Review: ‘Outlaw’ on DVD

Written and directed by Nick Love, Outlaw is more complicated that it appears on the surface. Not only is this not just any run of the mill action movie, but Love has broken several mainstream Hollywood rules for making an action movie. With that said, he does so with perplexing intricacy. Outlaw isn’t perfect, but it is a fresh new “hero” driven action movie with a story deeper than your typical Sly Stallone or Arnie Schwarzenegger film.

The underlying question that Outlaw presents is … what makes a hero? The film opens up an area of grayness between being a hero and being a villain as this group of five vigilantes who’ve been wronged take the city’s rampant lawlessness into their own hands. Disillusioned with the corruption and incompetence of the police, Danny Bryant (Sean Bean) feels out of place after returning home from war in the Balkans and the middle East. When he finds his wife has been unfaithful and sees the level of crime in the city, he develops a need to do something about it … to make a difference.

After meeting the head of security for the hotel he is staying at, Danny recruits a group of five men who the law has failed. He offers them an opportunity to take justice for themselves and as a team do what the police have failed to accomplish. He trains them and, at first, they seem to be gaining the hearts of the city as heroes, but the story quickly evolves into a contemporary social commentary on gang culture. As Danny’s band of heroes gets more and more daring, they find themselves falling apart as the line between being heroes or just another violent gang begins to blur.

Nick Love has made an entertaining and thoughtful action film that raises some interesting questions. The cinematography is great, even if it does feel a little too “digital” at times and the editing is effective as well. Sean Bean gives a performance that resonates Danny’s inner-conflict about what he feels he has to do mixed with his apprehension about whether he’s doing the right thing or not. Bob Hoskins, while his part in the film was limited, was enjoyable as always. Outlaw is worth checking out, but don’t allow yourself to go into this film expecting just the average direct-to-DVD action romp.

[rating:3.5/5]