Elliyani
What do the barbaric Vikings in the year 709 have in common with hi-tech aliens from outer space?
Logically, the answer should have been a resounding “nothing”. The likelihood of them having any sort of similarity with one another has about the same chance as Jennifer Aniston winning an Oscar award for Best Actress in her lifetime.
Unfortunately, in an upcoming sci-fi movie called Outlander, Vikings and aliens actually do have a common quest – to save their lives from rampaging, red-light flaring beasts, who land on Earth after hijacking a spaceship.
Feeling a little discombobulated yet? You’re not alone. Here’s a breakdown of the latest movie by Lord of the Ring producer Barrie Osbourne.
P.S. Unfortunately, it is nothing as captivating as Lord of the Ring movie.
The battle between the “ugly” and the beasts
Spaceman Kainan (James Caviezel) crash lands in Norway during the Viking Age but emerges relatively unscathed from the debris of his spacecraft. But he knows he’s not the lone survivor of the wreckage and goes on a quest to seek out Moorwen, the vile creature that killed Kainan’s family on a faraway planet.
Unfortunately, Kainan didn’t go far before he’s captured by one of the men from a nearby Nordic tribe, Wulfric (Jack Huston). Although the Vikings are intringued by the clean-cut looks of this this outlander, their curiousity of him is abruptly cast aside by the appearance of a sudden killing machine beast, Moorwen.
With the help of Kainan’s knowledge in high technology combined with the Nordic’s primitive weapons however, the Vikings are then, predictably, able to drive away the invading creatures.
The story sounds a little far-fetched, doesn’t it? Be warned, suspension of disbelief is definitely needed to enjoy this film.
Monotone and mediocre acting
Let’s be honest here, you wouldn’t be expecting an Academy Award for any of the actors in this movie.
Outlander is simply acted out by constantly angry, macho Viking men, extremely docile Viking women, and a human-looking alien who has practically only one expression throughout the movie. There was a small part, however, when Kainan actually has tears in his eyes as he explains how Moorwen killed his wife and son. Then it was back to expressionless fighting sequences. Caviezel is better known as Jesus in The Passion of the Christ.
Still, they shouldn’t be blamed for their mediocre acting. Outlander is simply focused on fighting, not drama.
Not-so-special effects
It’s unfortunate that such an action-packed sci-fi movie has such uninspiring special effects, particularly of Moorwen.
It’s obvious that it is a computer-generated monster that flashes weird red lights out of its body just to look scarier than it actually is. It would have been uber cool if it could shoot laser beams out of those red lights, but they only seem to illuminate the creature in the dark. Every movement Moorwen makes also doesn’t look fluid or realistic enough against the nature-filled background.
However, the special effects are still gory enough to see someone having a sword stuck in his neck.
The saving grace
But believe it or not, there are some things done right with Outlander. The film didn’t fall into the trap of mixing too much unnecessary romance in an action-packed setting. The romance between Kainan and a Viking princess, Freya (Sophia Myles), is so subtle that it, fortunately, doesn’t distract the audience from the actual plot of the movie.
Also, there’s quite a snazzy Viking game consisting of the actors (or stuntmen rather) to jump from shield to shield carried by their own fellow tribesmen.
In the end…
If you want mindlessly fun entertainment that takes you away from the reality of all the problems and stress in your life, then by all means, Outlander is the movie for you. But if you are actually craving for a movie with more substance, then please give this a miss and check out one of the many Oscar-nominated movies already out on the big screen this week.
Movie details
Release Date: Feb 19
Language: English
Rating: NC16
Running Time: 117 mins
Genre: Action
Starring: James Caviezel, Jack Huston, Sophia Myles, John Hurt
Directed by: Howard McCain