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North Star
Set during the Alaskan gold rush of the late 1800s. In his efforts to gain control of a small mining town, Sean McLennon is buying up every claim that becomes available, usually after the deaths of the previous owners at the hands of McLennon's 'assistants'. One of the miners targeted by McLennon, a half-Indian hunter named Hudson Saanteek, manages to escape his hired thugs and comes back into town looking to re-establish his claim and get revenge. McLennon and his men have the advantage of numbers and weapons, but Saanteek has his survival skills and knowledge of the Alaskan wilderness.
| Release : | 1996 |
| Rating : | 4.8 |
| Studio : | Canal+, Warner Bros. Pictures, Regency Enterprises, |
| Crew : | Director of Photography, Director, |
| Cast : | James Caan Christophe Lambert Catherine McCormack Burt Young Morten Faldaas |
| Genre : | Adventure Drama Action Western |
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Reviews
Such a frustrating disappointment
People are voting emotionally.
Blistering performances.
It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.
Christopher Lambert has quite a checkered list of elastic films where you either like his work or not. Sometimes they're fun ("Highlander", "The Hunted", "Fortress" and "Gunmen"), others less so ("Love Dream", "Highlander II" and "Fortress II") or they're downright atypical ("I love You", "Subway" and "Southland Tales"). For me the mid-90s chase adventure "The North Star" falls in the middle bracket not a terrible film by any standards, just lacklustre along with Lambert's performance. It did remind me of the Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin 1980 feature "Death Hunt". In Alaska in the 1890s a half-breed trapper becomes the target of a crooked businessman who wants the land of his ancestors and the only way to do so is to kill the half-breed. The plot's foundation harbours familiar trappings, but never really comes alive with no real momentum or character interest. The action is uninspired, dialogues forced and the direction rather stagy in a cheap- looking production. It's the villainous performances of an unhinged James Caan and a burly Burt Young that keeps it from freezing over. Add to that the vivid snowy locations that dress up the screen. Catherine McCormick shows up, but gets little to do. A sleepy, flat-footed chase drama.
I've probably seen James Caan more often as a villain than a hero, and the villain role suits him just fine. He goes from bad to evil to maniacal in the course of the story here, with a twist in the picture that comes out of nowhere that attempts to explain his hatred of the half breed Hudson Santeek (Christopher Lambert). That he's a half breed himself serves no purpose other than to cause this viewer to go "Oh!", so I don't know why that element was even introduced.While watching the film, I hearkened back to my childhood days with 'Sergeant Preston Of The Yukon'; this could have been an extended episode of that show. Great footage of Alaskan sled dogs mushing through wind whipped snowy trails, not quite figuring out how competing sled teams didn't get all tangled up with each other. One thing Preston never had to put up with was getting shot and falling into icy rivers. Man, I can't imagine even being THAT cold! I wonder if the actors got bonus pay for that.I caught this on the Encore Western Channel this evening, and I suppose the 'Western' connotation has some bearing, even if filmed as an Alaskan wilderness adventure. It's got a typically 'B' Western flavor focusing on an evil town boss (Caan) swindling local miners out of their gold claims and leaving them dead in his wake. I can't think of a Western that ever got the body/deed count as high as eleven like this picture did, which can only mean that Christopher Lambert was no Red Ryder or Durango Kid. For his trouble, the man should pour himself a brandy to warm up.
I really liked this film. James Caan was outstanding and intense, plus there was overall great character development throughout - it's not a simple "Western". Although Christopher Lambert's leading role is controversial, it may be due to character baggage from his other better known roles such as in Highlander. This is my first direct exposure to the actor/producer, and from a fresh perspective his performance seemed fully resonant with the tone and flow of the movie. The settings are beautiful, and even though filmed in Norway, it adequately characterizes the Gold Rush as an Alaskan phenomenon.
Tashunga was a quite good movie that was helped from a good cast including Christopher Lambert. Lambert as always gave an effort like no one else and he was very good, Morten Faldaas was another who gave a fine performance.The film had suspense and great music.
