First of all, I must say that I didn't expect much from "Outcast", given the fact that it starred both Nicolas Cage and Hayden Christensen. But still, I decided to give it a chance, as I do enjoy movies, and they could for once actually prove me wrong.
But alas, that was not to be. "Outcast" is not a great movie by any means. Sure it was adequately entertaining and had some good enough fight scenes. But the storyline was as holed as Swizz cheese. I don't know what writer James Dormer really wanted to accomplish with this movie, but it was just a tad too far out there.
The story in "Outcast" is about two Templar crusaders, Gallain (played by Nicolas Cage) weary of the carnage and falsehood of the crusade and Jacob (played by Hayden Christensen) wholly sworn to the cause. After the crusade, Jacob finds himself in China, where he is killing his personal demons with alcohol, when he happens to help an heir to the Chinese empire by random luck. He musters up and sets out to return the heir to the rightful throne. But they need the assistance of the fabled White Ghost that lives on the mountain.
Right, well the idea was there and the heart was in the right place. But it just didn't make much logic sense most of the time. And the storyline was a bit too shallow, taking you from point A to point C, without actually letting you see what was at point B.
And it was also a slap to the face that everyone in ancient China were speaking English. That sort of thing in movies just kills off so much authenticity. Sure, it might appeal to a larger audience as a whole, but it just kills the mood.
As for the acting, well with hand on heart then I can say that Hayden Christensen actually performed quite well and carried the movie nicely. However, Nicolas Cage must have delivered his most stale and generic performance to date here in "Outcast", and it was done with a very hilarious accent.
"Outcast" is a mediocre movie by all means, and it is hardly a memorable notch in movie history. "Outcast" came and went quietly, and once you've seen it, it will be bagged, tagged and left on the shelf to collect dust. It is hardly a movie that sustains more than a single viewing.
My rating of "Outcast" is a mediocre five out of ten stars.