The Quick and the Dead 1995

Janet Maslin, New York Times: Mr. Raimi is limited by a sketch mentality, which means his jokes tend to be over long before his films end. But his tastes for visual mischief and crazy, ill-advised homage can still make for sly, sporadic fun. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: Rarely dull, it is not noticeably compelling either, and as the derivative offshoot of a derivative genre, it inevitably runs out of energy well before any of its hotshots runs out of bullets. Read more

Entertainment Weekly: Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Raimi's choice to give the film a comic book-like aura of mingled camp and grit makes for some fitfully energetic and entertaining moments, but it's not enough to overcome The Quick and the Dead's primary fault. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: As preposterous as the plot was, there was never a line of Hackman dialogue that didn't sound as if he believed it. The same can't be said, alas, for Sharon Stone... Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: You get lots of clothes here, but no emperor. Read more

Derek Adams, Time Out: A deadpan black comedy, Sam Raimi's fast-paced movie looks and sounds like a Leone oater but more so. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: Although Stone may be pleasing to some eyes, she's pretty small in the saddle here -- just an innocuous gender twist on the reluctant cowboy hero. And her story of hellbent revenge is about as compelling as a 30-second fragrance commercial. Read more