‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’ review: Kevin Costner quit ‘Yellowstone’ for this?!

Kevin Costner made a bold choice.

He departed nan astir celebrated TV show successful nan country and decided to show nan sweeping communicative of American Western description successful 4 interconnected films earlier anybody knew if nan first 1 was immoderate good. 

Well, by nan extremity of “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1,” which clocks successful astatine much than 3 glacial hours, I could not fathom committing different 540 minutes of my clip to this bloated ego trip. 

It’s difficult to judge Costner near “Yellowstone” to make specified an embarrassing, poorly told mess. 

What nan writer-director-star is trying to do pinch his difficult-to-follow communicative that originates successful 1859 and spans 15 years is humanize and deepen nan frontier. Fine idea.

The earthy scenery is stunning throughout. And location are acquainted elements of classical Western films (though what I wouldn’t springiness for a transportive Ennio Morricone people complete composer John Debney’s sappy sledgehammer soundtrack) and nan expected large shootouts.   

However, nan battles are uglier and much morally fraught than usual. For instance, early successful nan movie erstwhile a municipality called Great Day is attacked by Apache Native Americans, a family — including small kids — blows themselves up to debar achy torture.

The acheronian reality of manifest destiny is simply a worthy topic, and worthy of a overmuch amended film. One successful which we person moreover a modicum of finance successful immoderate of nan characters.

There are much than 20 named roles scattered each complete nan spot — nan San Pedro Valley, nan Montana Territory, nan Western Santa Fe Trail — and viewers strain to attraction overmuch for immoderate of them, truthful bland and animatronic they each are. 

Costner cuts successful and retired of their boring journeys, a la “Game of Thrones,” and it’s assumed they’ll meet up successful later films. 

Whoopee. 

A bunch of these folks — who look for illustration nan Western outpost they travel from is Malibu — are headed to nan municipality of Horizon, which promises “premium virgin lands.” 

Frances Kittredge (Sienna Miller) and her girl Diamond (Isabelle Fuhrman) past nan demolition of Great Day and are forced to rebuild their lives. 

You’d deliberation losing one’s hubby and boy successful a massacre would beryllium traumatic and scarring. 

Nope! Pretty soon, Frances is each smiles, hitting connected Lt. Trent Gephardt (Sam Worthington), and her hairsbreadth would propose she recovered immoderate Pantene conditioner down a cactus.

Jena Malone plays Ellen, a large woman and mother who’s been successful hiding since a convulsive incident immoderate years earlier. She ends up being chased by cartoony “Deliverance” brothers, and a hooker named Marigold (Abbey Lee) is near to watch complete her son.

Costner plays brooding Hayes, a mysterious Old West wanderer who protects Marigold and nan kid. The walking duo’s activity segment is, to opportunity nan least, unfortunate. 

Two hours in, yet much group are introduced. A young British joined couple, Juliette (Ella Hunt) and Hugh (Tom Payne), is portion of a wagon train, led by Matthew (a mislaid Luke Wilson), successful hunt of a caller life. Hunt’s whiny and phony capacity is nan astir annoying I’ve seen successful a minute.

Costner besides tells nan Native American broadside of nan story. Horrendously.

All nan sentimental, speechy, overscored speech successful nan book by Costner and Jon Baird is lesser Starz, aliases top-drawer Hallmark. 

Some lines are plain connection salad. A characteristic will jabber connected for 2 minutes and you’ll person nary hint what they’ve conscionable said. Elsewhere, it’s laughable.

After nan municipality is burned down astatine nan beginning, an service man points retired 3 sedate markers successful nan region to a survivor.

“You didn’t return that arsenic a sign?” nan worker asks.

“Sure we did,” responds nan man. “A motion to build connected nan different broadside of nan river.” 

That’s wherever they put nan zinger? The aftermath of a massacre?

The movie ends pinch a whiplash-inducing montage of disparate moments that, I think, is meant to enactment arsenic a “coming attractions” of sorts for nan adjacent 3 movies.

A short while earlier, Colonel Houghton (Danny Huston) observes, “There is nary service crossed this Earth that will extremity those wagons comin’.” 

But alternatively of “wagons,” my beleaguered and terrified ears heard “sequels.”