Outlander

Starring: Jim Caviezel, Sophia Myles, John Hurt, Jack Huston

Synopsis:

An alien humanoid crash lands in Norway during the time of the Vikings, accidentally unleashing a creature that has the power to destroy villages. Together with a local tribe he sets off to hunt the beast and write the wrongs that he has set in motion.



Outlander is one of those lower budgeted movies that splices a couple of genres and succeeds by virtue of good direction, a great cast and a healthy mix of creativity and evocative locations. One could cite disappointment at the CGI elements of the creature but I never felt that the obvious bargain basement CGI got in the way. In fact l thought that the CGI shortfall was handled very well. If the reader remembers the Russell Mulcahy directed movie; Razorback, the treatment of the creature reminds me of this film. An example of how poor CGI rendered creatures spoiled an otherwise superb movie I cite The Mist.

The story is reminiscent of Beowulf with a drop of Predator. This time, a humanoid traveller, called Kainan, crashes into a Norwegian lake in the year, 709 A.D. It soon becomes apparent that he has brought a stowaway with him, one that does not like humanoids. The Moorwen proceeds to wipe out a village near the crash site. Whilst tracking the Moorwen, Kainan runs afoul of another village who are concerned that they will get the blame for the village’s destruction. This sub-plot that involves Ron Perlman playing the enemy tribes’ chief is sadly missing a chunk of story that I wonder might make it on to a deleted scenes section of a DVD. It feels as if there should be more backstory to this.

Initially, the tribe led by Rothgar (John Hurt) are wary of the “Outlander” but as time goes on they come to take him into their fold. Kainan proves his worth to the tribe and also that his race is not that different, despite their technology.

Once again, Caviezel plays the protagonist with a quiet calm. The character of Kainan isn’t necessarily instantly likeable and I think it helps that we have a measure of sympathy with the 8th century Vikings as opposed to the more evolved Kainan. When we learn the exact nature of Kainan’s relationship with the Moorwen race, and how Kainan’s people made the Moorwen enemies I found my sympathies sway towards the creatures; that is until we see the pile of bodies in the cave!

John Hurt as Rothgar brings a measure of credibility and nobility to this picture, a role markedly different from that of his turn in Indiana Jones IV. It is a role he appears more comfortable in but some lesser actors might appear to be coasting the role; not Hurt. He plays the part of a strong compassionate king very well and resists the opportunity to go a bit “Shakespeare” with it. The ever dependable Sophia Myles plays the part of Rothgar’s daughter Freya; a strong spirited warrior woman that is equal to her male counterparts without sacrificing her feminity (unlike Keira Knightly in King Arthur). Relative newcomer Jack Huston plays Wulfric, the heir to the King's throne; another spirited performance. It’s always a joy to watch Ron Perlman in action, whether it be in Hellboy or The Mutant Chronicles (another movie mistreated by the studios). I don’t think he gets enough screentime in Outlander and as mentioned before, suspect that extra footage exists at least from the script stage if not filmed. Typically, Perlman impresses and brings character to the movie despite the lack of screen time.

The Moorwen must have been difficult to design as there have been many memorable creatures in folklore and on screen. What must have looked good on paper doesn’t appear fully realised on screen. However, I do not feel that the creature rendered hampers what is an entertaining movie. In one shot (when the Moorwen glows within woodland) the Moorwen reminds me vaguely of the monster from the ID in the 50s movie Forbidden Planet; not a bad reference.

The score is typical of this type of movie but works well and evokes a heroic atmosphere underpinning what we see on screen.

Verdict:

Whilst Outlander might not live up to modern expectations in a movie, I found it to be a thoroughly entertaining watch and recommend it highly to those that like period action movies.

8/10 (Wayfarer)