OUTLANDER!

[Shurik]

got the dvd and just watched it again

I have a feeling this'll turn into a classic
sure, it's no 13th Warrior or LOTR or Predator or Alien but it takes just some of what's great about those movies, and turns it into something really cool

it definitely doesn't fit the generally accepted definition of 'good movie' and I wouldn't expect it to win any awards, but it's really fun and gory

Jim Caviezel is great, Ron Perlman is total badass, John Hurt rules, and Sophia Myles is hot
it's a well cast B movie

+1.

 

[Jedi Marso]

Just picked this bad boy up on DVD this weekend after sending back the netflix copy.

 

[shinri]

My ex actually worked on this film and I got to read the script back when he first signed on to the project. It sounded good and I haven't seen the movie yet, but it's on my list of films to see sometime soon.

 

[FordSVT]

Saw it last weekend. Great production values, good casting, tight writing. I was pleasantly surprised.

And the creature design was fantastic.

Spoiler: the Moorwen

It was interesting the way they incorporated an environmental message into the story through the Moorwen that generated sympathy for the creature(s). I actually felt bad for it at the end of the film. Apparently the last of his kind, the animators added a touch of humanity to his eyes, as his arm was severed and he fell he looked sad for a moment. Good work.

 

[Forbin]

Told my wife about it and she rolled her eyes. For some reason women don't react to "Vikings and aliens! With a dragon!" the way men do. But I haven't mentioned the cast to her yet. She likes everybody mentioned, so I'm sure she'll be interested.

 

[Daneel]

Rented it and watched it last night -- a pleasant diversion for the evening. Solidly entertaining in a B-movie sort of way, albeit with a much bigger budget -- I believe it was somewhere in the $40-50 million range... which is a little mind-boggling considering it was practically released direct-to video (with only a handful of theatrical screenings). It seems the Weinsteins really didn't know what to do with it. I'm not sure how they hope to make a profit on this, but whatever.

Anyway, it was an enjoyable mix of science-fiction and Viking legend. With regards to the cast, John Hurt and Ron Perlman are, as always, a treat to watch. As we've come to expect, they do solid work together (the relationship between their characters in this film is certainly different from that of their Hellboy characters). Sophia Myles was fine (in every sense of the word). Jim Caviezel was a little too low-key, I felt; it's true, the role kind of requires a low-key approach, but there were times it felt like he was sleepwalking through his performance.

The plot was kind of predictable. Honestly, I guessed how it would end within about ten minutes. Among the familiar plot points:

Spoiler: "Outlander"

-The hero has lost his wife and son. Over the course of the movie he gets cozy with the beautiful princess and develops a connection with an orphaned boy. Wanna take bets on whether or not he'll form a new family with these two by the end?
-The princess is being courted by an aggressive suitor (who, if you watch the deleted scenes, you learn is her cousin -- Ick! Yeah, it probably wouldn't have been a big deal in 8th-century Norway, but still...). She has no interest in marrying this fellow, whom she considers a brute. Naturally, the hero and this suitor become adversaries early on in the film, but over time they bond and become friends. So, does anybody think the suitor will still be breathing by the end of the film?
-So, by the end of the movie, the King is dead, his immediate successor is dead, and the hero valiantly slays the creature, thus saving the kingdom and its people. Does he go back to his home beyond the stars or stay with these primitive humans, where he can marry the King's daughter and become the new leader of these people? What do you think?

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it, despite the cliched and predictable plot. As I said, it's reasonably well made, and still a lot of fun in a B-movie sort of way. And I liked the design and "characterization" of the Moorwen -- very nifty.

A few issues, though:

Spoiler: The ending.

-So after how we're shown how resilient the Moorwen is, we're supposed to believe that it dies from getting its hand chopped off and falling off a measly waterfall? I suppose it could have bled to death if it survived the fall, but I'm a little skeptical.
-At the end, we actually see the rescue ship arrive for Kainan, and it appears to have even entered Earth's atmosphere before he destroys the distress beacon. It seems a bit unlikely to me that the ship would immediately turn around once the signal stops. They came all that way, why not investigate and look for survivors, the ship, equipment, etc.? I found that whole part rather implausible.

 

[Aragorn]

It seems the Weinsteins really didn't know what to do with it. I'm not sure how they hope to make a profit on this, but whatever.

They've been doing this sort of thing with many of their movies for a while now. Outlander, Killshot and Fanboys are just the most recent to get releases after years of non-release hell.

 

[Jedi Marso]

The plot was kind of predictable. Honestly, I guessed how it would end within about ten minutes. Among the familiar plot points:

-snip-

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it, despite the cliched and predictable plot. As I said, it's reasonably well made, and still a lot of fun in a B-movie sort of way. And I liked the design and "characterization" of the Moorwen -- very nifty.

Remember though that this is sort of a re-telling of the Beowulf legend. Hence the un-originality of the plot.

 

[Forbin]

Just watched it last night.
AWEsome!

My wife looked dubious when I described it to her, but she ended up loving it too.

Her comment: "That's the ugliest I've ever seen Ron Perlman, and that's quite an accomplishment!"

 

[Forbin]

BTW, Marso, I return the favor by recommending Sky Crawlers.

Kick-ass anime with some of the best dogfights and coolest planes since Wings of Hony... Honeo... Raymond Massy... Oh hell, you know.

I started a thread on it at Wordforge.

 

[The Master of Tarquin Hill]

That is a pretty good, and accurate, review. Well done, Marso.

For someone like me who who started reading Fantasy when they were young and then moved onto hard Sci-Fi when they grew up, this movie is a real treat. It offers us (the viewers) the best of both worlds.

Just before I watched it today when it came in the mail from Netflix, I looked up it's iMDB rating and saw that it only received a 6.5.

After watching it I'm am struggling with whether or not it deserves an 8 or 9. I think it is that good!

I loved this shit! It is a bit slow at moments but, this is a solid story!

I am so glad that I took a chance on this flic.

ETA: I just noticed some comments about the story being predictable. I found this kind of humorous since I knew going in that this was a new take on the Beowulf/Grendel legend.