Film Review - Young Guns

Despite lacking the epic, boundary-breaking Bon Jovi soundtrack of its follow-up, Young Guns is still a decent film. Forty-four talented, gun-slinging children known as ‘Regulators’ are entrusted with defending an aged pervert’s farm. When the genial paedo, played by Terence Stamp, is murdered by outraged townsfolk, the Regulators swear vengeance.

At first deputised and operating as an arm of the law, they go about their task with a little too much gusto and are stripped of their authority. Thereafter they continue the fight as fugitives chased by a whole host of bounty hunters and lawmen, including Boba Fett and the Childcatcher.

The savage bairns complete their quest, but remain wanted. One by one they are picked off until only fifteen remain. These fifteen take the only chance they have got by entering a team into England’s Zurich Premiership rugby union competition. The children survive, but are overwhelmed in virtually every fixture due to the chasm in size between theirs and the opposition’s forwards. Unable to gain enough quick ball, their pacy backs are virtual bystanders.