Outcast

This movie doesn't score great. I've read most reviews and I don't agree. Things about not being correct, so what.

This is a good action movie with, and that's a plus, a nice story. It's not a documentary, it's not a "based on true facts", it's a story to entertain you.

Just enjoy it, as I did.

And by the way, I watched it three times now. I don't choose a movie just because it's near to any truth, or believable. I want to be entertained.

I just wonder. Would any of the critics here criticize a book in the same way, or some piece of music?

Nic Cage to some has lost it. He's not the main attraction here though. Hayden is (hence my summary line) and he is either barely succeeding in that brooding act he's putting on (going through a hard time trying to redeem himself, not entirely of his own free will mind you). Following orders is not always the best way to go.

The story is pretty straight forward, the action scenes are decent, but the cutting/editing of them is very frenzy. You might like that (it creates the illusion of fast and hard hits or blows to the body) or not, depending on your taste. Overall this is not the worst of Nic Cages recent outputs, but it's not an instant classic either

It's definitely a mediocre move. It's obvious there was a lot of work put into sets, costumes, and locations - although I did find it funny how they couldn't really decide what "Asian" actually was... it was fantastical enough that it wasn't jarring though. It's a shame the director doesn't know how to shoot action scenes well. The choreography actually looked half decent but it was so hard to actually see much of it, too many cuts and changing angles. As for the actors, all the supporting cast I felt did really well. Cage is just... well... yea... Cage... can't be anything except himself apparently. Christensen on the other hand, I feel like has come a long way since Star Wars (I think Jumper is the only other movie I've seen with him...) For the plot, I think the only time I was just utterly confused was right at the end. The final confrontation didn't make a whole lot of sense. The classic "don't let their deaths be for nothing" tropes with a perfect defensive layout.... that wasn't used... instead of using the caves the few left just walk out for the finale like all the deaths meant nothing..........

So overall, not enough to make me stop watching, but nothing exceptional.

I have watched a LOT of really bad movies, and this isn't anywhere near the bottom of the barrel. In fact, it's kind of enjoyable. The bad guy is sufficiently bad that we he drives the story and justifies our anger. He has just enough complexity that he escapes being one- dimensional. Hayden Christensen is acceptable as basically the fallen hero, and Nicholas Cage is, well, a little off the wall.

Some people complain about the action, and the first sequence is not that great. But the later action scenes are decent, and the last sword- fight is pretty good.

Some of the story is sort of sketched in instead of really told in depth, but it's not inconsistent or riddled with plot holes. What story there is moves along at a good pace.

I went into this expecting crap, and I guess there are lots of weird things in the film.

For example, it bypasses the language barrier by giving everyone involved the universal translator, and the Chinese characters speak English in distinctly British accents, wtf.

Also, it combines elements of both the Crusades and Chinese Imperial stuff into a single film, which was interesting.

Hayden Christensen punches a woman in the face. I found that funny, considering the nobody made a fit about "violence against women omagazz". Then again, the film does depict lots of women and some children being slaughtered, it probably would've gotten a pg13 for that if the censors got their hands onto it.

The dialog is somewhat cliché, then you also have the white savior cliché in which Nick Cage and Hayden Christensen kick Chinese ass to save Chinese people from other Chinese people, but I'm cool with that. But honestly, the film does in fact fulfill its duty to entertain. There are lots of sword fights, some cool (although anticlimactic) arrow scenes, and a nice supply of blood, but not in a particularly gory way.

The story is somewhat nonsensical, I guess the only defense to that is 'who cares'.

Over all though, it still was kinda FUN, nothing really made me cringe, and the Chinese theme in a non Chinese film is somewhat refreshing. So my final verdict is: 6/10 fun but not particularly memorable.