Fascinated with Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War, screenwriter, John Fusco (Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Thunderheart, Marco Polo) presented his draft to director, Christopher Cain. The latter immediately became interested in directing unless he casts Emilio Estevez as Billy the Kid. John accepts Christopher’s request. Thus, “Young Guns” was greenlit.
Released in 1988, (same year Child’s Play came out) it relieved mixed reviews from critics and movie goers alike. Despite mixed reactions, the movie was a financial hit. Two Years Later, a sequel came out in 1990 with most of the cast reprising their roles. Speaking of which, the cast of Young Guns including Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland & Charlie Sheen will attend Fan Expo Dallas 2026. The event will commence on September 11-13.
Rich & Poor Qualities
Rich: Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen, Lou Diamond Phillips, Dermot Mulroney & Casey Siemaszko all did a terrific job for their respective performances as the Regulators.
Other Cast Members such as Jack Palance & Terrence Stamp both did a decent job for their respective performances.
Christopher Cain did an ok job directing.
John Fusco mostly did a good job writing.
Action Sequences are pretty good. Makes me wanna replay “Red Dead Redemption” and its sequel.
Anthony Marinelli orchestrated the soundtrack.
Chemistry between members of the Regulators serves as the main highlight.
Cinematography’s shot in stable condition.
Pacing felt normal. Didn’t feel slow or fast.
Set Pieces and Costumes were manually decorated.
If you own a DVD/Blu-Ray copy, some of the cast provide audio commentary sharing their on-set experiences.
Fun Facts
- Tom “TC” Cruise makes a cameo appearance as a henchman. Pause your TV at the 1:39:18. Don’t believe TC’s cameo? Google his involvement. He’s good friends with most of the cast.
- John Wayne’s son, Patrick appears as Pat Garrett.
- Young Guns is the first film produced by Morgan Creek Productions. David Cronenberg’s “Dead Ringers” came out the exact same year as the former.
- Warren G & Snoop Dogg’s late cousin, Nate sampled Casey Siemazko’s dialogue on their song, “Regulate.”
Random Thought: I haven’t seen “Young Guns II.” I’ve only seen the first one.
Poor: There are some historical inaccuracies listed.
- Terrence Stamp was 50 when he played Turnstall. The real Turnstall was 24.
- Turnstall didn’t die on New Year’s Day. He died on February 18.
- Doc’s romance with Sun Yun never happened in real life. Felt one-sided.
- In real life, the Regulators had a total of eleven members not six. I would assume Morgan Creek Productions couldn’t afford additional cast members due to budget constraints.
Murphy wasn’t an interesting villain. He’s somewhat forgettable.
A death scene with one of my the main characters shaking his head like a bobblehead looked absolutely ridiculous. I couldn’t take it seriously.
The Final Verdict B-
Despite a few blemishes, I thought Young Guns was okay. This historically inaccurate western movie may not be your cup of tea. If you’re into 1980s movies or looking for something to watch before Fan Expo Dallas 2026, check this one out.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 