The first ten minutes of this film did not inspire me. Chris Pine ("Toby") and brother "Howard" (Ben Foster) rob some small town banks and attract the attention of the soon to retire, curmudgeonly Jeff Bridges as Texas ranger ("Hamilton"). Well, as it pans, it turns out much better than I had expected: the characterisations are strong; the pace and writing keep it interesting and although the story is riddled with holes and inconsistencies the thing flows along well as the ranger homes in on his increasingly reckless quarry. Bridges' persona is a little similar to his "True Grit" (2010) but Gil Birmingham plays a good foil as his cohort ("Alberto") and the four create quite a lively and enjoyable cat-and-mouse action adventure that had me undecided as to whose side I was on until quite near the end... Largely uncluttered by soppy romance, it's even got a slight Robin Hood spirit about it too.
