“Texas Rising” is the kind of movie propaganda that used to make John Wayne stand upright. History Channel takes advantage of its recent TV movie successes by crafting a tale that plays with Texas myth and treads on history lightly. General Santa Anna is played with the kind of finesse that was given to a Golden Age villain. The Texas Rangers are shown more as a redneck offshoot of the Inglorious Basterds waiting for the right moment to kill Mexican invaders. Still, it’s a hell of a cast.
Bill Paxton brings the machismo as Texan General Sam Houston. Hell, you’ll be impressed to see Brendan Fraser as a rugged frontiersman. Still, it’s not that historical or accurate. I’m not sure when just throwing anything at a wall to see if it sticks became the History standard. Then, there’s the forced inclusion of Cynthia Addai-Robinson that never fits quite nearly in the story.
The Blu-Ray comes with featurettes that have never been seen before as the special features. Plus, the Digital HD copy is there for mobile adopters. The 1080p transfer is pretty robust. The DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track is dynamic for the fire fights. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to the curious.
Release Date: 9/1/15