Matthew Quigley gets a new position in town but the distance to the new job is nothing compared to what the job really entails that Quigley just doesn’t want to do.
Making a movie 20/25
See 22/25
Audio 20/25
Bonus Features 2/25
Total 64/100
I remember watching Quigley Down Under years ago and enjoying the western like movie and the fun that Tom Selleck brought to the role. The movie may use a plot twist that has been revisited time and time again in movies like Dances With Wolves, but it’s also a funny movie.
Tom Selleck brings another slanted western hero with a tough air, but with a side of humor that adds a lot to the character. Quigley Down Under is a fun movie and even taking on the serious topic of killing natives the movie has all the trappings of a classic western.
Elliot Merston sends a message to the United States asking for the best talent to work in the country and will pay anyone who shows up. In the ad he just happens to not mention what the real work is going to be, to get rid of the aborigines who live on their land.
Mathew Quigley answers in his own unique way, by simply clicking on it several times and writing a space then signing. and sending the paper to Merston. Marston offers gold because he is soon going to Australia and Quigley packs his bags and infamously lowers the gun under his head.
Quigley Down Under also jumps right into the action after a very short introductory sequence with Quigley traveling to Australia in the 1880s to show his long-distance involvement. Mathew took no quicker steps off the ship than his ingenuous manners would permit to allow the two elders of the first platoon of other less courtly passengers.
This is where the fun begins with Matthew’s rough and tumble horse in the Wild West and I’m down with them. less cultured around him. Matthew quickly finds another scene from the docks where he gets into more business, but he’s in trouble with a group of prostitutes and what they call Crazy Cora.
Matthew incites the fit ones who approach the clearly unbalanced woman to the shouts of the onlookers and the harlot who cheers on Matthew and Cora. The working men escape to Marston, and rush themselves to the village of Marston, where they ride for several days to the outer part.
During dinner, Quigley discovers the true parts of the work and stands up to Marston and all his men, but an aboriginal worker knocks Marston on the head to save him. After beating Quigley, they catch him and the prostitute Crazy Cora in the outback two days ride from the village to leave them to Dingo.
Quigley shows off more of his artistic skill after he kills one man when Marston tries to take the gold Quigley gave him and shoots another while driving the truck away from the wreckage at high speeds. Quigley and Crazy Cora wander outside looking for water and find the aborigines, leaving them safe and sound.
When Quigley and Cora are walking towards civilization, they encounter more Marstonian men who are hunting. the aborigines and subjugated them to the rock. Quigley shoots some people, but not before most of the aborigines drive off the cliff, Crazy Cora runs to the bottom of the cliff to find the baby still alive.
They take baby and using one of the horses, they could work out a plan to go and get baby food by Matthew riding to the compound for some the day receding. Cora stays in the cave with the baby and protects her from the wild dingo, much like the previous incident in the states when the Indians attacked her home.
After more mayhem created by Marston, they both end up in the sign of the Wild West gunfighting with both men facing off each. and others with Mareston, having two other men by his side. Quigley wins the fight and gets the girl, but now he comes across that Cora’s event which is uneven, is much better.
Quigley Down Under the Western Flag took him to unusual places and brought Tom Selleck to other major roles with his wit. The stage is epic in size and beautiful while the action is all very good for a well rounded and fun movie.
The story may be a bit standard but when Quigley’s expertise with a sharp gun is changed and acting behind the scenes it takes on a life of its own. There are also legendary weapons and shooting contests that originated from popular movies along with a company selling the model sharp weapons used in the movie.
Quigley Underneath is a very good film on Blu-ray with clear video and fantastic color, with just the right touch of grain to bring it all together. The audio also sounds very good, but I only hear the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix without the surround sound so some of the epic scale is a bit low key for the audio.
Bonus content is much shorter with seven minutes of party features and two and a half minute TV episodes with six theatrical episodes. Quigley Down Under on Blu-ray is a great way to enjoy a western that embraces the modern genre with some great action all around.
I highly recommend Quigley Down Under as another great MGM Blu-ray release starring Tom Selleck, Alan Rickman and Laura San Giacomo.
