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The John Wayne Collection, Vol. 2 - Riders of Destiny/Star Packer

The John Wayne Collection, Vol. 2 - Riders of Destiny/Star Packer

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The horses are still the leading actors
Review: After seeing a couple of s "B" westerns, this movie is actually better than average. Please remember that these movies were made before TV and meant as weekly entertainment. Keeping this in mind, this movie is worth watching. It has all of the right ingredients to make this an enjoyable hour.

This movie has the necessary parts-an early John Wayne and his indian partner, a leading lady that needs to be rescued, and good solid western action.

The story keeps moving thanks to the horses-they don't get credit for helping make this movie exciting. Wayne and his white horse chases after and catches a runaway stagecoach (the stagecoach driver and the shotgun rider probably had the shortest lifespan of any western movie character). The actors perform a couple of horse chases with horse falls. Lastly, towards the end of the movie, a wagon goes over the cliff. The movie does conclude with a happy Hollywood ending.

There is much to say about any movie, which isn't included here-see the movie. If you like this movie, another b-western worth recommending is "Desert Trail" with John Wayne.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The horses are still the leading actors
Review: After seeing a couple of s "B" westerns, this movie is actually better than average. Please remember that these movies were made before TV and meant as weekly entertainment. Keeping this in mind, this movie is worth watching. It has all of the right ingredients to make this an enjoyable hour.

This movie has the necessary parts-an early John Wayne and his indian partner, a leading lady that needs to be rescued, and good solid western action.

The story keeps moving thanks to the horses-they don't get credit for helping make this movie exciting. Wayne and his white horse chases after and catches a runaway stagecoach (the stagecoach driver and the shotgun rider probably had the shortest lifespan of any western movie character). The actors perform a couple of horse chases with horse falls. Lastly, towards the end of the movie, a wagon goes over the cliff. The movie does conclude with a happy Hollywood ending.

There is much to say about any movie, which isn't included here-see the movie. If you like this movie, another b-western worth recommending is "Desert Trail" with John Wayne.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: A typical old western with a formulaic plot.
Review: I found these movies to be extremely formulaic. The plot wasn't all that bad though and seemed to at least move. The most disappointing factor of all is that it's on DVD and the sound is terrible. You can't understand half of what they say. It sounds like they recorded off of a bad speaker that keeps popping. At one point the film even scrolls. Disappointing use of media, okay plot, excellent for camp value.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: A typical old western with a formulaic plot.
Review: I found these movies to be extremely formulaic. The plot wasn't all that bad though and seemed to at least move. The most disappointing factor of all is that it's on DVD and the sound is terrible. You can't understand half of what they say. It sounds like they recorded off of a bad speaker that keeps popping. At one point the film even scrolls. Disappointing use of media, okay plot, excellent for camp value.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: John Wayne fights for justice in an early B Western
Review: If you think "The Star Packer" is a strange name for this 1934 John Wayne poverty row Western for Lone Star/Monogram, wait until you see how the bad guy, known as "The Shadow," uses a fake wall safe to give orders to his gang. Actually, this is the most atypical of these westerns to this point, the eighth of the sixteen that Wayne made between 1933-35. Wayne plays U.S. Marshal John Travers and this time around he not only has a sidekick, but it is legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt playing an Indian named Yak. He is actually the main attraction here (although not for his portrayal of a Native American), doing many of his famous stunts in "The Star Packer," such as saving the stagecoach and the basic but always popular falling off a horse.

The plot has Travers and Yak on the hunt for the Shadow and his gang. When Sheriff Al Davis (Tom Lingham) is killed, Travers becomes the town's lawman and sets a trap for the Shadow so we can find out who he really is; of course, all you have to do is look at the credits for the film because in terms of the Lone Star stock company during this period it has to be either George Hayes as Matt Matlock or Earl Dwire as the henchman Mason, which is enough to "spoil" the surprise right there. The complication is that lovely Anita Matlock (Verna Hillie) catches the eye of our hero as soon as she is rescued from that stagecoach, but since she is only Matlock's niece she is not really all that tainted by the relationship.

"The Star Packer" continues to be unique right to the end, as we have a more specific happy ending than you usually find in these B Westerns. Like most of Wayne's Lone Star films this one is written and directed by Robert N. Bradbury and has an above average amount of horse riding and fisticuffs. But in the end all of the differences just make "The Star Packer" unique, and not really better than the rest of the series even though the tagline proudly proclaims, "He fought for justice--and battled for love!"

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: My eye was caught by the horse!
Review: It was a bit disappointing that John Wayne was the bad guy at first. What caught my eye and got me digging for more information was the horse he road in on. It looked so much like Silver the Lone Rangers horse. That wasn't all the indian companion was giving me flashbacks of The Lone Ranger And Tonto. So I am still wondering could this have been the father or grandfather of Silver? Because Silver would have been to old for the Lone Ranger if it was him.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Duke ain't afraid of no "Shadow"
Review: John Wayne was taking care of business in the American West throughout the 1930s, as evidenced by this 53-minute film from 1934. Star Packer seems like a really weird title, but the movie itself is a quite enjoyable show, albeit one of standard Western fare. The Duke plays Travers, a fellow sent out by the federal government to try and bring a little law and order to a town being terrorized by the minions of a mysterious villain called "The Shadow." Sheriffs in this town have a habit of being [killed] right out on main street in full daylight; the local ranchers are explaining this to brand new sheriff number 3 when he finds this out for himself. Wayne rides in to town alongside his Indian sidekick Yak (Yakima Canutt), having foiled the latest stagecoach robbery and saved a little lady in the process. He assumes the role of sheriff and works to ferret out The Shadow and his posse of outlaws. There's very little mystery as to the identity of the man in question, but there's plenty of horse racing, ... action, and fisticuffs to make this a most satisfying early Western film. Throw in Gabby Hayes, and you've got a real showcase of the Duke at his early best.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: The horses are still the stars
Review: Please realize that these b-westerns were made in the 1930's to be weekly entertainment. We didn't have TV's and the movie was king. However, times have changed. Is this movie still worth watching? Yes.

The Star Packer has one plot gimmick-a hollow tree trunk in the middle of a road in a western town. Once you accept the tree trunk, the movie is actually a decent movie. The story doe not bog down and keeps moving. A westrern has to have some good horse riding in it, and there are some good western action scenes which includes a couple of horse chase scenes. If you like this movie, you might like another early Wayne movie titled "Desert Trail."

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: The horses are still the stars
Review: Please realize that these b-westerns were made in the 1930's to be weekly entertainment. We didn't have TV's and the movie was king. However, times have changed. Is this movie still worth watching? Yes.

The Star Packer has one plot gimmick-a hollow tree trunk in the middle of a road in a western town. Once you accept the tree trunk, the movie is actually a decent movie. The story doe not bog down and keeps moving. A westrern has to have some good horse riding in it, and there are some good western action scenes which includes a couple of horse chase scenes. If you like this movie, you might like another early Wayne movie titled "Desert Trail."

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Just click on the photo.
Review: The 4 John Wayne films listed on this DVD are "riders of destiny,starpacker,sagebrush trail and man fom Utah".It is just his 1930s b-grade films and not really worth buying.


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