WasAnnon
Slow pace in the most part of the movie.
Exoticalot
People are voting emotionally.
Breakinger
A Brilliant Conflict
Billy Ollie
Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable
lost-in-limbo
Just another cheaply made B-grade TV presentation from the sci-fi channel with sub-standard CGI effects
yeah but I actually came away really enjoying this feature even though in a laughable sense. My main fascination that drew me in was that Billy Drago was credited, but to my surprise he all but had 30 minutes. After the opening he disappears not completely knowing his fate. Anyhow what eventuates is some mindless and kooky snake-action on the western frontier. That's pretty much the story too. Predictable and not much meat to it, despite some of the characters having some sort of background story. Nothing is totally explored, but it's fulfilling. The action comes in spades, with plenty of bang for your buck with bullets and snakes making a great recipe. As for the snakes themselves, they look like you would expect for such a production. Glossy and overdone. Terrible wouldn't go astray either. Time flies by, while the script fits nicely and adds some digestible humour to the fold and the score (while on repeat) creates that western twang. Even the camera-work is crisp in movement and placement. Performances hold up with a solid lead turn by Brad Johnson and Drago pretty much steals the scenes in the opening encounters. Not a bad feature, which is amusingly fun and captivating throughout.
microx96002
OK, it's no Oscar winner, but as westerns go, I have to admit it was pretty much OK. Can't wait for a sequel, you just know they left it wide open for one. One suggestion though, forget the snakes next time, make it a real western. Everyone in it did a great job, and yes there wasn't enough Billy Drago, but see what I said about being left open for a sequel. I think the director is a westerns fan, someone who knows his westerns, and is a little influenced by the spaghetti westerns of the 1960' and 70's. There was a touch of old fashioned TV western to the music also, little bit Bonanza, a little bit Rawhide, just hints. A competent western overall, the snakes were a bit too CGI, but that only added to the B movie feel. So, to the producers, a sequel please with the same cast, continuation of the story, but please, traditional western without the snakes.
Thomas Clement (Mr. OpEd)
Copperhead actually achieved a level I've never seen before on the Sci-Fi channel: not half bad! Some of the dialog, always a rusty nail in the foot for these films, is actually GOOD, well-thought out, and delivered professionally. The direction and editing give it pace that makes it a slither above its bad brethren. Lorenzo Senatore's camera work is also excellent.It is not perfect. Holes and gaffs: The dead horse raises its head. The crack-proof safe has drywall you can stick your finger through. The exciting shot of the snakes crushing the fire is spoiled by continuity lapses. Fully loaded guns are handed so you can see that they don't have any bullets in them. I suspect Nathan Furst had to sprinkle enough Morricone nods to make the producers happy (it's distracting and the score was good enough without it). The world's slowest gatling gun that also doubles as a poker/spear chucker (all without ever being tested). An explosion (nice one!) that rips the top floor of a saloon, conveniently killing every last snake, but barely singing two main characters.The main weakness is the snakes themselves. The scene in the stable where the first scofflaw gets it would have been done better Hitchcock style: NOT showing it! In fact, if we'd seen the snakes less and more computing power was available to render them, they would have made for more creepy critters.In conclusion, if Copperhead was on again, I might give it a second viewing, not to make fun of it, but because it was fun. A Sci-Fi first!
BigBobM
For a Sci-Fi Channel movie Copperhead was far better than most. Then again, I'm a sucker for B Westerns and cheesy science fiction.One complaint I do have was that there not enough Billy Drago as Jesse. I wish the character returned at the end... perhaps in the sequel? Brad Johnson was his usual competent self as Wild Bill and Keith Stone and the rest of the cast excelled as well. There was also a fair share of humor that was well played and at just the right moments. I will be buying the DVD when it come out, I liked the film that much.By the way, did anyone else notice the character of Will at one point was called Bonney? Billy the Kid maybe? Makes me wonder if Doc was Pat Garret.