NateWatchesCoolMovies "Beowulf meets Predator" boasts the enthusiastic critic blurb on the poster of one of my favourite sci fi genre benders, Outlander. It's pure outlandish fun, and better yet it knows it is and therefore doesn't feel any need to spend a bunch of time on grasping exposition to convince you of any shred of authenticity. It simply hums along on a pure rush of unchecked adventure, always aiming to please and for the very most part, doing so wonderfully. Jim Caviesel stars, and he's an unassuming Ken doll of an actor who has more intensity than anyone gives him credit for, which always makes me spring to attention when he's in the driver's seat. Here he plays Kainen, a voyager from a far away galaxy who has crash landed his spacecraft on earth way back in the time of the Vikings, stranded and in need of refuge. Only problem is, he's been on the run for some time from a large, hideous and very dangerous creature from his home planet called Moorwen. Moorwen has a very personal and deadly vendetta against Kainen, one which threatens the Viking tribe who give him shelter, led by noble king Hrothgar (John Hurt). Kainen comes from a planet with technology and civilization far advanced from Earth at that time, which makes him a hit with the tribesmen and even more so with Hrothgar's daughter (Sophia Myles). Moorwen threatens their way of life in its rampage against Kainen, causing tragic collateral damage to a rival clan led by Gunnar (Ron Perlman makes heartbreaking and stone tough work of what is essentially an extended cameo). It's an awesome movie no matter what anyone says. Any film about an astronaut from a far off galaxy who bands together with friggin vikings to battle a fluorescent space dragon is just automatically a winner. In all seriousness though, this one really is something special,and almost seems like a Dennis Quaid vehicle if it were made in the 80's. Fun, thrilling and never too serious, it knows it's place and owns the genre shelf it sits on.

gregariousjb I've been watching movies for over 30 years and I'd humbly consider myself a movie buff with a penchant for perfectionism. I tend to pick out plot holes that others don't see, although I'm not infallible.I've tried to find a plot hole in this movie, but I can't. It certainly stretches the limit of the unknown, unique, and absurd, but it does it extremely intelligently. It does an excellent job of laying out the plot within the confines of its own making. As simple as that sounds, there are innumerous movies that fail this.The monster itself was thought up by creative genius. It has the similarities of most monsters in most movies - the big teeth, the intelligence, and the brutality. But this one is something altogether legendary. It is not only intelligent, it is calculated in its actions to ensure that fear is spread as wide as possible. And while most monsters hunt with darkness, this one does the opposite!After a wild ride of intense action, humor, connection, and sadness, a single blink-and-you-miss-it scene leaves a significant thought-provoking idea - who really was the monster? That's for you to decide.

Sjhm In terms of realism, it perhaps lacks something in the depictions of the Vikings, but come on, this is a science fiction actioner. And as such it works very well. The characters have dimensions to them, the plot is straightforward, and in terms of the big set pieces this is done very well indeed. Jim Caviezel is excellent as the "human alien" Kainan, whose space ship crashes in 709 AD Norway, and unleashes the monster, the Moorwen, who destroyed his own people. The gradual acceptance of Kainan into the vikings' group forms the emotional heart of the story as he comes to care for the people he's landed among. This isn't Shakespeare, and it is a great deal better than many bigger budget and more highly advertised films (Beowulf itself, for instance). It is well worth checking it out on DVD. A good evening's entertainment.

ExpendableMan Stupider than a Viking warrior wearing a helmet with the horns on the inside and drenched in just as much blood, 'Outlander' is a fun but forgettable romp through Dark Ages Norway. The actors don't seem to know if they should be speaking in an olde timey manner or not, the plot is full of holes and by the time a Priest explodes like an offal-crammed water balloon, any hint of serious film making has long since disappeared. That being said however, if you've got a six pack in the fridge and want something to take your mind off the mortgage for two hours, Outlander is far from a bad choice. It's just a shame the monster isn't a bit more impressive.Kicking off with a spaceship crash landing in a lake, the film revolves around Kainan (Jim Caviezel), a distinctly human looking space marine who finds himself stranded on Earth alongside the ferocious monster that was hitching a ride with him. Faster than you can say "are you sure you shouldn't leave that impressive space armour on," he's been accosted by Jack Huston's Wulfric, a Viking Prince who hungers for the crown and brought to the attention of King Hrothgar (John Hurt). At first, Kainan is blamed for the slaughter of a nearby village but it's not long before the real monster turns up and starts butchering all the extras. Kainan teams up with his captors and they start trying to find ways to kill their seemingly indestructible foe with an array of spears, arrows and swords. This results in a couple of very messy set pieces (the 'whale oil trap' scene is terrific) but any trace of subtlety disappears very early on. The special effects team also seem incredibly proud of their monster, a sort of giant crocodile thing with a bio-luminescent tail, but unfortunately this means they want to show it off. A lot. They don't believe in teasing the audience with fleeting glimpses and instead show it off repeatedly as it leaps through the forests ripping warrior's arms out. It's not surprising then that suspense barely gets a look in and the film instead turns into a long game of "who dies next?" And while it leans on Predator for inspiration the creature is nowhere near as iconic as Stan Winston's legendary hunter and instead feels more like it's been cobbled together out of bits of lesser movie monsters. 'Outlander' therefore isn't a film to watch if you're after an instant classic, but for a drunken bloodbath with a much better cast than it deserves, it'll definitely fit the bill. Any time it requires more than Norsemen being torn to pieces it struggles, but any film which features Ron Pearlman as an axe wielding lunatic with a facial tattoo has got to be worth a glimpse.