Battling Buckaroo: A dusty relic that hits the spot

Should you watch Battling Buckaroo? If you’re a sucker for old westerns where the horses have more personality than the extras, then sure. You’ll probably hate it if you need a story that makes sense or actors who aren't just reciting lines while staring at a cactus.

It’s the kind of flick that feels like it was filmed in an afternoon. The plot is barely there. Bandit wants gold. Outlaw stops bandit. Everyone rides away into the horizon.

There’s this one scene where a character is supposed to be hiding behind a rock, but you can clearly see his boots sticking out from the other side for like, ten seconds. It’s hilarious. I had to rewind it twice just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.

The pacing is all over the place. One minute there’s a dramatic standoff, and the next, everyone is just casually chatting about horses while the bad guys apparently wait off-camera. It’s not quite the level of Texas Gun Fighter, but it has that same dusty charm.

Speaking of horses, Raven the Horse is honestly the best thing in the movie. That animal is doing some serious heavy lifting in the dramatic department. Everyone else just kind of stands there looking dusty.

It reminded me a bit of the vibe in The Girl from Frisco. Just pure, simple, low-stakes stuff. You don't have to think. You just watch the black and white footage and listen to the plunky music.

I caught myself zoning out during the dialogue scenes. They go on way too long. The writers clearly felt they needed to explain the plot, but nobody was actually listening.

• That one guy’s mustache is definitely fake.
• The editing feels like someone just chopped out random chunks of film.
• Seriously, the boots behind the rock. Look for it.

It’s a sloppy, imperfect little movie. But honestly? I kind of liked it. It feels real, in a way, like it wasn't trying to change the world. It just wanted to finish the reel and get everyone home for dinner. 🤠