Comanche Moon | 
| Director: Simon Wincer
Actors: Val Kilmer, Steve Zahn, Karl Urban, Linda Cardellini, Elizabeth Banks
Studio: Sony Pictures
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.94
Buy New: $9.34
You Save: $10.60 (53%)
New (41) Used (17) from $7.97
Rating:  58 reviews
Sales Rank: 744
Format: Ac-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 99
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number Of Discs: 2
Running Time: 284 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 22647
UPC: 043396226470
EAN: 0043396226470
ASIN: B00116GEJS
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: February 26, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Texas Rangers Woodrow Call and Augustus McCrae pursue three outlaws Comanche war chief Buffalo Hump Comanche horse thief Kicking Wolf and a Mexican bandit king. Now in their middle years they also struggle with their personal lives Gus with Clara Forsythe the love of his life and Call with Maggie Tilton the young prostitute who loves him. Meanwhile their partners-in-arms Deets Jake Spoon and Pea Eye Parker help the Rangers protect the advancing western frontier from the defiant Comanches who are determined to defend their land and way of life. Prequel to Lonsome Dove and based upon the novel by Larry McMurtySystem Requirements:Run Time: 284 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/MADE FOR TV MOVIES UPC: 043396226470 Manufacturer No: 22647
Amazon.com
It's billed as "the second chapter in the Lonesome Dove saga," but Comanche Moon is actually a prequel to that much-loved 1989 miniseries. And while there's no doubt that it has some very big boots to fill, this three-part (on two DVDs, including bonus features) production is rarely less than eminently watchable and entertaining. Continuity is a positive factor: Larry McMurtry, who wrote the novel on which it's based, also co-wrote the screenplay, and Lonesome Dove director Simon Wincer returns as well. As for the cast, it's certainly not as star-studded as its predecessor, but Steve Zahn (as Gus McCrae), Karl Urban (Woodrow Call), Linda Cardellini (Clara Allen), and the others manage to suggest the characterizations brought to the screen by Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, and Anjelica Huston, respectively, without mimicking them. Of course, there are new faces on hand as well, principally Val Kilmer (looking a mite chubby, perhaps due to all the scenery he chews in his portrayal of Texas Rangers Captain Inish Scull) and Rachel Griffiths (as Scull's horny wife). As the tale begins in 1858, Call and McCrae, some years away from becoming the cattlemen depicted in Lonesome Dove, are Rangers serving under the educated and eccentric Scull as they work to protect the territory against marauding Comanches, led by the stern, vengeful Buffalo Hump (Wes Studi) and his crazed son, Blue Duck (Adam Beach). When Scull's horse is stolen by one of the Indians, he sets out to retrieve the beast, promoting both Call and McRae to Captain, and the rest of the story revolves primarily around them; in fact, although there's a reasonable amount of action (including the Comanche raid on Austin that opens Part Two), Comanche Moon is much less plot-dependent than character-driven, and it is Call (tough, taciturn, and totally clueless when it comes to the fair sex) and best friend McRae (an open-hearted, self-described jester) who are the most engaging of the bunch as they navigate the deep waters of their work and love lives (McRae with Clara and Call with the prostitute Maggie Tilton, played by Elizabeth Banks). McMurtry and co-writer Diana Ossana's dialogue manages to be at once plain and poetic, colorful and poignant, and regardless of what's actually happening onscreen, the miniseries has a light, often whimsical charm that separates it from most Westerns made for big and small screen alike. Extras include a "making of" featurette and more. --Sam Graham Stills from Comanche Moon (click for larger image) Beyond Comanche Moon 
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| Customer Reviews: Read 53 more reviews...
 How Did Lonesome Dove Get Its Name? February 5, 2008
Sky (New York)
67 out of 68 found this review helpful
Just in case you're either new to the Lonesome Dove series, or you're wondering if this DVD is the complete miniseries but you're confused by the title "second chapter"....This is indeed the complete Comanche Moon series DVD, and it's the "second chapter" because the chronology of the story is:
-Dead Man's Walk
-Comanche Moon
-Lonesome Dove
-Streets of Laredo
Although, the way The Lonesome Dove book series was written by Larry McMurtry fell in this order:
-Lonesome Dove (1985)
-Streets Of Laredo (1993)
-Dead Man's Walk (1995)
-Comanche Moon (1997)
Lonesome Dove, the novel and the miniseries, were as classic as classic gets. The Novel is one of the only books that I've ever read more than once. And the miniseries adaptation is just as memorable. The miniseries starred Robert Duvall as Augustus McCrae, Tommy Lee Jones as Woodrow Call, Rick Schroder as Newt, Diane Lane as Lorena Wood, Danny Glover as Joshua Deets, Robert Urich as Jake Spoon and Anjelica Huston as Clara Allen. What a line up of A-listers giving A-list performances. Duvall and Jones absolutely nailed the characters created by McMurtry in the novel. And Director Simon Wincer really preserved the integrity of the novel.
Streets of Laredo and Dead Man's Walk were good books, and adapted to fair-at-best miniseries. So when I saw that Comanche Moon was coming to CBS as the final book adaptation miniseries in January 2008, I was not that excited. But I couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised. Comanche Moon was a very good book and the miniseries was equally satisfying.
In Comanche Moon we find McCrae and Call as Texas Rangers as the Civil War is ending. They aren't involved in the Civil War as much as they are still battling the Comanches as well the cruel and diabolical bandit Ahumado. Val Kilmer is Captain Skull, and together with Gus, Woodrow and some other rangers they head out to the plains to get the bad guys.
There's a good amount of violence in some sequences, but some of the brutalities in the book have been tamed down for TV. (I.e. in the book Captain Skull's eyelids are removed by one of Ahumado's henchmen as a form of torture; that treatment is completely removed from the TV series.)
The miniseries producers did a smart thing: They brought back Wincer in the director's chair. And he once again brought a McMurtry novel to life with class and integrity. Comanche Moon (the novel or the miniseries) is no classic like Lonesome Dove was, but it was highly entertaining and enjoyable. However, like the last third of the novel, the Comanche Moon miniseries comes to grueling slow-down (in part 3 of the 3-part series). But it didn't take away from the enjoyment of watching Gus, Call and their crew as young, Pre-Lonesome Dove Texas Rangers looking for their place in life and trying to preserve life for others.
Steve Zahn is Gus McCrae and Karl Urban is Woodrow Call. They clearly read the book, watched the first miniseries and got some terrific direction from Director Wincer; they really captured the essence of their characters. And Val Kilmer should get an award for his portrayal of Captain Skull. There are some other popular (TV) actors in Comanche Moon, and they all combine to give us a very good CBS miniseries based on a very good book.
If you missed Comanche Moon on TV and you liked Lonesome Dove, you'll find this DVD quite enjoyable...with no commercials. Oh, and just how did the town of Lonesome Dove get its name?...Well, you'll just have to add this DVD to yer cart to find that out, pards.
 Extended Version Is Good News February 13, 2008
Victoria A. Wildermuth (Odessa, TX USA)
35 out of 36 found this review helpful
The important news for anyone considering purchase of this DVD is that it is the extended version -- which means that all the stuff CBS cut out so that they could squeeze in 8 million commercials is back. This is 284 minutes WITHOUT commercials. Regardless . . . Comanche Moon is a quality production . . . a very rare thing on TV today. The story is intelligent and the acting quality very good. Many critics roasted Val Kilmer, calling his performance over the top. I have news, folks . . . the character he plays was intended to be over the top. This is a very refreshing mini-series. Most of what we get on TV today is total garbage. Watch Steve Zahn reprise Robert Duvall's role. It's worth the price of the DVD just to see Zahn in this serious role. And Wes Studi is great as Buffalo Hump. For anyone who loved the Lonesome Dove mini-series, this is a must have. This is where it all began, pardner. It's great fun seeing the characters at this early stage in their lives and trying to figure out who is who and remembering what happens to them later. Ever wonder how Blue Duck got so nuts? Highly recommended if you like quality TV!
-Hey Cisco, hey Pancho January 18, 2008
Richard Schulman (Bristol)
20 out of 24 found this review helpful
I have been waiting to remember why I loved the first Lonesome Dove and basically not liking any that followed. The friendship between Woodrow
and Cal while the horror goes on is similar to our sit at home watching TV
America. It is a nice Yin Yang dark and light that reflects our real world.
Friendship is how we get through all the BS. Comanche Moon with all the
the excellent production values and excellent acting had me whistling in appreciation; I was not bothered a bit by the historical mistakes because the charm of the characters had me smiling. Sequels are tough and it is
hard to live up our memories of a great series. Comanche Moon completes
the saga: the beginning journey that illuminates Lonesome Dove's
bitter sweets themes.
 Wow, this one was a flop... July 6, 2008
S. Cushaway (Michigan)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've followed both the book and made-for-TV series for quite a while. While I believe the novel Comanche Moon was a pretty decent read, this movie adaptation is the worst of the Lonesome Dove series.
Zahn did a decent job as Gus McRae (you can tell he had studied Duvall's portrayal of the character and tried to get down the technique, and while not perfect, it wasn't bad) - but most of the other actors literally sounded like they were reading right from the script. Urban was really a terrible W.F.Call, and while I thought West Studi was good as Famous Shoes in Streets of Laredo, he didn't seem to fit the role of Buffalo Hump in this one, not at all. Val Kilmer was absolutely awful as Inish Scull. Instead of giving the impression he was a tough, if slightly eccentric Yankee-in-Texas, he came across as a clown.
I noticed Halmark/Artisan didn't produce this one as they did the others in the series (which were all better - I'd rank them in this order as the best to least: Lonesome Dove, Streets of Laredo, Dead Man's Walk) and I don't know if that had something to do with it, but this was pretty bad. I'm not even comparing it to Lonesome Dove other than to say Zahn did a decent job of learning Duvall's mannerisms for McRae, but even as a stand alone Western this one just felt cheap and looked cheap. Almost no one seemed to have really gotten into acting their characters and it shows.
 Awesome book adaption!!!!! March 24, 2008
Michael Pettinato (U.S.A.)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Having read the book to "Comanche Moon", I never thought it would be adapted to screen, simply because it was too violent, but here, the filmakers have been able to tone it down without compromising its integrity, & this film is at best a faithful adaption, I doubt it could have been done better, everything seen here happens in the book, set some 20 years after "Dead Man's Walk" & some 20 years before "Lonsome Dove", we see Gus & Woodrow in their 40's & are now somewhat more experienced in the jobs as Texas Rangers under the command of Captain Inish Scull played with comic genius by Val Kilmer, he embodies this character the same way McMurtry penned him, Steve Zahn takes over the role of Gus, played by David Arquette in "Walk" & by Robert Duvall in "Dove" it is clear Zahn studied Duvall's mannerism & personality from "Dove", Zahn made me believe he could be a younger Duvall, just as Arquette did in "Walk", & Karl Urban totally captures Tommy Lee Jones' mannerism from "Dove" & even his voice as a younger Woodrow Call, just as Johnny Lee Miller did in "Walk" In this we meet Pea Eye, Deets, & Jake Spoon, & we get to meet Blue Duck as Buffalo Hump's undisiplined teenage son, Blue Duck is just as nasty here as well, casting Linda Cardelini as Clara was also a smart move, Jennifer Garner played her in "Walk", but Cardelini looks more favorable to Anjelica Houston in "Dove", Simon Wincer who directed "Dove" does so here & it is clear he hasn't lost his flare for directing beautiful landscapes, it is just as long as "Dove" at about 5 hrs., but never boring, if you are a "Lonesome Dove" fan, then you won't be disappointed, I was really impressed with the attention to detail, not to mention consistensy, some locations look like the same ones used in both "Walk" & "Dove", & we see Newt born & the beginning of what later becomes "Dove", the filmakers & McMurtry have delivered with consistensy which always wins me over, & Zahn & Urban do Call & Gus justice, it is not easy to fill Jones' & Duvall's shoes, but they pull it off, Wes Studi is perfect as Buffalo Hump, Eric Swieg's portrayal in "Walk" was menacing, & Studi takes it a step further, all in all, a great adaption & prequel to "Lonsome Dove", this one will make you want to watch that one again.
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