Review of Vengeance Is a Dish Served Cold

"Death's Dealer," another Western that had potential, but was wrecked by slapstick comedy. In this case the project was absolutely trashed by really dumb, unfunny slapstick humor. Actor Leonard Mann, who did a few Westerns during this period, has great screen presence, and he is good here, as a man who has been deceived into thinking a pack of Indians murdered his parents when he was a boy. It turns out that greedy, white men massacred his family, over a property dispute. Then...cue the sidekick buddy and the endless set pieces of inane stupidity, that completely sinks the production. As soon as the movie begins to get good, the momentum is quickly destroyed by more comedy. Of course humor can work..if it's well- written, and actually "funny," such as in films like "Ben & Charlie," a Western that is successful in it's comic attempts.

It seems like the creators of "Death's Dealer" couldn't decide if they wanted to make a serious film, or a light comedy/action/Western. The end result is a disappointment. And it was almost painful to see the Great Klaus Kinski in such a flop, although he is barely on screen. Skip this one and seek out "Forgotten Pistolero," another film with Leonard Mann in the lead role. Now this is a truly excellent movie, with an intricate tale of revenge and family drama, as well as some impressive action sequences...and no comedy. And for Kinski fans, look no further than "The Great Silence,' which is a true masterpiece of the genre..