Movie Review of Outlander

Movie Trailer

Movie Title: Outlander

Director: Howard McCain
Writers: Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain
Release Date: 23 January 2009 (Canada)
Genre: Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Vikings and aliens are not something that you see in the theaters every day, so I thought I would give this movie a look-see. As a movie watcher I love the sci-fi, fantasy, and action genres in both film and television. I was intrigued by the film plot and was excited about the cast member involved. Sadly, all film seem to “get me at hello,” but tend to often let me down so quickly with all the words that follow. So was the case with this movie. The movie is one of those films, you either like it or not. I am more in the not category and believe me when I say I tried to like it. I gave it chance after chance because of all the A list actors involved. I kept thinking that it has to get better, but I must say that it was more of a rent-it category then a theater-going category.

The movie is set in 709 AD during the reign of the Vikings. To open the film, a spaceship violently crashes down from outer space, landing rather violently somewhere in Norway. Out pops out Kainan (James Caviezel...aka Jesus), an alien soldier from an advanced culture hell bent on conquering other worlds for resources and land. Soon after Kainan’s crash landing, we soon learn that he has brought a little stowaway along with him that proceeds to kill of scores of human inhabitants living around the surrounding countryside. The alien is from a race of creatures called the Moorwen that hail from a once beautiful planet that was colonized and the creatures destroyed to make way for colonies. The last Moorwen hitches a ride on the Kainan’s ship in order to enact its revenge. Once the ship lands the alien finds a whole new home thanks to Kainan. The local viking villagers, led by King Rothgar (John Hurt...remember him as Gandolf in Lord of the Rings and Dumbledore of Harry Potter fame), are skeptical of this stranger whom they refer to as “Outlander,” that tells them of a monster, which he calls a dragon, is responsible for all the recent deaths and destruction of nearby villages. At first no one trusts him to join them in the defeat of the creature menacing the village, but soon enough, even the elder, the heir apparent (Jack Huston), and his headstrong wife-to-be (Sophia Myles...famous for her role in underworld) will realize that what they are up against is born of nightmares.

Drawing parallels rather freely to the old stories of Beowulf, it fails to offer the same vigor and awe as the original story which I personally found brutal. Maybe I have been corrupted by all the really bad versions of the Alien and Predator movies that keep popping up every year, but this movie only offers false hope for something new, propped up by the interesting Computer Generated Graphic (CGI) effects used to create the glowing alien that draws in its prey using pretty light effects before eating their heads off. Overall, I found the characters shallow portraits that never develop personalities. There is a strange little boy called Eric that is rather pathetic looking, who never plays a significant role in the movie, but oddly reminds me of Alien 3’s Newt with scruffy hair that looks like it has never been washed. The plot oddly blends not jus Alien 3, but a host of other movies including, Predator, The Chronicles of Riddick, and the also the animated version of Beowulf. From Alien and Beowulf, it takes a wronged monster-mother protecting and then avenging its young. From The Chronicles of Riddick it borrows from a conquering race of aliens wrecking havoc on the universe and from Predator a dose of monster-killing kick-ass action. I forgot to add how it takes the same tacky set and costume design as that sword wielding, fur-moon-boot wearing, bad hair Euro-action and horror mess known as the Brotherhood of the Wolf.

The movie is packed in the first half with awkward scenes that seem to have little purpose other then to act as a vein attempt to fill in time and offer a sad display of cultural history. I don’t even know if any of that stuff was historically correct, but I really hope it wasn’t for the sake of the descendents of the “real” Vikings. There is one scene in the Great Hall where the men play “shields,” a strange game of bravado and strength where men proceed to walk, hop, jump and flip around on shields held up over the heads of other men. I found myself wishing I had a remote control to fast forward. I can’t tell you how awkward and foolish it all was.

The sometimes silly, but also sometimes action pact story line is acted by a cast that tries its hardest to sell movie with a straight face. The big pay checks paid out probably helped them put up with it all. Caviezel remains as stoic and driven savior of humanity as when he played Jesus Christ in the Passion of the Christ. Hurt, the aged and wise King of the Vikings, is rarely used for his acting prowess and instead becomes the symbol of the old generation passing away to make way for the new generation. Huston is the reluctant, brash sidekick and competition for the love interest who is played by Myles. She is both pretty heroine that needs to be saved by her alien knight-in-stinky-furs Caviezel. Lastly, there is an incredibly too brief appearance by a bearded and ever-grumpy Ron Perlman as the bald leader of an opposing settlement. Rather unfortunately, his part is rather small and only is there to add limited comic relief in the film's middle act. He never becomes an integral part of anything in the film and seems rather a useless character that could have been played by anyone and probably for a lot less money I would suspect. I might add his death came too soon. In my opinion, Perlman’s part was altogether a poor use of a good action actor.

The alien became my hero in this film. I felt myself cheering on the alien for almost the entire movie. Maybe it was the bad acting and writing that made me side with the “so-called” bad guy of the movie or maybe it was the fact that Kainan’s people committed genocide on the Moorwen’s homeworld. I really didn’t feel sorry for Kainan and his new viking friends. Okay, maybe I felt a bit sorry for the women and children that got eaten and killed by the Moorwen, but the rest of the Vikings...not so much. I feel that the alien monster was doing us all a favor. Too bad it didn’t win! Throughout the movie both man, man-alien and alien monster are seeking revenge back-and-forth for violence committed against them. Kainan leads a large alliance of Vikings to kill the Moorwen by fusing his advanced technology with the Viking's Iron Age weaponry. The Moorwen goes and gives birth to a second Moorwen that beginnings wrecking its own havoc on the Viking village. The move turns into a kill fest back and forth with bodies piling up and up and up. The action is not spectacular and the graphics are not really as good as they could be.

Now I must admit that the plot idea is vaguely amusing and I thought it would be a good fun-filled romp, but if I can offer a word of advice...rent it...most of the good actors are barely used and it is a lot of boring scenes. Every character in this movie looks like they seriously need to take a bath or at least jump in lake and take a swim now and then...jeez. Filthy is the word I would use to describe how they look. I really wish they had been more creative with the costumes. Maybe it is because I am a chick but the clothes and set design are important aesthetics that set the mood. If those things are bad, I just can’t believe the rest of the story.

Director Howard McCain co-wrote this film with Dirk Blackman, who together also wrote the Underworld franchise, which I so heart after. I am not hearting Outlander even though I applaud more sci-fi movies pouring into theaters. Outlander is out on limited release and will likely get buried in the after-Christmas winter wasteland where movies go to die or at the very least be forgotten so it don’t ruin actors careers...I am sure the actors in this film are hoping for just that. If you are going to see this movie because of the cast of actors involved in this project then brace yourself because you will be shocked at what your money gets you. If you are going just to see humans kick alien ass and not superb acting prowess then you will probably still be disappointed, but less so then if you were expecting this film to dish you content that would be Oscar worthy.

This is all my opinion and done in fun. Take it or leave it. Just one gal's review.

Review written by Renée.