Prolific writer/director/producer Joshua Kennedy always delivers satisfying productions. For an old-timer like me, that means he understands the type of storytelling that was once employed to ensure that any cinematic product, no matter the budget, would entertain.
Kennedy's latest endeavor, Cowgirls vs Pterodactyls, is no exception. It, like such seasoned adventures as The Valley of Gwangi and The Beast of Hollow Mountain, is an exuberant, dinosaur western.
In this instance, we're introduced to Rebecca Crawford (Madelyn Wiley), a schoolmistress who embarks on a quest to retrieve her spouse (Jonathan Tamez), who's been snatched by (of all terrifying things) a petulant pterodactyl. To abet her mission, Crawford is joined by cathouse madame, Debbie Dukes (Haley Zega) and famed gunfighter, Bunny Parker (Carmen Vienhage). There's no guarantee that the school marm's man will be found alive, let alone intact, and to make matters worse, there are plenty of other flying reptiles about (including a cute, wee one) to bungle the ladies' chances for success.
Kennedy's fine-tuned script is a genuine gem on all pistol-packin' points, and his amusing sequences complement his lovely leads, who each excels in her own charming and nuanced way. To further bolster their gratifying scenarios, Hammer/007 goddess, Martine Beswick bridges events with witty narration, and scream queen, Dani Thompson fills the inviting interludes as cool-headed bad gal, Doris Yates.
For the film's fruitful visuals, Ryan Lengyel, who crafted the stop-motion effects for Kennedy's mythology masterpiece, Theseus and the Minotaur, rises to the occasion again, presenting winged specimens that are not only threatening, but ripe with personality in the O'Brien, Harryhausen and Danforth vein. And to heighten the creatures' calamity, House of the Gorgon composer, Reger Clark bestows Cowgirls vs Pterodactyls with a catchy, cowpoke score. (His invigorating title track is one of the best compositions to grace celluloid in quite a spell.)
Though there are a number of anticipated fantasy films slated for 2021, Cowgirls vs Pterodactyls is without question the one to see. As it turns out (and as comes as no surprise), it's another towering triumph for Kennedy and his tried-and-true Gooey Film Productions. Huge kudos on another job well done, Mr. Kennedy.
FYI: Cowgirls vs Pterodactyls can be viewed on Amazon Prime, and its vibrant Blu-ray release, with plenty of edifying extras, can be purchased at https://store16974340.ecwid.com/.
