Alright, settle back into that worn spot on the couch, maybe crack open a cold one. Tonight, we're dusting off a tape that practically smelled of leather and asphalt: 1994’s The Cowboy Way. Remember this one? It landed on video store shelves promising a high-concept hootenanny – New Mexico rodeo champs let loose in the concrete jungle of New York City. And you know what? For a certain kind of 90s action-comedy itch, it scratched it just right.
The premise alone feels like something cooked up in a pitch meeting after one too many Budweisers: taciturn traditionalist Pepper Lewis (Kiefer Sutherland, riding high on his 90s star power) and his flashier, skirt-chasing best buddy Sonny Gilstrap (Woody Harrelson, perfecting that loveable rogue persona) ride into Manhattan. They aren't there for the sights; they're searching for their missing friend Nacho and his daughter, finding themselves tangled up with dangerous sweatshop smugglers led by the slickly menacing John Stark (Dylan McDermott, really leaning into the villain role). It's Crocodile Dundee meets Midnight Cowboy with a dash of buddy-cop swagger, all filtered through a distinctly mid-90s lens.
City Slickers with Six-Shooters (Figuratively)
What immediately clicks, and still does, is the dynamite chemistry between Sutherland and Harrelson. They genuinely feel like lifelong friends whose opposing personalities create both the conflict and the comedy. Pepper’s stoic frustration versus Sonny’s wide-eyed charm makes for classic odd-couple gold. You can almost believe William D. Wittliff, a writer famed for the sprawling Western epic Lonesome Dove, had a hand in sketching these characters (alongside Rob Thompson), giving them just enough believable friction beneath the yee-haw antics. They bicker, they banter, they have each other’s backs – it’s the heart of the film, and frankly, the reason it works better than the slightly predictable plot might suggest. I distinctly remember renting this one weekend, drawn in by the pairing – Harrelson was peak White Men Can't Jump cool, and Sutherland was cemented as a go-to intense lead after Flatliners and A Few Good Men.
Real Grit in the Concrete Jungle
But let's talk action, because The Cowboy Way delivers some genuinely memorable, practically-achieved moments that feel wonderfully tangible today. Forget seamless CGI – this was the era of "how the heck did they do that?". The standout, of course, is the sequence where Pepper and Sonny, mounted on horseback, chase down a bad guy through Times Square. Seeing those horses gallop past Broadway marquees and yellow cabs wasn't just a visual gag; it felt thrillingly audacious. You can almost smell the exhaust fumes mixing with horse sweat. Reports from the time noted the logistical nightmare of filming horses in such a chaotic urban environment – requiring extensive training, street closures, and nerves of steel from the stunt riders and wranglers. It’s raw, a little messy, and utterly fantastic in its realness.
Then there’s the roping scene. On a subway platform. Sonny, ever the showman, lassos a fleeing thug amidst startled commuters. It's pure movie magic, the kind of inventive, character-driven action beat that sticks with you. These weren't slick, over-edited sequences; director Gregg Champion (who also gave us the underrated Dabney Coleman vehicle Short Time in 1990) lets the stunts breathe. You see the effort, the danger. Remember how real those moments felt on that slightly fuzzy VHS copy playing on a chunky CRT? That visceral quality is something often missing in today's smoother, safer-feeling action spectacles. Even the fistfights have that satisfying, slightly clumsy weight of actual people throwing actual punches.
More Than Just Horseshoes and Hand Grenades
While the focus is on our leads, Dylan McDermott makes for a suitably slimy villain, all tailored suits and quiet menace. And it's always great to see the reliable Ernie Hudson pop up, here playing a mounted NYPD officer who forms an unlikely bond with the cowboys. The film doesn't break new ground thematically – it's about friendship, loyalty, and the clash of rural values with urban corruption – but it delivers its message with charm and energy.
The film wasn’t a runaway box office smash, pulling in around $20 million domestically against a reported budget near $35 million, but like so many mid-budget 90s flicks, it found a happy second life on home video. It became one of those reliable rentals, the kind of movie you’d grab when you just wanted a fun, action-packed couple of hours with stars you liked. Critics were mixed, perhaps finding the concept a bit thin, but audiences often responded to the sheer likeability of its leads and the novelty of its action set pieces.
VHS Heaven Rating: 7/10
Why a 7? The Cowboy Way earns its points through the sheer force of its central performances – Harrelson and Sutherland are perfectly cast and carry the film effortlessly. The practical stunt work, especially the iconic horse sequences in NYC, provides genuine, old-school thrills that hold up surprisingly well. It’s funny, charmingly dated in its style and attitudes, and features a solid supporting cast. It loses a few points for a fairly standard plot and some predictable fish-out-of-water gags. However, the execution, particularly the action and chemistry, elevates it above a simple high-concept cash-in.
Final Thought: In the dusty archives of 90s action-comedies, The Cowboy Way rides tall – a charmingly rugged buddy flick where the biggest special effect was convincing two movie stars (and some very brave horses) to cause a ruckus in Midtown Manhattan. Still saddles up nicely for a nostalgic night in.