Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Sunset in the West Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 15, 2017

1950’s “Sunset in the West” isn’t out to reinvent the western for an oversaturated marketplace. It’s content to serve up yet another round of black hats and white hats doing battle in a growing America, filling the brief run time (67 minutes) with enough gunfights, chases, songs, comedy, and horses to satisfy audiences. Thankfully, director William Witney isn’t troubled by sameness, giving “Sunset in the West” a rollicking sprit to stave away the stasis of formula, urging star Roy Rogers to play to his strengths of everyman charms, combating the western filmmaking machine with engaging stunt work and comfort food conflicts, always putting entertainment needs first.

Roy Rogers plays…Roy Rogers, a former lawman returning to help his friends deal with vicious gun runners making a mess of the west. Joined by trusty horse Trigger, Roy leads the charge against the villains, spearheading an investigation that leads him into danger. “Sunset in the West” isn’t a particularly complex endeavor, sticking close to scenes that are sure to please longtime fans of the genre, adding a hiccupy sidekick, a spunky female, and an old dog to the mix. However, most attention is placed on adventure, with Witney keeping up with genre demands by orchestrating smashmouth stunt work, including multiple shots of men boarding trains by jumping off galloping horses.

Sunset in the West Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.37:1 aspect ratio) presentation is billed as "Newly Mastered from a 4K Scan," giving "Sunset in the West" an impressive Blu- ray debut. The Truecolor production has a very exaggerated look, but hues appear within period standards, bringing out an almost pastel palette that's best with varied costuming, which covers saloon girl outfits to head-to-toe denim. Greenery is also appealing, moving from actual location shooting to flat backgrounds, which are easily identified here. Skintones are comfortable, but never natural. Detail is nicely defined throughout, only hitting a few inherent focus issues and equipment limitations. Textures are agreeable on fabrics and facial particulars. Distances are preserved. Delineation is secure. Grain is fine and filmic. Speckling is common throughout the viewing experience, and some mild warping is detected.

Sunset in the West Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is simplistic, but it effectively supports the limited reach of the track. Dialogue exchanges are quieter but remain passable, with comedic speeds and acting limitations easy to understand. Scoring is thin but present. Sound effects aren't sharp, but they're alert, adding some blunt appeal with gunshots and fistfights. Mild hiss is present.

Sunset in the West Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features western historian Toby Roan.

Sunset in the West Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fights are common, which eventually leads to gunplay, and "Sunset in the West" isn't afraid to go full Stooge for a few minutes, adding slapstick comedy where it can. It's not a challenging picture, but it retains passable identity, eased along by Roy's good-old-boy charisma and interest in maintaining the cowboy way.