Powerful

One of my all time favorites.

Don't listen to the negative reviews

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Magnum is hired from America by an Australian rancher so he can shoot aborigines at a distance. He takes exception to this, so the rancher tries to kill him for refusing, and Quigley escapes into the bush with a woman who calls him Roy and are helped by aborigines. Quigley returns the help, before heading back to the ranch.....From the sound of the title, you would think that the makers of this movie were hoping for some sort of franchise opener, and although the film does have the odd flash of genius, it's just overlong, and very dull in places.Selleck is as good as he ever is, and one thinks that this should have been his Indiana Jones, Quigley does have all the traits, but a few more quips from the titular character wouldn't have hurt the movie.Rickman steals the film from everybody though, made between Die Hard and Robin Hood: POT, this just goes to show what an impressive screen presence he is.Australia is wonderful to look at though, but as already stated, it's just a tad too long

Granted this is not the old west, although it is set in Western Australia. Tom Selleck, in my opinion, was born a couple of decades late. It's too bad the romance with westerns has passed on, since Selleck could have easily been a contemporary of The Duke. His easy-going, "down home" style and charm work well in the western genre, and with the exception of Robert Duvall and Sam Elliot, I can't think of another star who fits the "cowboy" persona better. Well, maybe Eastwood.Laura San Giacomo works beautifully as the films female love interest and comedy relief, since neither Rickman or Selleck offer us much in that way. She gives us her story in brief episodes, the returns to the "Crazy Cora" persona long enough to convince us it isn't all an act. Or is it? Alan Rickman plays what he plays best, an arrogant ass with money and power who enjoys pulling the wings off butterflies when he isn't shooting down people for the fun of it. He uses money as his weapon, and indulges himself whenever possible. Since most of his men are conscripts from the local prison, Marston is of the belief he is untouchable.The aborigines have no lines in English, and are pretty much the window dressing of the film, although there are some interesting scenes where Selleck and the aborigines interact.Overall, the film has plenty of flaws and lapses, but they are easy to look past when you watch the action scenes. And neither Selleck for the ladies or San Giacomo for the gentlemen are that hard to look at. Rated PG-13 for violence and sexual innuendo, the teens in the house will have no problem with the plot and the adults will enjoy the various quibbles between the principles. Not sure if this is all that collectible, but I have a copy. Like I said, I like westerns, and I like Selleck.

Quigley Down Under is directed by Simon Wincer and written by John Hill. It stars Tom Selleck, Laura San Giacomo and Alan Rickman. Music is by Basil Poledouris and cinematography by David Eggby. Plot sees Selleck as Matthew Quigley, a Wyoming cowboy and sharp shooting rifleman who answers an advertisement to go to Western Australia as a hired sharp shooter. If proving his worth, he's to work for Elliot Marston (Rickman), but when Marston outlines his sick reasons for hiring Quigley, the pair quickly become on a collision course that can only see one of them survive. It was written in the 1970s by John Hill, where it was hoped that Steve McQueen would take on the lead role, but with McQueen falling ill and Clint Eastwood allegedly passed over, the project sat on ice until 1990. In came Selleck and the film finally got made. Just about making back its money at the box office, Wincer's movie deserved far better than that. It's competition in the Western stakes in 1990 were Costner's beautiful and elegiac Dances With Wolves and the Brat Pack bravado of Young Guns II, both vastly different films from each other, and both considerably different from Quigley Down Under. If those two films contributed to the average response to the Selleck picture? I'm not completely sure, but viewing it now one tends to think that the 1990 audience just wasn't ready for such a delightfully old fashioned Oater, one that features a straight and simple narrative to tell its tale.It's safe to say that anyone after deep psychological aspects will not get that here. There's some serious themes in the story, such as the horrid genocide towards Aborigines, while the deft kicks at the British are fair enough even to a British guy such as myself. But in the main this is old time Western fare, where it may be as predictable as a horse doing toilet where it pleases, but it's fun, brisk, gorgeous to look at, and there's never a dull moment within. Wincer (Lonesome Dove) directs with assuredness and the trio of cast leads are great value. Where Selleck cuts an impressive figure of a tough guy high on principals and with a comedy glint in his eye, Rickman is suitably attired all in black and bang on form for sneering, cocksure, villainy, while Giacomo is pretty and works neatly alongside Selleck as a spunky, lively, sidekick type who carries some sad emotional baggage along. There appears to be quite some division amongst fans and critics as regards Poledouris' (Conan the Barbarian) score. Whilst I agree that it does at time veer close to being too boisterous, it sits well within the type of film the makers are going for. It carries with it a sort of Magnificent Seven flavouring, imbuing the story with a rightful sense of adventure. It also flows freely with Eggby's classical capturing of the Western Australian locations. Eggby (Mad Max/The Man From Snowy River) utilises the scope format on offer to deliver some truly gorgeous back drops, while the brown and yellow hues are most appealing to the eyes. Costuming and sets are spot on for period detail, and Quigley's Sharps Rifle is an absolute beast of a weapon. The simple structure and telegraphed nature of the story stops it from being a true classic of the genre. But it's got so much going for it and is high on rewatchability, to make Quigley Down Under (not the best of titles either) essential viewing for fans of old fashioned Westerns. 8.5/10

Matthew Quigley (Tom Selleck) sails three months to Australia to fill a role as a sharpshooter. But once he finds out that he's been hired to kill off the aborigine population, Quigley turns on his new boss (Alan Rickman) and brings his own particular brand of justice to the outback.Alan Rickman makes this movie, hands down. Selleck is fine, but Rickman's voice and mannerisms make him the perfect villain. It's no shock he was given such a prominently dark role in the Harry Potter films or presented as the voice of God in "Dogma". I'm not so sure about "Space Quest" (not a fan), but Rickman is the man you want in your film, along with Gary Oldman. Together they would be an unstoppable force, stronger than Pacino and DeNiro.The biggest complaint is that this film should have been maybe twenty minutes shorter... the end drags on for some time. Okay, so you have thugs attacking you and you're a sharpshooter. I get it. Stop these endless skirmishes and just kill the bad guy. Please.Those who love Tom Selleck and his mustache should watch this film, perhaps as a double feature with "Gypsy Warrior". But even those who don't particularly care for Selleck may enjoy Rickman's performance as the evil thug master. Aside from his weird snarl, he easily steals the show.