Year 1983
Run Time 195 min
Director Dick Lowry
Screenwriter Jim Byrnes, Cort Casady
Theme Music Composer Larry Cansler
Cinematography James Pergola
Genre Western/ Sequel TV Movie
Cast
Kenny Rogers Brady Hawkes
Bruce Boxleitner Billy Montana
Linda Evans Kate Muldoon
Charlie Fields Jeremiah
Johnny Crawford Masket
David Hedison Carson
Robert Hoy Juno
Brion James Reece
Paul Koslo Holt
Cameron Mitchell Colonel Greeley
Mitchel Ryan Charlie McCourt
Gregory Sierra Silvera
Abstract
Brady Hawkes (Kenny Rogers), his son Jeremiah (Charlie Fields) and partner Billy Montana (Bruce Boxleitner) are on a train bound to a gambling event in San Francisco. The train allegedly transiting gold worth a million dollars is raided by the vicious McCourt gang.
The infamous renegade and cold blooded murderer (Charlie McCourt) aims to pry the one million dollars from the train owner. The train owner reveals that his fortune is cached safely in Jubilee, Arizona Bank. The gang takes Jeremiah hostage to ensure that the owner hands them the money in a swap that would happen some days later.
With Jeremiah’s life at stake, Brady Hawkes is forced to devise a rescue plan for his son with the knowledge that the train owner would not meet his end of the bargain. Brady alongside his ally Billy, gathers a gang of former friends including Reece (Brion James), Masket (Johnny Crawford), and the pretty bounty hunter Kate Muldoon (Linda Evans).
A big brawl finally erupts on the mountains between the two groups in the bid to save Jeremiah. In the end, a bloody fist fight between Brady and McCourt sees the former overpower the latter and regaining custody of his son.
Review
Director (Dick Lowry) rolled out yet another masterclass three years after producing the award winning Kenny Rogers as The Gambler in 1980. The Adventure Continues was the second production of four other sequel films masterminded by Dick Lowry.
The film is depicted as an action-filled western mini-series summed up by the starring of Kenny Rogers the famous musician and his friend Bruce Boxleitner both of whom featured in the original film.
It starts with the infamous train going nowhere meandering towards San Francisco with the famous “Gambler” song being played in the background. The legendary pro Brady Hawkes is headed for his final game before retiring.
His plan is put to a halt when the train is raided by a gang and his son held hostage in the process. Brady’s bravery and love for his son is illustrated when he promises to kill the gang leader (Charlie McCourt) himself if anything happens to Jeremiah.
A tiger attacking one of McCourt’s men and a grizzly bear chasing after Brady and Billy are some of the fascinating scenes in the film.
Another scene of interest is when Brady enters into a saloon and interrupts Linda Evans who is entertaining the crowd. Following the disturbance and confusion, Brady makes up to Linda by promising to buy everyone in the saloon a drink if the lady agrees to sing the famous “golden slippers” song for the crowd. His offer proves successful as the crowd joins in the song in an emphatic way.
Violence, horses, trains and train robberies, sheriffs, hold-ups and shoot-outs are some of the common Western attributes portrayed in the film. The two groups engage each other in the open landscapes with horses and wearing the distinct Western outfits.
The hero (Brady Hawkes) is a local gambler and an admirable character who triumphs against all odds to defeat the notorious gang. Even Linda Evans, the bounty hunter who’s portrayed first as saloon singer, later proves instrumental in the pursuit of Jeremiah.
Screenwriter’s (Jim Byrnes) ability to deviate from the words of a famous Western tune” you’ve got to know when to fold ‘em “and diverting the TV movie to mini- series length is expertly displayed. He has managed to create a sequel worth a watch. Values and good morals are also implanted in this movie, making it an all-round family adventure.
Rating
Premiered on November 28th and 29th 1983, the show proved a bigger success than the first film. The film was nominated for two Emmy Awards (sound mixing and sound editing of a limited series).
Creative writing, executive production, and resound casting completes a blend of factors that make the film a success. Out of ten Western films, The Adventure Continues falls among the top three movies that I would recommend for one to watch. That said, a 6.4 out of 10 is a good score for this one.
