The Cowboy Way (1994)

"I'm a bid-ness man." - Woody Harrelson to Kiefer Sutherland

Woody Harrelson *is* THE COWBOY WAY.  The former bartender of TV's
"Cheers" is the sole reason to watch this clunky action/comedy about a
pair of rodeo-riders (Harrelson and Keifer Sutherland) roaming the Big
Apple to find their missing friend.  When they discover that said friend
is dead, they take their own approach to solving the crime.

COOGAN'S BLUFF it ain't, but this clunky caper comedy has about
forty-minutes of wit worth watching. The best bits have Harrelson
stealing scenes with lines like "I wouldn't throw a bucket of water on
your ass if it were drowning." The price of admission also buys a chance
to see (a) Woody with a crew cut and (b) Woody wearing nothing but his
hat.

How's that for a decent proposal?

The rest of the rest is a lame-brain sweat-shop subplot that stops
making sense after about an hour. The finale is an absurd horse/subway
chase that's calmed by the sight of Harrelson and Sutherland riding
horseback through The City. Remember when they still made movies there?

Oddly, THE COWBOY WAY has much more cruelty than the rating (of PG-13)
suggests. The demise of the villain, in particular, is quite disturbing
and parents should be wary.  (Rated "PG-13"/100 min.)

Grade: C+

Copyright 1994 by Michael J. Legeros