Wells Fargo: A long ride through history that feels a bit dusty

Is this worth your time?

Honestly, only if you are a major fan of 1930s Westerns. If you aren't into the 'pioneering spirit' trope or long, winding histories of logistics companies, you will likely find this pretty dry. It's not a bad film, just a very, very earnest one.

The whole thing feels like a history textbook that someone decided to film on a studio backlot. Joel McCrea does that thing he does—looking noble while wearing a hat—but he's stuck in a script that cares more about the expansion of the mail route than his internal life. 🤠

I noticed that whenever the movie tries to get emotional, the music swells up so loud you can barely hear the dialogue. It happens in three separate scenes in the second act. It’s almost like they knew the script was lacking, so they just turned the dial on the orchestra up to eleven.

Oddly specific details

• The horses look like they’re having a better time than the actors in the background scenes.
• There is a sequence involving a stagecoach robbery that goes on for about five minutes too long.
• The fake beards on some of the extras are distractingly itchy-looking.

There’s a weird lack of tension for a movie about people moving across dangerous, untamed land. It reminds me a bit of the pacing issues I felt when I watched Deluge, where things just sort of happen because they need to, not because the characters earned it.

The sets look suspiciously clean. For a movie about the rugged frontier, I haven't seen this much polished wood since I visited a museum. It makes the whole 'struggle to survive' narrative feel a little bit soft around the edges.

I kept waiting for someone to actually get dirty, but even in the middle of a desert crossing, everyone’s clothes look like they just came from the laundry. It’s a strange choice that makes the whole thing feel like a stage play rather than an epic.

Still, there’s a comfort in how predictable it is. You know exactly where the story is going before the first act finishes. Sometimes that’s okay, especially if you’re just looking to turn your brain off and watch some old-fashioned moviemaking. It’s not quite the disaster of Womanhandled, but it certainly isn't a masterpiece either.

It’s a movie that tries very hard to be important. It usually fails, but it’s polite about it. 🎞️