Outlaw

Vigilante Makeover Fails To Deliver, 12 March 2007

Author: gary-444 from United Kingdom


*** This review may contain spoilers ***


I wanted this film to work. The much derided "Death Wish" of the Seventies struck a popular chord in the same way that "Falling Down " did in the nineties - both owing big debts to the "Revenge" Western genre before them. The time is right for a 21st century makeover and update . For the first twenty minutes or so I was expectant. Good scene setting, interesting characters, punchy dialogue. Then the film implodes into a direction less, scarcely believable mess from which it never recovers.

Sean Bean is good but ultimately wilts under a poor script and little light and shade for his role. Although touted as a "lads" film there is an almost total lack of female interest to amuse and entertain. The action sequences are uniformly unbelievable, and the band of vigilantes fails utterly to convince. The wonderful Bob Hoskins performs what amounts to a hastily arranged bit part, whilst Danny Dyer continues his "Football Factory " persona as the kid who hangs out with the hard lads and looks tough just to avoid them beating him up.

The risible finale is poorly conceived, clumsily executed and is closer to farce than Armageddon. An opportunity missed.