The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (1993)

Brisco County Sr. and his posse have tracked down the notorious John Bly gang and are taking them to prison on an eastbound train.

But with the help of some painted scenery to derail the train and a tie pin to unlock some chains, the gang escapes, killing the lawman in the process.

This won’t do, the Western land barons decide. So they send for a new man to track down the escapees.

And who better than Brisco County Jr. (Bruce Campbell), a Harvard educated lawyer who’s been looking for the next big thing as the 20th century approaches.

Brisco takes the job, not to avenge his father, but to complete his father’s mission.

Brisco’s mission will be to recapture John Bly and Big Smith (M.C. Gainey) with the help of his green-apple loving steed Comet.

And in trying to complete that mission, he finds himself embroiled in a struggle over possession of a mysterious golden orb discovered in a mine by Chinese laborers.

The cylinders in the orb provide super human strength, and mine owner Granville Thorogood is determined to possess the UFO (unearthed foreign object).

Review:

If you’re in the mix for a tongue-in-cheek Western with a dose of sci-fi tossed in for good measure, this is the movie for you.

Actually, it was the pilot to a TV series that ran for 27 episodes on FOX in 1993 and 1994.

Other cast regulars included Lord Bowler (Julius Carry), a bounty hunter who’s losing business to Brisco; and Socrates Poole (Christian Clemenson), the intermediary between Brisco and his land barron bosses.

Spicing up the pilot are Kelly Rutherford and Anne Tremko. The former plays Dixie Cousins, girlfriend to outlaw Big Smith, who delivers a saucy version of “I’m Gonna File My Claim” and doesn’t like sleeping alone, even when Big isn’t around.

The latter plays Amanda Wickwire, daughter of an eccentric professor, who doesn’t like to be pawed by cowboys, but doesn’t mind being kissed by Brisco.

A couple of scenes here are sure to make you smile, including a five-man gunfight and Brisco riding a rocket down the railroad tracks in order to arrive at the nick of time to stop a train holdup.

Former TV Western stars James Drury and Robert Fuller make cameo appearances as two of Brisco’s employers early in the film.

Directed by:
Bryan Spicer

Cast:
Bruce Campbell … Brisco County Jr.
Julius Carry … Lord Bowler
Christian Clemenson … Socrates Poole
Kelly Rutherford … Dixie Cousins
Billy Drago … John Bly
John Pyper-Ferguson … Pete Hutter
John Astin … Professor Wickwire
Dan Gerrity … Jonah Collier
Anne Tremko … Amanda Wickwire
Stuart Whitman … Granville Thorogood
R. Lee Ermey … Brisco County Sr.
M.C. Gainey … Big Smith
Rayford Barnes … Sherman Paulson
Paul Brinegar … Francis Kilbride
James Drury … Ethan Emerson
Robert Fuller … Kenyoun Drummond

Runtime: 93 min.

Memorable lines:

Brisco County Jr.: “Which one of you is Aristotle Poole?”
Approaching lawyer: “That’s Socrates Poole.”
Brisco: “Common mistake, I imagine.”
Socrates Poole: “Not at all.”
Brisco: “Well it is if you flunk Greek mythology two years in a row.”

Socrates Poole: “You’re not quite what I expected, Mr. County.”
Brisco: “Well, Socrates, expections lead to disappointments. That’s why I try not to have any.”
Lee Pow: “We are the Scarred Foot Clan.”
Brisco, taking a look at the fiery embers on which they’ve been staging fights: “No kidding.”

Brisco: “Where did you learn to throw a punch like that?”
Amanda Wickwire: “Catholic school.”
Brisco: “That was gonna be my first guess.”

Big Smith gang member, after Brisco (using the alias Kansas) disarms Pete Hutter: “My God, he touched Pete’s piece.”
2nd gang member: “Nobody touches Pete’s piece.”
Pete: “You’re touching my piece, Kansas.”

John Astin as Professor Wickwire, working on his latest rocket in The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (1993)

Billy Drago as John Bly and M.C. Gainey as Big Smith, outlaw leaders in The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (1993)

John Pyper-Ferguson as Pete Hutter, spoiling for a fight in The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (1993)

R. Lee Emory as Brisco County Sr. in The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (1993)

Comet as Brisco County’s green-apple loving horse in The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (1993)

Anne Tremko as Amanda Wickwire makes a point with Brisco in The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (1993)