A new team came in 6 years later and fixed the basic mistakes of the original in this dissimilar followup "Rawhide II". Fine acting and sexual performances yield a winner.
Ironically, the first film directed by Nicholas Steele with superstar Carmen Luvana won many awards and this #2 got only nominations, a bridesmaid at the annual ceremony. But it is obvious which is the better picture.
Bree Olson plays the villain and gets top billing, but it is Kayden Kross in the lead role, empathetic as the widow (we see her hump hubby Erik Everhard in flashback) who tries to make a go of her farm on her own. Role is similar to Carmen's ranch lady in the first film, but better written and performed.
There's real conflict this time as evil Bree and her main henchman Marcus London will stop at nothing to get rid of Kross and get her land, as part of a scheme to sell out for a handsome profit to developers intent on turning the whole region into condos and the like.
Picture gets off to a great start with London graphically shooting Kayden's farmhand Anthony Rosano (to send a message) right after Tony's opening sex scene with lovely Kristina Rose.
Violence escalates and coming to Kayden's aid is prototypical drifter Tommy Gunn in a quality acting job reminiscent of early Michael Parks roles (see: BUS RILEY). Continuing the odd Parksian influence, Evan Stone is cast in a sheriff's role that virtually stereotyped Parks later in his career - he means well but must overcome his lifetime corruption, here bought & paid for by the powerful landowner Bree.
Film packs in quality special effects, a fight scene and shootout, all of which were missing from the first picture. Gunn already suggests the porn equivalent to tough guy in mainstream B movies William Smith, and in the later reels he teams up with an old buddy played by Neil Delama in a non-sex role that has the power and empathy of Muse Watson's memorable TV role as Mike Franks in the "NCIS" series. The two of them raise "Rawhide II" to the level of a real movie, albeit one containing loads of hardcore porn content. The combination of story and XXX results in a 3-hour running time.
Quality femme cast puts across the sex with gusto, though in villainy terms contract player Bree is not dangerous or even very interesting as Kayden's chief antagonist. I wouldn't mind seeing a third big-budget film in the series, hopefully returning to the Old West but this time with some action.
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