Outlander (Jim Caviezel)

[Yautja]

Anyone see this film?
Any good?
Is it worth a blind buy?

Thanks

[dannycj]

I have watched it, very average movie. The story line is all over the place.
PQ is poor but the AQ is great.

Hope this helps

[Hoot]

I agree, its ok, good if you like Norse Mythology (ala Beowulf/Grendel), mixed with a bit of sci-fi monster stuff,

- its worth a rent first to be sure

[Yautja]

I watched it today (RENT COPY) not the best film I must say
Glad I didn't buy a copy

[Deadbone]

I watched it this week and was pleasantly surprised.
Better than your average B grade move (B+)
Good action/sci-fi/horror movie. Definitely worth a rent.
Pick it up in a year or so when it's cheap.

Here's the creature ....

[Show spoiler]

[gettodamoofies]

"Outlander" (2008). Directed by Howard McCain and starring James Caviezel, Sophia Myles & Ron Perlman, this title is released by Warner Bros in Australia.



My review

"Outlander" is a re-telling of the often adapted poem "Beowulf". Unlike most films based on the poem, this one takes a different path by re-shaping the historical tale and infusing it with sci-fi and action elements. It's an interesting mix which probably shouldn't work as well as it does but I found it on the whole to be very entertaining in it's ability to combine genres I am a fan of.

Performances are quite strong, most notably Sophia Myles and John Hurt. James Caviezel proves to be more than competent at playing a reserved hero and Ron Perlman's smaller turn in the film is yet again another instance of his ability to make an enjoyable impact and further evidence of his status as a cult actor.

Director Howard McCain pulls a double-duty by sharing co-writing credit of the film. Behind the camera his work is quite good. Visually the film is stunning with excellent locations, tight direction and sharp editing. Ultimately the film doesn't completely succeed due to a few shortfalls in the script. It certainly isn't bad however there are a few moments where the dialogue becomes a little to cliché and that doesn't assist the overall appeal of the film. 4/5

Video
"Outlander" features some impressive visuals and the transfer does an admirable job of replicating them. For the most part it's an incredible transfer with various colours splashing across the screen, excellent detail in the outfits of the Viking costumes and some striking locations with fantastic lighting. Unfortunately every so often certain scenes feature wandering black levels with some scenes featuring a greyish or blue-tinged black which appears to be attributable to the post-processing used. This results in some detail loss as black levels and contrast vary in those moments and this ultimately holds the transfer back from being truly great. Still, overall it's an impressive look for a film on a BD-25 and one which never even saw a theatrical run here in Australia. 4/5

Audio
"Outlander" comes to Blu-ray with an exceptionally potent audio mix. The film's action sequences come alive with excellent surround usage and strong support from the LFE. In fact, the LFE content is some of the strongest I've heard in some time. The mix extends it's quality to the softer sections of the film also where dialogue is well reproduced and various atmospheric effects create an impressive soundscape. It's not quite as refined as the best mixes but it comes close and it certainly makes up any ground lost by substituting any minor deficiencies in the elegance of the mix with a brash dose of attitude. 4.5/5

Extras
Unfortunately Warner Bros has failed to deliver any notable extras. The only included special feature is the theatrical trailer for the film. It is provided in 1080p with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. 1/5

Overall
Although I often loathe the "x meets y!" descriptions of films the "Beowulf meets Predator" banner is fairly accurate in describing the mash-up of ideas from Beowulf, Predator, Lord of the Rings and Pitch Black which permeate the film. Still, for all it's influences (which it sometimes wears on it's sleeve) the film has plenty of entertainment value. The A/V presentation is strong, performances are quite good and if you like sci-fi and action you should hopefully find it to be an entertaining couple of hours. Worth a rental for fans of sci-fi action and a blind buy if found for a good price! 4/5

Please note: Title is region free.