Review of Quigley Down Under

"Quigley Down Under" is the story of an American marksman who takes a job in the land down under, Australia, at the bequest of one of the local land barons. With his saddle and custom-made rifle in hand, Quigley lands in the land of Australia, gets entangled with one of the local "ladies in waiting", and ends up with a complete distaste for the reason he answered the want ad in the first place. Quigley played by Tom Selleck, thought he was being hired to exterminate the local wildlife from the cattle ranch of Elliott Marston, deviously played by Alan Rickman. Marston makes it clear that Quigley's job is to hunt down and terminate the local natives of Australia, the aborigines, whom he considers a nuisance. That prospect sickens Quigley, he and Marston have a falling-out, and Quigley winds up on the Australian wild lands, beaten-up, no water, and a half-loco lady, who keeps calling him by another name.

Selleck is able to give the role a fantastic reason for watching the film over several times, because it seems to fit him so well. He is a moral individual, who will do the job called for, as long as it is in no way a compromise of his own personal principles. Marston represents the complete opposite of those guidelines, and the two eventually end up in the confrontation that stamps movies of the western genre.

Selleck and Rickman do very well in their parts, and Laura San Giacomo plays the loco lady that Quigley has to take under his arm, as if he does not have enough to deal with. The lands photograph well, and the tone is a film worth having in a person's own collection. Enjoy the trip to the Land Down Under, Mate!