ReelBob: ‘My Stretch of Texas Ground’ ★★

By Bob Bloom

“My Stretch of Texas Ground” is a thriller anchored by trying to do and say too much.

The impetus of the movie is a plot by anti-American Muslims who targets a pro-war, hawkish Texas senator.

The story, however, mainly focuses on a rural Texas county sheriff and the pressures he faces in his personal life and his job.

The problem with “My Stretch of Texas Ground,” which was directed by Erich Kemp and written by Ralph Cinque, is that it gets too bogged down with extraneous scenes and situations that fail to advance the film.

A thriller should move at a pace that keeps you focused, but Kemp’s feature takes too many detours and often loses sight of its main objective.

The movie seems to be attempting to contrast the daily, mundane routine of Sheriff Joe Haladin with the extraordinary events that soon will envelop him.

Unfortunately, it creates the opposite effect; slowly the movie and distracting the viewer.

Plus, the movie’s political tone is uneven; the senator, Harlan Cruthers, is a buffoonish caricature, who rants and raves clichés about Muslims and terrorists hating Americans and wanting to destroy our way of life, while also offering some understanding — and even sympathy — for the leaders who hatch the plot against him.

Kemp and Cinque have big ideas, but they seem scattershot. “My Stretch of Texas Ground” would have been a better film if they had lasered in on its main plotline — the threat against Cruthers.

Some scenes play like filler — as if added to simply pad the film’s 100-minute running time.

Another of the movie’s setbacks is that, besides Junes Zahdi as Abdul Latif Hassan — the terrorist group leader — the rest of the cast is stiff and bland.

That includes lead actor Jeff Weber, who plays Haladin. He tries to add some fire to his performance, but he cannot rise to the emotional level the part requires.

A lot is left unexplained about Haladin; he and his wife seem to be at odds about something that may — or may not — have happened on the job, while Haladin and his teenage son, Tommy, are in conflict but, again, no context is offered.

Also not helping the film are the fight sequences, which are poorly choreographed and nearly amateurish.

Sadly, “My Stretch of Texas Ground” had the potential to be a taut thriller; the idea of a rural sheriff battling international terrorists has appeal.

But the movie’s execution fails to live to up and support its interesting premise. Perhaps, with some 15 or 20 minutes of judicious editing, Kemp can offer a trimmer, more exciting feature that would highlight his and Cinque’s premise.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

MY STRETCH OF TEXAS GROUND
2 stars out of 4
Not rated, violence, language