Beer For My Horses is a 2008 action comedy directed by Michael Salomon. It was co-written by Toby Keith, Rodney Carrington, and W.T. Scrags.

Magnum, Oklahoma Deputy Joe Bill “Rack” Racklin (Toby Keith) goes through a breakup before he and his partner Deputy Lonnie Freeman (Rodney Carrington) make a bust on Tito Garza (Greg Serano) and arrest him. Rack hears his high school girlfriend Annie Streets (Claire Forlani) is back in town and living with her wealthy stepfather Buck Baker (Barry Corbin). After rekindling their relationship, Annie is kidnapped by Tito’s older brother and Cartel leader Manuel Garza (Carlos Sanz) who wants his sibling. Despite being ordered by Sheriff Landry (Tom Skerritt) to stand down, Rack, Lonnie, and silent Deputy Skunk (Ted Nugent) take Tito and head to Mexico to save Annie.

This is one comedy that the critics hated. Whether you look on Rotten Tomatoes or IMDb, you will find that the official narrative is that it is a big fat zero of the film. So much angst is aimed at the movie who have a plethora of criticisms of its plot, cast, and music. Its box office failure seems to shore up their perspective of it.

Okay, whatever. The fact, the audience seemed to love it. Sure, the plot tries to throw too much at you and you are never really sure what comedy subgenre it falls into. Is it action? Is it parody? Is it hillbilly? Is it buddy cop?

The question is, who is right? Well, it depends. If you go into a comedy that laughs at the questions on the human condition, you will be disappointed. But, if you are just looking for an action comedy that is about fun, family, and standing up to bullies, then you will have a good time.

Since I fell into the latter, I can honestly say that I had a blast. I found myself laughing several times as Toby Keith and the cast navigated the plot. The late-great singer Keith essentially plays himself in the movie and he is a protagonist worth championing. He is smart, clever, loyal, courteous, and has a strong sense of justice. You have fun as he goes on an epic road trip to save his girl and gets to meet Willie Nelson, playing a redneck circus manager, along the way.

One of the things that really stands out is that you can tell the cast is having fun. There is one scene where you can tell an actress is trying not to laugh as the events unfold around her. That is another thing that makes it special.

Bottom line, if you watch Beer For More My Horses for what it is, Toby Keith having fun with his friends and collaborators, you will enjoy it with a beer.

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Foul language, Crude humor, Violence

FAVORITE QUOTE: You guys familiar with “good cop, bad cop”? The good one just left.

Check out the trailer below:

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or anime you would like me to review. While you are at it, check out my reviews of Self Reliance and Lift. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

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