Kenny Rogers plays Brady Hawkes and Bruce Boxleitner plays his partner, Billy Montana.
This film takes the Gambler character into territory of historical fiction, as his cowboy hero interacts with real life characters like Indigenous Lakota chief Sitting Bull, Wild Bill Hickock, and South Dakota territory US government agents.
A (presumably fictional) US Senator is a key figure in attempting to secure Indian lands that will eventually lead to a prosperous railroad that is tentatively planned by private enterprise. The senator and a few others are actively plotting to cheat the Sioux people of their tribal lands, while a US Army general (George Kennedy) is a bureaucrat who is a top level administrator.
There are lots of twists and turns in this film. Rogers as Hawkes is convincing, something of a low-key hero. The set design and direction are all top notch. For this to be a television movie, it's very well put together. Viewers will get to see lots of impressive scenery and Western-inspired landscapes. All the supporting actors are very good. This film goes into uncomfortable territory as it deals with the real life land conflicts involving the Sioux, white colonizers and the U. S. government. Hawkes finds himself as an uncomfortable middle-man, but still trying to find a pathway for some kind of justice in the face of brazen manipulation that would see the Lakota people wiped out.
This film is a good showcase for Kenny Rogers. The producers don't try to reinvent the wagon wheel here. Rogers and Boxleitner play well off one another. The Gambler films arguably started off as a vanity project for Rogers, with a built-in television audience from his country music fans. In a pre-cable and streaming era, these films brought in substantive ratings.
Overall, this is a family friendly adventure, with not too much violence. There's a message about racial tolerance as well.
This film takes the Gambler character into territory of historical fiction, as his cowboy hero interacts with real life characters like Indigenous Lakota chief Sitting Bull, Wild Bill Hickock, and South Dakota territory US government agents.
A (presumably fictional) US Senator is a key figure in attempting to secure Indian lands that will eventually lead to a prosperous railroad that is tentatively planned by private enterprise. The senator and a few others are actively plotting to cheat the Sioux people of their tribal lands, while a US Army general (George Kennedy) is a bureaucrat who is a top level administrator.
There are lots of twists and turns in this film. Rogers as Hawkes is convincing, something of a low-key hero. The set design and direction are all top notch. For this to be a television movie, it's very well put together. Viewers will get to see lots of impressive scenery and Western-inspired landscapes. All the supporting actors are very good. This film goes into uncomfortable territory as it deals with the real life land conflicts involving the Sioux, white colonizers and the U. S. government. Hawkes finds himself as an uncomfortable middle-man, but still trying to find a pathway for some kind of justice in the face of brazen manipulation that would see the Lakota people wiped out.
This film is a good showcase for Kenny Rogers. The producers don't try to reinvent the wagon wheel here. Rogers and Boxleitner play well off one another. The Gambler films arguably started off as a vanity project for Rogers, with a built-in television audience from his country music fans. In a pre-cable and streaming era, these films brought in substantive ratings.
Overall, this is a family friendly adventure, with not too much violence. There's a message about racial tolerance as well.
