comanche moon have everything go for it . for starter and simon wincer back and a man who name be synonymous with high quality tv western . unfortunately and the problem with moon be something even the most talented director couldn not solve represent a poor script base on a lackluster novel . forget historical accuracy a any reader of the novel can tell you and the big travesty in moon be that it not even consistent with information from the original lonesome dove masterpiece . so many wonderful and rich moment in the miniseries and and to an even great degree and the book and be completely miss in moon . consider the fact that most viewer of moon be probably come with at least some sort of dove background and the lack of character drive and emotional backstory be downright painful . that say and moon be one instance where the adapted version could and should have be alter to make it more suitable for the screen . for example and the novel moon focus largely on the comanche themselves . to it credit and the miniseries try to service the comanche and but in the end it give them just enough that the viewer just get a sense theyre miss out on some important part of the story . similarly and val kilmer scull lose out here too the role should have either be expand so kilmer ( and rachel griffith and for that matter ) actually have something to do and or the role should have just be reduce to small and support part . instead and kilmer get top billing for a character that just leave you scratch your head after his appearance in the completely bizarre final act . there strange moment throughout the film that just make no sense to those who haven not read the book ( a killer parrot . what . ) far and there isn not a single scene that show u that call and mccrae be anything near the amazing texas ranger they claim to be . not a single one of their expedition in moon ( or dead man walk and for that matter ) end successfully and and call and mccrae just seem to blunder their way through one pointless mission after another . frankly and larry mcmurtry should never have be give the job of write the script and and only do so because of the praise surround that other cowboy movie and brokeback mountain . mcmurtry can write good novel ( although there some dissension over the consistency of that statement ) and but he never exactly establish himself a a scriptwriter . this production would have benefit from not only bring back director wincer and but original screenwriter bill wittcliff to adapt the novel to screen . witcliff doesn not exactly have a mountainload of material to his screen write credit and but no one can deny he do a fantastic job at whittle down the original lonesome dove . with all this say and comanche moon be almost a brilliant production and aid by a terrific cast that unfortunately just aren not give enough to do . steve zahn portrayal of gus mccrae or rather and his portrayal of robert duvall a gus mccrae be dead on . and while some have criticize karl urban a woodrow call and say his performance doesn not imitate the quiet and stoic woodrow of the original movie and all i can say be represent blame mcmurtry and because mcmurtry be the one who both in the moon novel and now the miniseries turn woodrow from socially inept and awkward and but natural leader and into some emotionless character whose line be just dull and whose character motivation be only clear if you have see them portray far more adequately in the sequel . still and it the cast that sparkle in moon and to the degree that i leave the miniseries with that same feeling of melancholy i felt watch the original lonesome dove this time because i realize it probably the last time we will see these character appear on screen for a long and long time to come and quite honestly and this cast could have do so well in a well nurture and full blown network tv series . all in all and aside from waste opportunity with the cast and the big travesty be that the original lonesome dove novel contain so much rich backstory for the character that would have be fascinate and utterly fascinating and to see translate on screen . unfortunately and all that have be toss aside in favor of mcmurtry tedious and inconsistent and ultimately irrelevant and prequel .