Showdown in Yesteryear has the ring of a family film about it; some may find it a bit lame or corny, but I found it to be rather winsomely charming. The characters are either dicks or very likeable, and if the story drags on a bit I’d still curl up on a Sunday on the sofa with it.

Daryl Dumwoody (Jeff Grennell) leads a simple life, working as a stablehand and watching John Wayne films (whom he secretly aspires to be like). It all starts well for him until he gets home one day to find his harridan girlfriend Sandy (Michelle Snyder) moving out to buzz off with butch-looking Randy (Patrick Lamba). Following this, he asks his boss Steve (Mike Montgomery) to teach him to ride and shoot guns like John Wayne. This begins promisingly, but after another confrontation with his nasty ex and her knuckleheaded bonehead of a boyfriend, he falls apart and prepares to do himself in. His head’s in the noose when he glances up to the unlikely sight of a shabby wooden door standing alone in the field opposite.

As you can imagine, Daryl, setting his troubles aside for now, decides this calls for inspection. Upon entering, he finds himself in what he assumes to be an old wild western-style theme park, where there’s some initial confusion between himself and the locals. At length, realising what’s going on, he begins looking for the way back, but instead falls afoul of Jesse ‘The Beast’ Bristol (Jesse Marciniak) in an all-out brawl in the saloon. This leads to him briefly landing in the hands of the law until he shows some mettle, ends up being made sheriff’s deputy, and attracting the charms of young widow Marion (Debra Lamb).

There is of course a fly in the ointment in every story, and this is where we meet Orson Kane (Vernon Wells); keeper of The Beast. A pair of doggone varmints, who’re the reason Marion is a widow. Soon Daryl’s torn between two worlds; does he stay in the past where he can be John Wayne, or go back to his own miserable but comfortably familiar time?

Westerns aren’t my favourite by a long shot, but I thought Showdown in Yesteryear was endearing and a fairly good all-rounder. Diehard Western fans will probably despise it, though. There’s not enough blood, sand, and people crouching behind bullet-peppered walls for westie veterans here, but it’s agreeable, but even though I did catch myself clockwatching a bit towards the end it’s still a rather sweet, sfw watch.

5 out of 10 Pesky Varmints, Tarrnation, Dagnabbit