Wyatt Earp if nothing else is the Western of all Westerns. It's epically enormous and tells a story of a man that could only be fiction and yet was a real person. There isn't anything that a lover of Westerns won't find in this film. It has absolutely everything. It is a very, very long film. It was originally meant to be a whopping six hours so thank goodness it was cut to only three. Without a doubt I think this is director Lawrence Kasdan's best work although he did work on another Kevin Costner vehicle that was very good, The Bodyguard.<br /><br />Costner plays the lead role of Wyatt Earp. Now one thing is for sure Kevin Costner is an acquired taste. No matter what he's a commanding presence on screen and his portrayal of tough as nails, take no prisoners Wyatt Earp is awesome!! Sure sometimes he is a little dry in his acting but he has a quiet intensity that makes his roles so watchable. He goes from loving husband to grieving, to drunk, to Marshall, to protector, to the executioner flawlessly and seamlessly. The supporting cast of this film is incredible and too numerous to mention everyone. They have such an incredible ensemble cast and everyone adds to it in different ways. Gene Hackman makes a cameo as Wyatt's father, Michael Madsen as his brother, Catherine O'Hara as his sister-in-law (Madsen's wife), Bill Pullman as Ed Masterson, Isabella Rossellini as Doc Holliday's woman, Tom Sizemore as Bat Masterson, Adam Baldwin, Téa Leoni, Jeff Fahey...and I could go on. The film is a virtual who's who of Hollywood A and B movie actors who come together like I've never seen on screen. It's just fun picking out who you recognize as most of them are done up to an almost unrecognizable state with era costumes and set. However the two performances most noted were Costner and the amazing Dennis Quaid who plays the ill fated Doc Holliday. I did feel that they didn't really establish the friendship as much as they could have between Earp and Holliday but nonetheless Quaid's performance was the best in the film and Oscar worthy. A cold blooded killer, dying of consumption and dedicated to his friend. He's barely recognizable, even his voice is different and he's the perfect choice.<br /><br />Wyatt Earp's most brilliant part is the entire setting including costumes, locations, and capturing the entire era of any era it displays. The dusty, dark, gritty world of the old west to the plains of Arizona to the Alaskan coast in the end. It's a visual masterpiece. The costumes are spot on and brilliant. I think Costner has a real love for the western and you can see his passion in this film. As producer he likely had a big hand in it's creation and it shows. I think Costner is a worthy Hollywood star and I've always liked him and this is one of the great films he has done. Any fans of Westerns MUST see Wyatt Earp because although made in the nineties it's the essential western epic and brilliantly done just a little long, that's all. Can't beat the content or performances and familiar faces. 8/10