Rustler's Rhapsody Review

MPAA Rating: PG
Released: 1985

Rustler's Rhapsody is one of the best western spoof movies to ever have been put to film, capturing the zaniness of Blazing Saddles while retaining a more subdued flow and presentation. The highly amusing film tells the story of Rex "the Singing Cowboy" O'Herlihan as he experiences the stereotypical villains and scenarios as normally seen in western films ranging from early 40's American westerns to the 60's Italian spaghetti westerns.

If you're a fan of western movies then it almost goes without saying that Rustler's Rhapsody is a must, but even if you aren't normally a fan of this genre don't be quick to flip to the next review, because this is a lighthearted comedy that can appeal to all ages and types of viewers.

What would happen if you yanked a heroic cowboy from the black and white westerns of the 40's and inserted him into a modern western flick? This is the zany premise that Rustler's Rhapsody explores.

Rex O'Herlihan (Tom Berenger), also known as the Singing Cowboy, is a 1940's cowboy that plays by the rules of western movies back then. He's the poster boy of heroism and honor: he doesn't drink liquor, he doesn't carouse with women, he's always quick to assist the needy, he never shoots first and when he is forced into a showdown he only shoots the villain's hands.

But when Rex is placed in a modern cowboy movie, suddenly the rules have changed… somewhat. He still knows the basic rules that all cowboy adventures must follow, such as the good guy always wins in a showdown, but he also discovers that things have changed since the 40's style of movies.

When Rex rides into Oakwood Estates he quickly befriends the town drunk Peter (G.W. Bailey), who jumps at the opportunity to become the Singing Cowboy's sidekick. Meanwhile Miss Tracy (Marilu Henner), a pub "hostess" that only talks dirty with her clients, has also decided that she wants to get to know Rex better.

Not all town residents are so happy to see him, though. After a hilarious showdown with some of Colonel Ticonderoga's (Andy Griffith) henchmen, Rex finds quite a price on his head. Ticonderoga teams up with another gang of villains and sets out to hunt the honorable cowboy down.

These confrontations are always absurdly funny. For example, the confident Rex explains to his partner that an ambush around the corner will not pose a problem, because although he has no idea how many bad guys will show up the good guys always win. He was wrong:

Rex: Usually 40 percent chicken out. I didn't think they'd have this good a turnout.

While Peter is panicking, Rex comes up with a highly amusing solution. Quite simply, he makes his horse dance. The long line of riflemen surrounding the ridge are so impressed with the performance that they stow their rifles and applaud heartily. Meanwhile, the two good guys take advantage of the momentary distraction and race off to safety.

Sound a bit silly? Well… it is! But it's one of those things that is gleefully fun to watch – words in a review simply cannot do the ludicrous scene justice.

Colonel Ticonderoga finally realizes that he will never be able to beat Rex, since the rules of westerns dictate that bad guys cannot beat good guys. Such a problem is easily solved though: he hires Wrangler Bob Barber (Patrick Wayne), another good guy, to take Rex down!

This leads to a zany pre-showdown confrontation as the two good guys do things such as ponder the rules of a showdown where both parties are good, debate on which of the two is more good than the other, and bicker over whether it's enough that a good guy is a heterosexual or whether he must be a confident heterosexual.

The plot itself is really unimportant – it's fairly generic and similar to many a western that's been created before. But that's the whole point! Rustler's Rhapsody mercilessly spoofs the entire spectrum of the genre, yet does so in a low-key manner that never approaches the sheer slapstick of other spoof movies such as Airplane or The Naked Gun. The more subdued approach to the crazy humor is far better suited for westerns, so it was a wise decision.

Whoever did the casting for Rustler's Rhapsody deserves an award, because the choices were spot-on all the way around. Tom Berenger does a fantastic job in the lead role, exuding charisma and good humor. Andy Griffith is perfect as his nemesis, while G.W. Bailey works equally well as his sidekick. Patrick Wayne's glib delivery as Bob Barber is good for some serious laughs. Heck, rather than praise each and every actor in this movie I'll just sum it up by saying all deserve a thumbs-up, from the leads to the secondary actors.

Rustler's Rhapsody is not the funniest movie ever created by any means, but it's thoroughly satisfying from start to finish. When you're not laughing from the potent gags and jokes, you'll be able to sit back and enjoy the irreverent happenings with a bemused smile. In a nutshell, Rustler's Rhapsody is FUN – and due to its clean humor and approach it's the type of fun that is suitable for the entire family.

Movie rating: 8 stars

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