Wealthy pioneer Samuel Alabaster (Robert Pattinson) arrives in a frontier town with miniature horse Butterscotch in tow. He is there to pick up Parson Henry (David Zellner) on his way to marry his fiancée Penelope (Mia Wasikowska). There is just one piece of information he has withheld from Henry, Penelope has been kidnapped by the Cornell brothers and they need to rescue her. 

Written and directed by brothers David and Nathan Zellner (who also appears in the film as Rufus Cornell) this is a hugely quirky western that starts very brightly but unfortunately slightly outstays it’s welcome. 

The opening two scenes of the film are great. We see how Parson Henry comes to be in the west with a brilliant cameo from the late Robert Forster and the credits feature Samuel and Penelope in happier times performing an hilarious barn dance. The comedic and quirky tone is well and truly set and the opening half of the film burns brightly thanks to another audacious performance from Robert Pattinson. 

Once Samuel finds Penelope the film starts to lose its way slightly if only because their explosive reunion would have been a perfect place to finish. 

It is enjoyable to see men falling over Penelope when she is anything but a damsel in distress, but it makes its point succinctly enough about thirty minutes before the credits roll.