Review of Outlander (2008) by Daniella Z — 22 Apr 2010

This mish-mash of futurism and norse myth is actually suprisingly enjoyable to watch.

Caviezel looks brooding and attractive with his spiffy new other worldly haircut and the beards are majestic and something of wonder, this adds a lot to the film as a whole.

Perlman is welcome as some brutish Norse Lord who acts and resembles my father(a suprising cameo) but has a rather megre role.

There are a few dodgy accents scattered about - some people confusing Norse with Irish, Scottish and British accents but non-the-less the effort is there at creating some kind of environment.

The CGI is alright and is cleverly, and thankfully, often disguised or hidden by fog, darkness or water adding a nice atmosphere that most studios fail to consider in their efforts to saturate a film with all the obvious and empty looking CGI monsters it possibly can - meaning this movie wont date too terribly. Nice creature designs of a kind of dragon meets deep sea freak of nature that I'm surpised didn't come with it's own Attenburogh narration.

The story, however, is rather weak as it often is with dragon movies for whatever reason, and isn't executed too well but it's not terrible either. I did feel a few major plot holes, I like my sci-fi based in some kind of realism but whatever. Again the woman spoils the movie from the second she's seen attempting to be some kind of Bodecian warrior princess (leave it to Xena plox) beating up John Hurt, who happens to be her dad.

Norse Myths, gnarly beards, dragons, space, sexy computer voices and an impressive aresenal of swords are all awesome things but sadly even though they come together in this movie leave pleanty to be desired from the possibilities of a futuristic Moby Dick.