Young Guns

Young Guns

-1988 action/Western film directed by Christopher Cain
-Stars Emilio Estevez, Lou Diamond Philips, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen, Casey Siemaszko, Dermot Mulroney, Terry O'Quinn, Brian Keith, Jack Palance

-Retelling of the adventures of Billy the Kid, during the Lincoln County War, which was in New Mexico in 1877-1878

Did You Know?
-Country singer Randy Travis has an uncredited role as the Gatling machine gunner
-A few members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club were used as extras in the bar scene where they arrest Henry Hill

Plot
-John Tunstall(Terrance Stamp) is an educated Englishman and cattle rancher in Lincoln County, New Mexico. He hires wayward young gunmen to live and work on his ranch. Tunstall is in heavy competition with another rancher named Lawrence Murphy(Jack Palance) and their men fight on a daily basis. Tunstall recruits Billy the Kid(Emilio Estevez) and tells him to renounce the violence, saying that "He who sows the wind will reap the whirlwind". Tensions go up and up between the 2 groups, resulting in the murder of Tunstall. Billy, Doc Scurlock(Kiefer Sutherland), Jose Chavez y Chavez(Lou Diamond Philips), Richard M "Dick" Brewer(Charlie Sheen). "Dirty" Steve Stephens(Dermot Mulroney), Charlie Bowdre(Casey Siemaszko) consult their lawyer friend Alex McSween(Terry O'Quinn) to get them deputized and give warrants for the arrest of Murphy's men

-Billy quickly changes Dick's authority as leader, vowing revenge against Murphy and the men responsible for killing Tunstall. The men call themselves "Regulators" and arrest some of the murderers. Hot headed Billy is unable to wait for justice. So he guns down unarmed men and goes on to kill one of the Regulators in the paranoia belief that he was still in league with Murphy. The men are stripped of their badges, which they find out through reading a newspaper. That same paper also confuses Dick for Billy, showing a picture of Dick labeled "Billy the Kid", a nickname Billy begins to like

-While local authorities begin their hunt for Billy and his boys,  the Regulators argue about continuing with their warrants or go on the run. One of the men on their list is Buckshot Roberts(Brian Keith), who tracks them down, barricades himself in an outhouse and Dick dies in a shootout. Billy appoints himself as leader and the gang gets famous. Now the U.S. Army is assigned the task of bringing in the gang to bring them to Murphy's corrupt justice

-The gang stays hidden for a while and Charlie gets married in Mexico. While attending the wedding, Billy meets Pat Garrett(Patrick Wayne), who is not yet a sherrif. He warns Billy of an attempt on Alex's life by Murphy's men that will occur the next day. The gang packs up and heads off to save Alex.

-While in the home of their lawyer friend, an entire gang of Murphy's men appear and surround the house. Another intense shootout starts, as the authorities, led by George W. Peppin, opens fire on the house. Billy once again shows off by shooting him with a snap long range gunshot out the window. Ceasefire is called for the night, but the battle continues the next morning. That's when the Army rolls in, accompanied by Murphy. They torch the house and Chavez runs out the back, causing Steve to assert that he has deserted. As the house begins to burn, the men come up with a plan of escape- they begin throwing Alex's stuff out the windows of the 2nd floor. Billy places himself inside a large trunk and when it lands in front of the house, he takes a chance and begins to open fire

-Almost at the same time, Doc Scurlock busts out of the staircase on the top floor, guns blazing, followed by Charlie and Steve. As they make it to the lawn, Billy is shot twice in his arms. Charlie challenges the bounty hunter, John Kinney(Allen Keller). Kinney shoots Charlie and he fires back. Charlie kills Kinney, but in the process, takes a few more shots and dies

-Chavez takes the Army by surprise by screaming "Regulators!" he rides in, leading horses for the others. He comes from behind the army and jumps their barricade to get his extra horses to the surviving guys. Billy jumps on one horse as Doc gets on another. Doc is shot as his girlfriend Yen Sun(Alice Carter), Murphy's Chinese sex-slave, screams. He rides over to her and picks her up, and they ride off. Chavez tries to get Steve on a horse, but is wounded and he falls. Steve helps Chavez mount a horse and sends the horse off so Chavez can get away. Steve is then shot multiple times and falls to the ground in a dirty puddle, dead

-Alex cheers on the boys as they escape. The army opens fire on Alex with a Gatling gun and he is dead. As the remaining men go away, Murphy hurls threats and curses them, but is stunned when Billy turns back. beyond gunshot range of most normal guys. He says "Reap it Murphy, you son of a b----."He makes another impossible shot, landing one right between Murphy's eyes and killing him.

-The final scene is a voice over of Doc explaining what happened later. In Doc's words, he includes that Alex's widow caused a congressional investigation into the Lincoln County War. Chavez took a job at a farm in California; Doc moved east to New York and married Yen Sun, who he saved from Murphy; Billy continued to ride on until he was found and shot dead by Pat Garrett, who was shown as barely knowing Billy. Billy was buried next to Charlie Bowdre at Fort Sumner.

Cast

• Emilio Estevez as Billy the Kid
• Kiefer Sutherland as Doc Scurlock
• Lou Diamond Phillips as Jose Chavez y Chavez
• Charlie Sheen as Richard "Dick" Brewer
• Dermot Mulroney as "Dirty Steve" Stephens
• Casey Siemaszko as Charlie Bowdre
• Terence Stamp as John Tunstall
• Jack Palance as Lawrence G. Murphy
• Terry O'Quinn as Alexander McSween
• Sharon Thomas as Susan McSween
• Geoffrey Blake as J. McCloskey
• Brian Keith as Buckshot Roberts
• Patrick Wayne as Pat Garrett
• Tom Cruise as Cowboy (uncredited)
• Randy Travis as Gatling Gunner (uncredited)