Tombstone (1993)
★★★★ — Tombstone (1993)
Tombstone arrived in late 1993 during a brief but genuine revival of the Western, riding the coattails of Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven (1992) and arriving the same year as Kevin Costner's ill-fated Wyatt Earp, which went into production around the same time and effectively split the same historical story across two competing studios. The Wyatt Earp legend, drawing on the real events of 1881 Tombstone, Arizona (including the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral), had been filmed numerous times before, most notably in John Ford's My Darling Clementine (1946) and John Sturges's Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957). George P. Cosmatos, a journeyman director perhaps best known for Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and Cobra (1986), took the helm after original director Kevin Jarre was removed early in the shoot, with Kurt Russell reportedly taking considerable creative control over the production thereafter.
Tombstone (1993) is a sweeping, stylish Western that fires on nearly all cylinders, packed with memorable dialogue, rugged charisma, and some of the most iconic scenery in Arizona’s red-rock wilderness. Kurt Russell brings quiet intensity to Wyatt Earp, a man trying to leave violence behind but pulled back into it by duty and brotherhood, while Val Kilmer delivers an all-time performance as Doc Holliday, sharp-tongued, fatally charming, and swinging between wit and rage like a man already half-dead. His “I’m your huckleberry” line isn’t just cool, it's legendary, and he earns every second of it. The film glorifies the myth of the Old West without entirely ignoring its cost. The gunfight at the O.K. Corral is masterfully staged, tense, chaotic, and grounded, and the aftermath lingers with real weight. Every supporting character, from Michael Biehn’s slimy Johnny Ringo to Sam Elliott and Powers Boothe as the loyal Cowboys, adds grit and personality. It’s a 90s Western done right: big on action, bigger on attitude. That said, for all its strengths, the pacing makes its two-hour runtime feel just a bit long. The middle drags with repeated skirmishes and revenge loops that start to blur together. It never loses momentum completely, but there are moments where you can feel the film coasting on charm alone. Epic, entertaining, and endlessly quotable. Not quite flawless, but close enough to stand tall among the greats. A gunslinger’s dream of a movie.
Rating: ★★★★ | Year: 1993 | Watched: 2025-09-28
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video · Sky Store
Buy: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video · Sky Store
Physical: Amazon UK
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Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video · Sky Store
Buy: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video · Sky Store
Physical: Amazon UK
Affiliate disclosure: Movies With Macca may earn a small commission on purchases or subscriptions started via these links. It costs you nothing extra.
Related on Movies With Macca
More from George P. Cosmatos: Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) · Cobra (1986)
More with Kurt Russell: The Fox and the Hound (1981) · Bone Tomahawk (2015) · Big Trouble in Little China (1986) · Escape from New York (1981)
More from the 1990s: Lessons of Darkness (1992) · Shinjuku Boys (1995) · Blue (1993) · Cemetery Man (1994)
More western: The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) · Rio Bravo (1959) · Ride Lonesome (1959) · The Great Train Robbery (1903)
More action: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · The General (1926) · Hand of Death (1976) · Daredevil (2003)
