TAKEN FROM RIO BRAVO Review: Alexander Nevsky Tackles Human Traffickers And Notorious Foes In The New Western Sequel
Taken From Rio Bravo opens in North America in select theaters and on Xumo Play beginning August 1.
2.5 min. read
Actor and producer Alexander Nevsky returns to the Old West in Taken From Rio Bravo, the second installment of a forthcoming trilogy from director Joe Cornet. Both also take to the screen once more for the sequel, reprising their roles from a script by Craig Hamann, and a story that ultimately brings things full circle for this go-around.
That latter aspect of the film comes way later, while the film itself plays right to its target audience as our deputized hero Ivan Turchin (Nevsky) thwarts an attempted robbery with brutal effect. The core story picks up a little later including and after, when Nevsky and Sheriff Vernon (Cornet) are called to a grisly scene where there was clear sign of a struggle. Their only clue soon points them into the direction of a violent posse of gunmen, trafficking women to a buyer along the Mexican border.
During their journey, the two men come upon indigenous tracker named Angel (Don “The Dragon” Wilson), an old friend of Turchin’s from his soldiering past, and the three join forces to track down the posse led by the vindictive and ruthless “skin slaver”, Watuku (James Chalke). While the trio are successful in their search, what remains to be seen is if they can match the increasing odds against them, particularly when a foe from Turchin’s past resurfaces.
Nevsky’s take on the real life John Basil Turchin is an inspired one, crafted through a modestly entertaining folkloric lens. It’s a promising iteration through Cornet’s direction and whose co-starring performance continues to bring gravitas and support to the indie thriller, along with a few extra notable talents to add some action movie muscle to the cast.
Fans will easily spot martial arts star Cynthia Rothrock in one of the film’s earlier introductory moments before throwing down some moves of her own, with action star Wilson joining in to add a little depth to Turchin’s backstory. The film additionally throws in fight choreographer Art Camacho who gets to tussle a little with Nevsky for a few brisk beats. Actress Tatiana Neva comes in for a cameo role as a lone bounty hunter whose own legend could garner some telling in the next installment.
Taken From Rio Bravo crackles with gunfights aplenty from start to finish. It’s the kind of film that gives an actor like Nevsky plenty to work with, packaging a character that delivers as much in continuation as it did for the first film, along with a satisfying conclusion to at least one end of the story that now preludes the next and final chapter.
