Riding with the Stars
- Tagline
- The Wild West just got a whole lot wilder.
- Description
- Set against the glitzy backdrop of the 1970s disco fever, 'Riding with the Stars' is a genre-mashing adventure where the frontier meets the final frontier. When a curious alien lands in the dusty town of Boogiedown, only a pedantic scientist-inventor-genius and a smooth-talking spy in bell-bottoms can unravel the otherworldly mystery. Together, they must outwit and survive the cosmic horrors to save their town. Starring Brisket Lancaster as the inventive genius, Sidney Poachier as the disco-loving spy, and Jack Davenpepper as the alien visitor, under the playful direction of Mel Brooktrout, this family-friendly romp will have you tapping your cowboy boots to a funky beat.
- MpaaRating
- G
- PopularityScore
- 1.50
- ReleaseDate
- 01/26/2023
- Genre
- Western
- Director(s)
- Cast
Critic Reviews
6.50
In the pantheon of genre-bending escapades, 'Riding with the Stars' presents itself with a somewhat jocose conviction that the amalgamation of a spaghetti Western and space oddity is fertile ground for cinematic innovation. Under the aegis of director Mel Brooktrout, the film attempts to splice the incongruent DNA of 1970's disco fervor with the stoic tropes of the Wild West, yielding a film that is as eccentric as it is haphazard. One must bear witness to the performances of Brisket Lancaster and Sidney Poachier, who bring a modicum of verve to their otherwise caricatured roles as the scientist and spy, respectively. Jack Davenpepper's portrayal of the alien visitor is whimsically underplayed, a choice that is as confounding as it is peculiar. The film's 'G' rating ensures that the putative dangers and the so-called 'cosmic horrors' are rendered with the least possible offense to the sensibilities of even the most sheltered audience. While 'Riding with the Stars' champions a commendable audacity in its tonal and thematic fusions, the resultant pastiche is a film that resonates with neither the authority of a traditional Western nor the pulsating vitality of a true disco homage. It is, however, not entirely devoid of charm, with the occasional engaging set piece and a soundtrack that obliges one's foot to tap, albeit irregularly.