look about it, detail levels are typically quite good, offering precise accountings of fabrics on costumes and even the occasional grisly looking wound. The outdoor material is (as mentioned above) often pretty wintry looking, but there are repeated pops of color throughout the presentation that keep the palette looking reasonably vivid. A few passing shots of things like sunsets and/or sunrises can show minor flirtations with banding.

Desperate Riders Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Desperate Riders features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 that attains most of its surround activity from an okay score by Robert Arzola and Michael Feifer and a glut of ambient environmental effects in the outdoor material. The film's kind of haphazard editing doesn't help some of the attempts at continuous underscore, but the music wafts through the side and rear channels appealingly. Things like gunshots and galloping horses provide bursts of good sonic energy. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English, French Spanish and Portuguese subtitles are available.

Desperate Riders Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer (HD; 1:52)

Additionally, a digital copy is included and packaging features a slipcover.

Desperate Riders Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

With regard to "interesting" character names, and in the "well at least they didn't do that" category, young Billy's surname is Cassidy, which may lead some to be momentarily thankful that Lee Martin didn't choose another first name beginning with "B" for that particular character. These character names, as unintentionally amusing as they may be, may also be something of a subliminal clue as to how derivative and formulaic so much of Desperate Riders is. There are some passingly interesting snippets here, but this is another largely unambitious straight to video type offering that simply doesn't offer enough consistent narrative momentum or frankly performance acumen to register very strongly. Technical merits are generally secure for those considering making a purchase.