Review of Outlander (2008) by David G — 25 Apr 2010

For a movie that didn't have a particularly large budget, Outlander looks great with some impressive sets, locations and special effects - the design and look of the "Moorwen" in particular is very cool.

The story's not great but it's what you'd expect from a sci-fi/Viking action flick and it does the trick - alien spaceman Jim Caviezel (OK, "alien" is kind of exotic, he's basically human) crash lands in 8th century Norway, bringing a very grumpy and very hungry monster known as a Moorwen along with him and he has to team up with the local Viking tribe to take it down before it can multiply and decimate the Earth.

Caviezel is pretty good in the lead role even if he does lack charisma and is given strong support from the likes of John Hurt, Ron Perlman and Jack Huston. It's an easy film to mock thanks to some dodgy performances and amusing action movie-isms (apparently you can construct a huge monster trap and forge swords out of super-strong alien metal in a matter of hours) but it's a fun, and certainly not boring, movie to sit back and enjoy.