" Outlander" the sci-fi Viking movie

[Toki Bloodaxe]

    I have been waiting for this movie for quite some time. It has two things that I really love in it- Vikings and Sci-fi themes. Well, I was quite pleased with the film, personally, and it comes off rather well despite the limited budget. Here's the scenario: Jim Caviezel takes a break from touring the world as Jesus to star in this movie about a starfarer who crashlands on Earth in the area of Norway, in the year 760 A.D. Now, along with Kainen (Jim Caviezel) on the ship is his dead Captain, a lot of frozen coffins containing Kainen's dead family and a very nasty stowaway dragon-like alien called a Morwen. The Morwen begins to wreak terrible havoc upon an unsuspecting Norse culture, while Kainen must find a way to destroy the thing using iron-age technology and the sometimes hostile assistance of the local Norse warlords.  Along the way, Kainen proves himself as a warrior, befriends a young orphan, earns the respect of his Norse companions and falls in loves with a Viking king's daughter. The final fight with the Morwen is spectacular and breathtaking, and the great mountain and woodlands scenery only enhances the action and drama.  The effects in this film are decent enough, considering the limited budget and a great deal is made of using the filming locations to enhance the scenes. A great deal of the acting is quite wooden in places, but suffices to keep the cringe gactor down to a minimum. Venerable British actor John Hurt also stars as the King of the local Norse tribe. The always pretty and feisty Sophie Myles plays the King's daughter, and eventually Kainen's love interest. Ron Perlman makes an appearance as a rival Viking warlord ( who looks a lot like Ally Oop) and is decapitated by the Morwen in a spectacular manner--not for the squeamish.
     "Outlander" has a lot of the same appeal that certain other Viking/Sci-fi themed films have. I am thinking of films such as "Ragnar Trek"- (Brad Pitt stars in this action adventure about Captain Ragnar and his five year mission to boldly go burning and pillaging where no Viking has gone before. Megan Fox co-stars as Sister Marie-Louise Benadette, Pope Clement 17th's daughter).  Or, who could forget "Dragonship Galacticus"- (Starring Tom Cruise and Bruce Willis, this action adventure concerns the Dragonship Galacticus, the lone survivor of a Turkish  naval ambush, and its brave captain and crew who set out on a mission of hope across the great western sea in order to find the last surviving Viking outpost in the New World, in a place called....wait for it.....New Jersey. Bruce Springsteen does the soundtrack and Morgan Freeman co-stars as a sage elder who has a lot of profound things to say). And, then then there is the recent summer blockbuster.."Axeman Origins: Berserker" - (Using forbidden magic, an evil king, played by Dustin Hoffman in his finest role, welds axes to the hands of a poor Viking warrior, played by a buffed-up Charlie Sheen, who then goes on a mission of berserk destruction as he seeks revenge upon the bad guys who made him this way. Ron Perlman co-stars as Grunger, an earlier unsucessful version of the Berserker who has very few profound things to say).  "Outlander"  is different from all of these movies in that its production company sat on the film after its completion and then only released it in places like Lithuania and Bulgaria and Dallas thus guarenteeing it would have a dissapointing box office run, so that the film could be used as a tax write-off. I bet that the stars and the director are sure happy about that. Suffice to say that it is now available on Dvd through netflix. Check it out. It is a good popcorn movie. I give it 3 1/2 Viking Shields shattered by warhammers. Lady Delaney gives it 3 1/2 to 4 spilled drinking horns.

[maelstrom0370]

If I hadn't already seen this movie, I would think this is one Hell of a good joke!!  "LOL" can't really describe what was going on on my end as I read this, so, suffice to say, Riots Disease was rampant!

I have to agree whole-heartedly with Toki.  This movie is suprisingly good, given it's obvious budget restraints.  While I didn't really compare it to the other movies he mentioned, I did tend to think this was the bastard love child of "13th Warrior" and "Alien".

[Capt Gabriela Fullpepper]

Funny as that is ALMOST the same thing I told Toki 13th Warrior meets Alien

[switch]

I picked this up at Blockbuster, another blind buy after reading about it in another movie forum.  What a great film.  I'm with you guys about it being a mix of some great movies, I was thinking more of a 13th warrior, beowulf, and predator / alien love child.  The CGI in the movie was pretty good considering their budget.  The acting was solid as well, along with a good story and an impressive leading character.  I though Jim C. did a great job as the outlander.

4/5 - If you love this style of movie, which most of us do - definitely check it out.  It has great action, unique creature design, well written dialogue, and interesting characters.  Ron Perlman did a great job as well, totally surprised me.

Recommended!

[Lord Clisto of York]

The only good part I found in it was the running of the viking shields like the oars in the movie "the Viking". The invisible creature from space also reminded be of the one in the old classic "Forbidden Planet" trying to get through the force shield. Other then that it is a fun watch.