Steve Mcqueen's Classic Western Tv Series Got An Odd '80s Movie Sequel You've Never Seen

CBS

The Steve McQueen-starring "Wanted Dead or Alive" is one of the best Western TV shows of all time, so it makes sense that filmmakers would want to make a sequel. That said, Gary Sherman's '80s film follow-up to the '50s horse opera doesn't resemble the original in any significant way. Heck, one could be forgiven for assuming both properties are unrelated. With that being said, Sherman's flick is a lot of fun if you enjoy entertainment of the excessive variety.

The "Wanted Dead or Alive" TV series sees McQueen play Josh Randall, a bounty hunter who hunts outlaws in the Old West. The sequel, "Wanted: Dead or Alive" (note the colon), follows Nick Randall (Rutger Hauer), a descendant of McQueen's character who is tasked with finding a terrorist (played by Kiss member Gene Simmons) in modern-day Los Angeles. 

"Wanted: Dead or Alive" embraces Western tropes, but removing the surface-level nods to the '50s TV show wouldn't change the story in the slightest. Still, it was also produced and distributed by Roger Corman's New World Pictures, a studio known for producing charming knock-offs to bigger movies. So, really, should we even be shocked that the company made a wild sequel to a popular TV series?

"Wanted: Dead or Alive" was trashed upon release, with some critics condemning it as a pointless and unnecessary remake/sequel. By no means is Sherman's flick one of the best action movies of the '80s, but it is a lot of fun. With in mind, why should viewers check out "Wanted: Dead or Alive"?

New World Pictures

While "Wanted: Dead or Alive" is somewhat removed from its television predecessor, Nick Randall would probably feel at home in the Old West. This is the type of hero who hangs out in dusty bars where people brawl as often as they drink. He also plays the harmonica and shoots bad guys — does it get any more cowboy than that?

Of course, Gene Simmons' character, Malak Al-Rahim, also deserves a mention. He's unhinged and over-the-top — just like an '80s action movie villain should be — even if the character hasn't aged well in other aspects. Malak's introduction to the madness sees him stab a dude while dressed as a rabbi. Moments later, he blows up a movie theater full of people while they're watching a "Rambo" flick. Just when you think "Wanted: Dead or Alive" goes there, it goes further.

"Wanted: Dead or Alive" is essentially an exploitation movie with a mainstream polish, and it will most certainly go down well with fans of gung-ho actioners. Prior to this, Sherman was known for making horror films like 1972's tasty, cannibalistic treat "Death Line." The unabashed mayhem he brought to those shockers is on full display here.

There's an argument to be made that "Wanted: Dead or Alive" is one of cinema's many sequels that didn't need to happen. It's most certainly one of the oddest, as someone thought, "What if we updated this '50s TV series, but with a modern urban setting and more head explosions?" Be that as it may, it's so gosh darn entertaining that it's difficult not to be seduced by its '80s charms.