Hatfields & McCoys (2012) User Reviews (72)

An amazingly tragic epic that's very well done.

[funwithstardestroyers · 8/10 · 31 May 2012]

I'll start off by saying that I'm not the biggest Costner fan in the world. I don't hate him like a lot of people do, but I find that he can be quite wooden when he acts. That said, he did an awesome job with this one! Everyone did an awesome job!

We all know the story, but this drama brings it to life vividly and highlights an important lesson. The series is beautifully shot, fully capturing the grit of the period. The set's and props also look great.

Kevin Costner, who, like I said above, is usually rather wooden, shines here as someone who originally wanted no part in the feud, but as time goes on is fully drawn into it. Appearing more level headed as McCoy, in truth, Devil Anse is just as hateful.

Bill Paxton made the series for me as Randall McCoy. We see how McCoy, who is inexorably screwed at almost every turn, grows more and more bitter, and hateful. The more bitter he get's, the more he gets screwed and we see an enormous downward spiral. The character invokes massive amounts of pity, because he really did go through a lot from the beginning. This is only added to when the feud begins. He loses several children, his home and his wife goes mad. At the same time, the character makes you want to slap him because his stubbornness causes most of his troubles. Toward the end, he's a broken, hollow man that has lost most everything, but still refuses to let things go. A brilliant performance, as it shows where bitterness can lead.

The supporting cast is great as well, with the likes of Mare Winningham giving the most profound lines of truth toward the end. The musical score is great in some places, but it lacks in others.

So haters are gonna hate (as you can see from the message boards), but it really is a great series. Is it the most accurate? No, but it captures the spirit of the feud and the real tragedy that it was. Were the performances perfect? No. They rarely are. Was it shot in Romania? Yes, but I don't know the reasoning over that (probably money), so I'm not going to judge. No film is perfect, but this one is great and finally presents some actual HISTORY on The History Channel that has been sorely missed.

Wonderful work. Cast and Crew did themselves proud.

[lawrenceb56 · 9/10 · 31 May 2012]

Ted Mann is a genius. Brought a bit of Deadwood to this piece and when the writing is great and the piece is filmed with such professionalism the results are going to be good. This is an amazing piece of history and all involved should be proud. I especially loved Costner, Mare Winningham, Tom Berringer and Jenna Malone, though I could name many more. What a story! I have to go back to Kevin Costner. I didn't understand a few of his lines, but here he is playing (and playing well) a generational historic character and doing it in a way that I did not think he had the capability of doing. He is wonderful as Devil Anse. It just goes to show you that if you give a talented pro great lines, they'll deliver. And he did, big time. This is tough, gritty and beautiful film making and if history means anything to you, I highly recommend Hatfields and McCoys.

Them's ornery critters in them hills!

[NutzieFagin · 8/10 · 8 June 2012]

I was first pulled into The Hatfields and McCoys by the trailer. It shows the usual teaser scenes but the song "Bartholemew" by the The Silent Comedy is one of those songs that just stays in your head and makes you remember. It also has a distinct rocking chair rhythm with a blue grassy sound which is a perfect accompaniment toward the series. I would suggest to check out the other songs on their album,"Common Faults" by The Silent Comedy. I think we will hear more from this group in the future.

But anyway,knowing some of the history of the feud between the Hatfields and McCoys, I made no real plans to see it. So much parody, jokes and even cartoons have been made of the infamous battle between two clans, that I thought this would be another stinker. But one night the History Channel was repeating the series, nothing else on TV, I decided what the heck!All I can say, I don't know exactly why, but it was like picking up a book and not being able to put it down.

The acting is probably what impressed me. It's good! Kevin Costner does a fine performance as the brooding, yet ornery Devil Anise Hatfield and Bill Paxton as the quiet, "moral seeker" Randall McCoy. Both show a proud fierceness of being the head of two large families and surviving in the rugged wilderness of Kentucky and West Virginia. The rest of the supporting cast does more than lend affirmation toward their characters but they give the film a finer spice and freshness like the mountain air. The only strange thing is that the entire series was filmed in Romania....Romania? A lot of viewers were disappointed that it was not filmed on location by the Tug River near Kentucky and West Virginia. My guess is that it may be cheaper to film in a remote foreign country or a lot of the original locations may have been modernized by buildings or just plain gone.

The Hatfields and McCoys probably take some dramatic liberties to further the plot line, but not much. The most infamous story line is the love story between Johnes Hatfield and Rosanna McCoy. Rosanna did save Johnes's life on that night her brothers took him away to kill him, by riding on horseback thru a dark night to warn Devil Anise. But some have disputed that Johnes was all not that infatuated with Rosanna, and the reason he abandoned her was that he was a notorious womanizer. Johnese decided that being with Rosanna was too dangerous and did not want to deal with the McCoys and that he was not ready to settle down with a family. But whatever the real story, Rosanna's fate was the most tragic.

I was warned the scenes were gory and bloody--sorry--I've seen horror films that were far worse. But some of the murderous acts fighting, and cold hearted acts may upset some viewers. I've heard some say that it pokes fun at religion and with a scene of a ruckus in a church meeting house with a preacher. I never took it that way--it was a tough life living back then and especially in that location. It may have influenced some people to commit acts of violence because they felt the knowing need for survival.

So what can be said about the entire Hatfield and McCoy feud? Two proud families headed by two fierce proud patriarchs that took escalation incidents and lead them to a tragic bloodbath. And that is what the conclusion heading too---it consumed some of the family members while giving us a haunting lesson of what revenge mixed with family pride can do. Would it have ended differently if Devil Anise and Randall took other steps---maybe but probably not. In any event, The Hatfields and McCoys can be historical reminders of how violence or wars can abruptly start while consuming others with tragic consequences.

Very well done...

[bahpofficer · 10/10 · 1 June 2012]

I am not going to tell you anything of the History of that feud. If you want to know, simply watch it! The cast did an excellent job and captured the essence of one of the worst feuds in US History. It almost caused another war--literally. It was a joy to see this cast in action--especially Costner, Paxton and Mare Winningham! If this does not get a Golden Globe, People's Choice Award or an Emmy then this nation has a screw loose! I have not seen anything this good in years in the way of Westerns...There was none of that "modernization" or revisionist garbage! This is realistic and it is excellent! Watch it! You will not be wasting your time as it truly does capture the spirit of the era in which this took place.

Costner is back where he is the best, the west!

[tommilaaksovuori-384-903793 · 31 May 2012]

I have to say I was skeptical to say the least when I first heard of this TV-show. A western with Kevin Costner sounded like something we have all already seen, so many times. I even considered not to watch it just because it sounded little lame to me. Well because there are so few shows about civil war the and time after that I decided to watch it anyway. And oh boy I am glad I did.

As I said there is so few good shows or movies about this era. In my opinion this is one of the best. A good dose of action and drama! There is romance and there is some good old western shooting and riding. Tho the thing I like best about this mini show is that it really feels authentic. Its like I am there watching the rebuild of the south after a long civil war. So all the history fans out there I am pretty sure you will like it a lot. I think all the actors do a great job! The characters are quite deep and interesting. Some of them also little comical. My favorite is Bill Paxton as Randall McCoy! The father and head of the family and a man full of so much agony and bitterness. I like Kevin Costners performance too!

The fact that I like this genre so much might affect my review but I still think this is a show well worth watching.

The Hundred Year War

[stevenball2 · 10/10 · 31 May 2012]

The feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys began during the Civil War and lasted according to the ending credits over 100 years. This mini-series covers some of the highlights (lowlights?) and it is hard to keep track of all the characters involved. Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton play the two patriarchs. Evidently Kevin Costner has made up with his old collaborator Kevin Reynolds who directed the series. They had their own feud going for quite awhile. Mr. Costner actually does a very good job in the acting department. Like some of his fellow actors (Mel Gibson, Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, Clint Eastwood) he has an Oscar for directing but not for acting. Tom Berenger who is unrecognizable is another stand out in the acting department. This series should also make a star of Matt Barr who plays one of the Hatfields and gets romantically involved with not one but two of the McCoy girls. This is the Romeo & Juliet section of the story. There are lots of other good performances in the series and unfortunately the series is probably too violent to show in our schools even though it provides a valuable lesson in American History.

Very Hard For Me to Watch - It was THAT GOOD.

[smartU2 · 10/10 · 13 February 2022]

Really well done mini-series. Acting is phenomenal by so many people. Look up "Hatfields and McCoys" on IMDb and there's a very long line of productions on this topic. Rightly so since it is such an incredible piece of history on so many levels. But, none of those productions comes anywhere near this mini-series with Kevin Costner totally in his element. Gorgeous country/nature, too. The plot follows the history well-enough. It's a dramatization not a documentary. If I were a McCoy, perhaps, I would be a bit upset because - honestly, for me - I sided with the Hatfields. Perhaps, that could be a criticism but bible thumping and righteousness gets me annoyed every time and Randall McCoy is heavy-handed with it. One of my favorite lines in the mini-series was when Devil Anse Hatfield said to the ever-righteous Randall McCoy: "....you're just a huckleberry above a persimmon..." Can't wait to use that quip. The writing and the authenticity of language was realistic enough - although, admittedly, I am no expert.

The Best Mini Series ever so far.

[afijamesy2k · 10/10 · 31 May 2012]

In the tradition of such classic mini series like roots and the thorn birds, this is definitely ranks up there with those classics, it's based on a true story on the feud between the Hatfield's & McCoys feud from 1863-91 and it ends with many deaths and many bad memories, Kevin Costner in one of his best performances since dances with wolves plays William McCoy and Bill Paxton as McCoy and they shine in this film, along with great supporting work by tom berenger, powers booth and Mare Winningham, This movie delivers the best characters, the best story and the best teleplay i've ever seen in years, this is a sure fire emmy contender and definitely the years best in tube.

I Give it an A+

Good show, bad audio

[skyguywv · 7/10 · 1 June 2012]

I enjoyed Hatfields & McCoys except for one thing: The audio in the first segment was horrible. So bad in fact that most of my friends turned it off after 30 minutes because they couldn't understand what the actors were saying. The plot, especially in the beginning was very important to the rest of the story, and there were so many characters involved that if you didn't know what they said, you were lost. The biggest issue was the mumbling of the actors, combined with what appeared to be lousy sound pick-up. Further along into part one, the audio seemed to clear up and the actors stopped mumbling for the most part. The second and third parts of the series were much better, audio wise.

Be aware that I am from southern WV, and while it may be hard for people outside this area to understand the dialect, it isn't for me. The early mumbling and audio was just bad.

Now, as far as the rest of the movie: I give it a 7, which is high for me. I'm glad to see the fact that these people weren't portrayed as stupid barefoot hillbillies. Check the history of Devil Anse on the Net and you'll find out that he was smart, wealthy, and the family turned out doctors and lawyers and governors. All in all, I like the show.

10+++ Stars! Firs ever review from me!

[danny-berry77 · 10/10 · 2 June 2012]

I use IMDb all the time for viewing ratings, actors, etc. and this is the first time I have EVER myself rated anything! I saw that this series currently had a 5.5 rating which is INSANE!!! I am a huge movie watcher and this is one of my all time favorites already! I would never create an account and rate this a 10 if it wasn't deserving!

I will not say any spoilers but I urge anyone who loves History or documentaries to PLEASE just watch the first episode of the 3 and please rate this! Costner & Plaxton were amazing! I was on the edge of my seat during the whole 3 part series!

Great great movie series!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dan

History Channel?

[farmerd · 6/10 · 1 June 2012]

The plot seems to follow the feud history, but did anyone in the production staff actually visit Mingo county West Virginia or Pike county Kentucky? I've never seen so much flat land as photographed here. Maybe Romania wasn't such a good location...

The dialogue coaches could have been better, as no one in this series really sounds like they are from central Appalachia. Most of the dialect sounds much more like piedmont deep south rather than the mountains of West Virginia or Kentucky.

Lots a of blood, gore, and guts. Once again, Appalachia is reduced to Stephen Fetchit-like Hillbillies. The best part of the series is the history tags at the close of episode 3.

It's easy to hate Perry Cline. No so easy to hate Nancy McCoy...but then she is portrayed by Jena Malone...

And, the McCoys had a great innerspring mattress circa 1880...

"Here's scripture for you. Blood toucheth blood."

[classicsoncall · 10/10 · 14 January 2013]

I watched the first two parts of this mini-series yesterday and then found out Kevin Costner picked up a Best Actor award at the Golden Globes later in the evening for his role as the patriarch of the Hatfield Clan. I don't think I've seen him give a finer performance. There's an interesting dichotomy to his portrayal of Devil 'Anse' Hatfield. Viewed objectively, the character does live up to his nickname with a stone cold heart and an unwavering quest for revenge for every wrong committed against his extended family. The odd thing is, somehow he comes across as reasonable, even when he's about to execute a trio of McCoy kin propped up in front of a Hatfield firing squad.

The same holds true for his nemesis Randall McCoy (Bill Paxton). Randall is the more tragic of the two figures, who succumbs to alcohol and a placid sort of dementia over time after witnessing so many of his family fall victim to the infamous feud. Paxton could have been a contender for the same Golden Globe award, but his character didn't have the kind of charisma that Costner brought to his portrayal. Even so, Paxton does a superb job in his role.

Other standouts in the story include Tom Berenger as Uncle Jim Vance on the Hatfield side, and Mare Winningham as Randall's wife Sally. Berenger's completely unrecognizable, at least to me, underneath the woolly beard and all that mountain man gear. Whenever I see Winningham, I think back to her Brat Pack days in "St. Elmo's Fire" and marvel at how she's developed as an actress over the years. The writers gave her a great line when she made an observation about the newly discovered light bulb, calling it Tom Edison's electric lightning ball - that was a hoot.

Over the years and like most people, I had heard of the feud between the Hatfields and McCoys without ever knowing anything about it's history. After a falling out over Anse Hatfield's desertion from the Confederate Army in 1863, and Randall's serving time in a Union prison camp, the two men always seemed to have something come up between them. Sometimes it involved cousins or other kinfolk, but the matter generally landed at each other's doorstep forcing one man's hand against the other. The war between the families didn't end until 1891, and even then only unofficially. The end credits state that a formal resolution wasn't reached until, get this, 2003!, when a formal peace treaty was signed by sixty descendants of the original ancestors. One hundred thirty eight years - and you thought your neighbor was a pain in the neck.

WV Native Waits To Watch

[plex · 6/10 · 3 August 2013]

This series resided on my DVR for a full year before viewing. I'm confused. Maybe I lost sight of the forest for the trees. This film seems to do nothing more than what Hollywood consistently does to musicians, portray them as a bad cliché. While production standards are well executed, those are the only things I give kudos to on this production. Costner and Paxton are the standouts in the film, as they are the only two that the film /script allows for any real character development. As there are so MANY players in the film, the rest of the performances get a bit muddied from time-to-time. Im amazed how many night sequences were in this film. I am from WV and I can tell you traveling at night in the woods of WV is simply not possible, especially during that time. The pacing of the film is inconsistent, with at least an hour possible to truncate from its length. What sticks out the most to me, aside from the rushed dialog, is the persistent casual murderous intent and reactions to death. Its a wonder our population grew at all, as everyone seems to look for some minuscule reason to kill, and only care about it to exact revenge to kill some more. Its hard for me to believe that just 150 years ago we were such a nation of savages and sociopaths, at least drug dealers kill each other for business reasons. Or is it, we ( West by-God Virginians actually weren't as bad as the film portrays but, once again, are stereotyped for entertainment purposes? Lastly, the still-framed epilogue of the film runs by so fast and is so incomplete, that a lot of the real questions never get answered, in other words 5 hours of film, and then a summarization that last only a few seconds and barely addresses the key points of story, characters, and outcome. I don't need to see this one twice.

H&Mc missed the mark

[hard_drive1968 · 3/10 · 2 June 2012]

While I didn't know much about the story other than the obvious family feud, I was really looking forward to seeing this mini-series. I know more about it now, but I'm left even more confused than before. The way this series was done was awful. It wasn't until halfway through that I even started to grasp who was who and for which side. Other than Anse and Randall (and their wives), I had a difficult time following the story. There were so many 1-scene characters that I'm guessing we should have known who they were, but I couldn't tell one from the other. At times I had difficulty determining who Paxton or Costner were! The dialog was a bit suspect at times too..."what did he say" and "what does that mean?" kept running through my head. Also, there were times when a character would show guts in a scene, then cower in a corner (so to speak) the next. Either you're a bad a** or you're not, right? And with all the alcohol being consumed, it's a wonder that they got anything done! Character development was poor (other than a handful of the cast) and nobody stood out. I feel that this would have been better if it were a 12-15 episode season instead of the 4.5 hours (not counting commercials) mini series.

Great production value for TV show

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 29 August 2013]

With its roots in the civil war in the Kentucky Virginia area, the Hatfields and McCoys feud is as epic as any in the literary world. That's why this series works so well. If Shakespeare is alive today, he would definitely write a play about them. This is iconic American history.

Two veteran big name actors anchor this series. Kevin Costner plays the leader of the Hatfields, 'Devil' Anse Hatfield. Bill Paxton plays the McCoys elder Randall. By placing such steady hands at the helm, the foundations is set solid. This History channel production is shocking because of its great production value. It sets a new bar for the standard that we must expect from now on.

One of if not the best TV movies I have ever seen. Very entertaining and Costner helps revive the genre. I say A.

[cosmo_tiger · 9/10 · 2 June 2012]

"You are talking about starting another civil war. That's not talk John, that's what we already got." Becoming close friends during the Civil War, Anse Hatfield (Costner) and Randall McCoy (Paxton) have a little falling out when Anse takes off one night and abandons the fighting. Little by little the families lives cross paths and tension continue to mount. When one of McCoys's sons is attacked by a member of the Hatfield family a war is begun. I have stated before that the last really good western to me was "Open Range" since then the genre has had a rough 10 years. Leave it to Costner to bring it back. Even though this is a made-for-TV series don't let that scare you off. The movie is a must see for western fans and history buffs. I really don't know anything about the actual history of the feud but this movie made me want to learn more. Costner is perfect in this role as the leader of the Hatfield clan. Paxton is good, but a strange choice in the role of the McCoy's head. I could really go on and on about this movie but I will just say that this could be the movie that returns the western genre to the way it should be. For a movie on the History channel this is not in anyway tame or holds back at all. Violent and brutal with great characters. I highly recommend this. Overall, the best western since "Open Range" and one of the best TV movies I have ever seen. I give it an A.

Great

[dhat-41259 · 8/10 · 4 September 2017]

As a descendant of the Hatfield clan I found everything shown in this mini series mostly true. As a young teenager I did a report on it for school. The Johnse/Rosanna romance was true. As for Johnse being a romancer of women Rosanna even mentions that in part 1. The stolen pig is true along with the all of the killings that took place. The only parts I haven't confirmed in my time on earth is the part where Devil Anse takes Johnse fishing to find out if he told Nancy where the Hatfields were and Devil Anse being baptized. It's by far the best movie production by far about the feud. A lot of the little things like the 2 guys cutting the tree on the down hillside which isn't the way to cut a tree doesn't bother me. The major points of the feud were brought out n now a lot more know about history of the Hatfield & McCoys.

A Good Film, as I Expected

[doug_park2001 · 8/10 · 13 May 2013]

HATFIELDS & McCOYS is well-acted and well-filmed. According to some other reviewers, many of the historical fine points are inaccurate. Nevertheless, it relates the basic story very well, and, most importantly, gives an impartial dual-focus of the two clans and the complex nature of their snowballing feud.

The whole flavor of the film is that of a very good made-for-TV Western--or perhaps "Eastern" is the proper term. By necessity, of course, it's repetitively violent and full of shoot-'em-ups, hangings, and such, and is often rather depressing, with little humor or any other form of relief. Many may find this 290-minute TV miniseries a bit hard to watch in one or two nights. Still, it's a very captivating story whose beautiful scenery provides excellent contrast with its grim plot. Actually filmed in the Carpatian Mountains of Romania (!), but, aside from some stagey-looking buildings, it could have fooled me into thinking I was looking at authentic Appalachia.

Excellent Performances

[Michael_Elliott · 2 June 2012]

Hatfields & McCoys (2012)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Despite a few flaws, The History Channel's telling of the infamous Hatfield and McCoy feud makes for some terrific entertainment and features a cast making a major comeback in their careers. The leaders of the families, Anse Hatfield (Kevin Costner) and Randall McCoy (Bill Paxton), go through more than a decade of each one having family members killed and as time drags on the states of Kentucky and West Virginia get pulled into it.

HATFIELDS & MCCOYS runs just under five hours and I decided to watch the film in its entirety instead of breaking it down into its three parts. I must say that even though I went through the entire thing in one sitting that it never felt long and in fact it actually went by fairly quickly. I will admit that there are many flaws in the picture but for the most part you really can't be disappointed in the end result. I'll start off talking about the flaws and it's funny that in the five-hour running time the most boring aspects for me were the first ten or fifteen minutes when we're seeing the two families during the Civil War era. These early scenes really didn't seem to be overly needed but I understand why they were included. It's when the actual feud starts over a stolen pig that things really started to take off and they never slowed down. Another flaw was the music score, which was quite annoying at times and especially during the moments where a song was played. I'm going to guess that the director wanted to add some sort of emotion but the song doesn't do this.

With that said, the film is such an epic that you can't help but be impressed with it. Yes, I'm sure certain facts were changed for entertainment and I'm sure there were countless stories that aren't told about the feud but I think they did a very good job at getting as much in as they could. The most impressive thing is the fact that the story never gets boring or drawn out, which is saying quite a bit considering the running time. I thought the way the story was told was very good and they're able to draw you into the excitement of the battle but also make you keep asking yourself how many people have to die before one side calls an end to it. The film contains quite a bit of violence and I enjoyed and respected the fact that the film doesn't shy away from the fact that not only were men killed but so were women, children and even a mentally challenged boy.

The greatest thing about the movie is that we get some terrific actors given some of the best material in many years and all of them do a masterful job. It starts with Costner who delivers the type of performance that made him one of the biggest stars in his time. He does a terrific job with the part and manages to show just about every side of this character that you could expect. His character goes through quite a bit and Costner nails every emotion along the way. Paxton is also terrific in his part and I think it's fair to say that his character goes through even more damage and the way the actor starts to question everything around him was very strong and touching. Tom Berenger is wonderful as Jim Vance and we get an exceptionally strong Powers Boothe playing Judge Hatfield. Other excellent performances come from Jena Malone, Andrew Howard, Lindsay Pulsipher, Sarah Parish and Matt Barr.

HATFIELDS & MCCOYS does justice to the infamy of the two families and I really don't think you could have hoped for much more.

A missed opportunity

[eryui · 6/10 · 29 April 2016]

The plot, being a real story could be interesting, if it not for its silly premises and the execution that, my bad, leave much to desire.

The whole movie indeed, between a spit and a gunshot it is not, despite its potential, as gripping or engaging as it could have been. The problem is, as well, that all the premises to this eternal fight, turn around a couple families that look like really a bunch of specious and forceful idiots! Maybe it needed some poetic license to adjust the aims.

The script is somehow flat, many secondary characters, impersonal and banal. The photography, that should accompany a now day film of this scale, isn't that great. Locations, sets and costumes, generic and not studied and not really characterized. Many characters so shallow you wont really care about. Kevin Costner is good but, wow, seems like that to enter into his hard soul cowboy character he had to (obviously) spit on the ground every now and then. Doubtless his charismatic presence, greatly helps the entire movie, anyway.

Don't get me wrong, this three episode movie still watchable but, it is a shame the fact that with this main cast (Costner, Paxton, Berenger, Boothe, Howard and the beautiful Parish) and this plot, with a bit more attention and build effort, and maybe some gripping poetic licenses, it could have been great. It is just not really well executed to me, despite the now day cinematography possibilities. It looked like made right to the TV without any (but necessary) extra efforts. The fight scenes were often out of focus and barely comprehensible and the whole movie a little stretched and not well edited, so, also the pacing and the linearity are loosed in here.

I have read "best miniseries" everywhere but if you watched enough TV series and miniseries you should know there are many better executed and gripping one out there. Cause those sentences and the actual 8.1/10 I really expected much more. It is instead around a barely simple 6-7/10 to me, that precisely, does not mean it is excellent at all.

Best Ever Mini Series

[johnwease · 10/10 · 1 June 2012]

Excellent made mini-series. I recorded all three parts and was going to watch a little at a time, however when I started watching it I couldn't stop. Since I recorded it on my DVR I was able to FF thru all the commercials. Really Impressed! Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton done a fantastic performance as the Patriarchs of the families. Tom Berenger and many other actors contributed much in the way of there character as well. This story and it's inter-personal family issues were so real and timeless. I think many people was able to relate in some aspects to one or more characters in there own life. The feelings and emotions were expressed in such a real way that I felt like I was right there in person witnessing each incident that took place.

Great Movie (Spoiler Alert)

[logan-348-121954 · 7/10 · 4 June 2012]

Yes this movie was worthy of my time, but felt that they didn't put enough effort into helping me understand why they were feuding; was it because of the timber rights on the land? How was it that they came to be friends in the military, and Hatfield decided to desert? How come Hatfield was never held accountable for anything?

The production quality was excellent and so was the acting; I did feel that Bill Paxton's role could have shown more grit. The character played by Powers should have been a bigger role, maybe he could have played uncle Jim instead of Tom Berenger. It almost felt like this was Kevin Costner's same old game of being the center of attention, even though he did a fine job, it was obvious that he had a lot of influence on the movie. As far as the ending, they really seemed to wrap up a lot of details in a short period of time; not sure I agree with that use of film. In closing, I think this would have been better with a 4th part allowing time for more details around the Hatfields and the McCoys before they started killing one another.

Very well done

[jasonmichaeldickinson · 10/10 · 8 May 2022]

This is truly one the best tv miniseries ever made the entire cast did a wonderful job the story is very hard to sit through most of all rest in peace Bill Paxton.

Inconsistent comes to mind.

[artistgp · 6/10 · 2 June 2012]

Hmmm.. Where to begin.

It took a while for me to get into the first episode, I enjoyed the second, then the third just ticked me off. The acting was fairly good throughout.

Costner was very good. Paxton didn't really have very much to work with. He had several scenes, but he was only given a few notes to play during the entire series. The cinematography was fine, but not special.

The strangest parts to me where how how inconsistent the directing seemed to be. The edit was sloppy at times. It also seemed like audio was occasionally not syncing up. There wasn't a steady feel to the entire film/series, which is on the director. The story had issues which i attributed to the fact that maybe they were sticking with the actual facts, but since then I've heard they strayed from the actual history, so they really have no excuse.

Halfway during episode two I noticed there was no longer anyone that I cared about. Tons of characters were left, but why should I care about any of them. I couldn't connect. The "I kill, you kill, I kill, you kill" theme got old extremely quick. You may say that that is the entire point of the feud. If so, i would have suggested they just not make it into a film. I'll refrain from getting into how much I disliked the ending and the "recaps."

OK - please read and know why the bad review

[trrsb · 1/10 · 13 July 2015]

Before you go ballistic about this rotten review of what is otherwise a pretty good flick, I feel I needed to take a stand against the recent trends in the opening "credit reel" in films like this. There is NOTHING worse than credits that roll incessantly into 10 minutes or more of the film, rolling in the background over scenes meant to draw you in with the drama taking place - yet you are obliged to read another credit being splashed on the screen. I liken this to the inane "popups" we all get in the Internet world. Sorry, but when during the opening scenes in Part 2 showing Costner rescuing Matt Barr (Johnse Hatfield) from certain death, I don't give a damn who the Asst Asst Producer is. And this crap continued even deeper into the movie, so I hit the eject button. Where did these people learn how to make a movie? Do they understand the nature of continuity and how it is absolutely destroyed when credits continue unabated well into the dialogue, drama and action taking place? Awful.

And, I fully blame the director here for allowing this sort of thing to ruin the most critical part of the film - the first 10 minutes - the time to either draw in the audience or put them to sleep with endless advertising for people that might have had some vicarious connection to the movie or maybe a relative of the Key Grip guy. So, there it is - 1 star. Maybe if enough of us complain, this grotesque filmmaking trend will go to the cutting room floor where it belongs!