Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Leonardo DiCaprio

Director Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead) tries gamely to recapture the exotic mysteries of spaghetti Westerns in this stylish but empty film, which stars Sharon Stone as a stranger who comes to the t...( read more  read more... )own of Redemption in time for an annual shooting contest. Her real motivations for being there are the stuff that might have found their way into a film by Sergio Leone--in fact, much of this film is a pastiche of Leone's greatest hits, including A Fistful of Dollars and Once upon a Time in America--but one can't quite believe Stone in the role. Gene Hackman gives a predictably solid performance as the town tyrant, and Leonardo DiCaprio is good as a lucky young gunslinger who gets to kiss the heroine. But not even the cast can help this failed project. Raimi brings a lot of razzle-dazzle to his camera work, but it doesn't make the film any more substantial. --Tom Keogh

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56% liked it

56,156 ratings

R, 105 min.

Directed by: Sam Raimi

Release Date: February 10, 1995

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DVD Release Date: November 7, 2000

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Stats: 1,986 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,986)


  • September 21, 2009
    A modern classic? Give it time and it will be. For me, it?s probably Sam Raimi?s last decent film. Responsible for a surge in modern Westerns, it?s still the best of the new bunch!
  • June 16, 2009
    In the Western town of Redemption John Herrod runs everything, they say he gets half of every dollar spent or earned. In order to face his enemies face on he runs an annual quick draw contest where fights battle each other until only one remains. The winner takes home a small for...( read more)tune ? the losers leave wounded if they are lucky. Into this contest comes a group of hopefuls including a woman who has personal reasons for signing up.

    Looking at the list of names it is evident that the casting director is very good at his/her job as they managed to catch several big names, get several stars who were a few years away from hitting big and also get veteran faces as well. The ensemble of well known faces suits this film as the focus is very much on style and appearance than it is on substance. As a plot it takes the well known genre of the revenge western and makes a sort of pastiche of it. Thus we have the OTT and hyper direction of Rami and gun fights that are delivered with energy and shots that have no bearing to reality.

    When I think about the actual plot, it really should bother me more than it does. The plot is pretty thin and contains nothing that you can't see coming from about the first 20 minutes of the film ? certainly the woman's `secret' will be no mystery to anyone who has seen `Once Upon A Time In The West' which it clearly apes in this regard. What exists in the place of a wider plot is characters and style. The style is fun and energetic and will appeal to fans of Evil Dead etc.

    The characters themselves are also pretty good, each has a little back story which helps to fill out the running time without getting too serious. Stone does surprisingly well in the lead, she's no Clint Eastwood but she leads the cast well ? which is no mean feat when you look at the credits. Hackman is a gleefully good villain ? even more mean and unrepentant that his character in Unforgiven. Crowe and DiCaprio were both a few years from the levels of stardom they now hold, but both are engaging and enjoyable. The support cast is also full of names and faces you'll recognise ? either as solid support actors of recent films or older faces. For example ? Henriksen, David, Sinise, Hingle, Bell and Blossom.

    Overall this film might infuriate you if you are looking for a film that has more substance than style, as this is the other way round. However fans of Rami's style and/or revenge westerns will find much to enjoy here. Every time I see it I always find it hard not to get caught up in the atmosphere it creates.
  • July 6, 2008
    It's on my list of classics...
  • May 19, 2008
    great actors great script one worth watching
  • November 10, 2007
    Modernised western with a good cast but not much content to movie.
  • November 3, 2009
    hackman pulled this one out i think. and this one of my more liked westerns
  • November 3, 2009
    Wild energy for a western. You have to leave any seriousness at the door.
  • October 4, 2009
    the best western movie. i love this movie. all actors who plays in the movie are the best! great!
  • September 16, 2009
    OK Western. What the hell happened to Raimi? And why such a splendid cast?

    47/100
  • September 12, 2009
    Loved the gunfights and Gene Hackman is sooo kick ass and cool in this film

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Comments


  • zidia7
    July 6, 2009
    what's the end? I can't remember...
  • MustangGirl36
    October 7, 2008
    love this movie!!!i love leo hes soo cute! and "ellen" is my hero, shes so strong. russel crowe did well, and gene hackman as herod did such a great job with his role. this is probably my favorite movie of all time.
  • fadile55
    January 31, 2007
    It is a great movie i really loved it.
  • LittleMissPapaRoachSucks
    September 30, 2006
    omg i think leo is so cute in this movie he only looks about 13
  • blosom22
    September 11, 2006
    omg i love leonardo dicaprio and of course i loved it

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The Quick and the Dead Trivia


  • what movie had the lady and the kid taking on the town's despot in a gunslinging contest?  Answer »
  • Name the movie by filling up the blank spaces!! Vanilla ____ _______ EO The Quick ___ the Dead ___Shawshank's Redemption Ghost _____ The Phantom __ the Opera _______Never Dies   Answer »
  • Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Gene Hackman and Sharon Stone. Name the film  Answer »
  • What is the name of the female actor who plays in The quick and the dead?  Answer »

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