by Rob Kentworth

Created on: February 12, 2010

On the back of the DVD box, Outlander has been described as being a cross between Braveheart and Predator. While the Predator comparison is more or less appropiate, the comparison to Braveheart is less apt. The film does have one battle with swords, but the film is not epic in the true sense of the word. When fights do occur though, they are quite brutal like they are in Braveheart.

So, why has the film been described as being a cross between Braveheart and Predator? Also, what is the film about and is it any good?

The film’s main character is called Kainan, played by Jim Caviezel, whose ship crash lands on Earth. Instead of the film being set in modern times, it is set in a time when Vikings lived. As luck would have it, he lands near their settlements. Another crew member who was on the ship with him is dead and he discovers that what they were transporting has escaped. So, he ends up meeting the Vikings and while Kainan doesn’t get on well with them at first, they band together to fight the beast/alien creature that escaped. This is why the Predator comparison is relevant because the creature is a killing machine and dispatches humans with ease. The Braveheart comparison has been made because there’s a conflict between two Viking clans and of course, it results in fighting. The fighting is brutal but there is only one real fight between the two clans, so the comparison is not really relevant and it is not a massive battle. In addition, the only other thing the film has in common with Braveheart is that there is sword fighting. Not much is it?

Now that that’s out of the way, the story is decent but not great. It’s basically what you’d expect from a film centered around a group of people banding together to kill a creature so that they themselves might survive. However, there is a bit of a love story. The actual story behind Kainan’s relationship with the creature, called a Moorwen, is also pretty good when the reasons for the killings amongst other things are revealed. It sort of helps give more of a reason for the carnage that occurs on the screen beyond the creature simply being bad/hungry and wanting to kill people.

The acting is okay, but again like the story, it’s not great. It’s fine for the type of film it is though and it’s definitely up there with the best of the films in the genre as far as acting is concerned. In other words, the acting is not cringe-worthy. The monster special effects are good as well and the ending is suitably gory.

The film is, at the end of the day, enjoyable to watch as long as you don’t expect a top notch script, story or great acting. It’s the sort of film you watch without your brain switched on. But that’s by no means a bad thing and it’s nowhere near as bad as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in that regard. Lastly, I have no complaints surrounding the production values or directing either. There aren’t many films that blend science fiction elements with medieval times either.

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