Blu-ray Review - All the Pretty Horses (2000)

Does anyone remember the 2000s epic flop All the Pretty Horses?

Directed by Billy Bob Thornton and based on the novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy, the western romance starred Matt Damon, Henry Thomas, Lucas Black, and Penelope Cruz. With a Christmas Day release, it should have been a hit, but thanks to mostly negative reviews from critics, it flopped at the box office.

To be fair, Billy Bob Thornton’s original cut clocked in at around 3 hours. Unfortunately, like many Miramax Films, the Weinstein producers edited the movie down to 117 minutes and omitted the musical score by composer Daniel Lanois.

Mill Creek Entertainment released the film to Blu-ray (Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart) earlier this year. It’s a bare-bones edition with no special features or bonus extras.

Set in 1949, the film centers on John Grady Cole (played by Matt Damon) and his buddy Lacey Rawlins (played by Henry Thomas) traveling horseback to Mexico. Along their way, they befriend thirteen-year-old Jimmy Blevins (played by Lucas Black). Upon arriving in Mexico, Cole and Rawlins find work as hired hands at a ranch. Cole begins an illicit affair with the boss’s daughter, Alejandra Villarreal (played by Penelope Cruz), which sets in motion a series of events that’ll change his life forever.

Final Thoughts

All the Pretty Horses is less of a romance and more of a coming-age-story involving two friends. Well, at least that’s how I’m summing up the movie. I read the novel many years ago, and it has a different tone. Despite the movie’s post-production problems, I still like the theatrical version.

The picture and sound qualities are excellent. There are no special features or bonus extras on the Blu-ray. There is an English subtitle option.

Overall, I enjoyed watching (or re-watching in my case) All the Pretty Horses. If you like westerns, then I recommend getting the Blu-ray.