American Outlaws
Reviews
John Chard
The Indiana Jones Version. The legend of the James/Younger gang gets another outing in this fanciful actioner that's guaranteed to have history buffs frothing at the mouth. It very much comes off as a Western primed for the MTV generation, a young spunky cast are assembled and the action kitchen sink is thrown at the piece where ever possible. There's lashings of cool on show, some sexiness, and the prime action sequences are exciting. Yet it just comes off as soulless, something emphasised by the awful score and soundtrack. Acting is OK, particularly from Timothy Dalton as Allan Pinkerton, the man tasked with bringing down Colin Farrell's Jesse James - this whilst having a grudging respect for the outlaw - while Gabriel Macht puts some assured calmness into the role of Frank James. Elsewhere everyone else is having fun even though they be hamstrung by the script. There's hints of thought, such as the power of celebrity status and corporate greed, but these are few and far between, for this is what it is, an action film that works on that level only. 5/10
Charles Tatum
SPOILERS AHEAD! "American Outlaws" is cinematic proof that the American public will watch just about anything, even a film that makes "Young Guns" look like "The Searchers." Colin Farrell is Jesse James and Gabriel Macht plays his brother Frank. After the film opens with perhaps the most fun ever had at a Civil War battle, the Jameses and Youngers head home to Missouri. There, evil railroad executives have moved into the state in record time and are trying to buy everyone's land to build a railroad. Farms are burned, people killed, and the Youngers and Jameses have had it. After Ma James (Kathy Bates, here for the paycheck) is killed in an attack, the guys decide to stick it to the man by robbing banks where the railroad company does business. The rest of the film is a series of explosions as the gang robs, Allan Pinkerton (Timothy Dalton) tries to track James down, and the boys escape from one pickle to another. This film is stupid. So stupid. First of all, all the characters are straight out of a screenplay seminar: Jesse the dashing hero, Zee (Ali Larter) his love interest, Frank the smart one, Cole Younger (Scott Caan) the hothead, Bob Younger (Will McCormack) the "funny" one, Jim Younger (Gregory Smith) the boy who you know will die, Tom (Nathaniel Arcand) the politically correct Native American Indigenous People Indian Scout guy whose sole function here is to add some color to the cast of white guys, Rains (Harris Yulin) and Parker (Terry O'Quinn) are the villains, Ma James is the religious nut who has no problem with guns and killin', and Pinkerton, who enjoys the chase of James more than the capture. All the young men wear cool clothes and brandish magical pistols that reload themselves. Thank goodness everyone over thirty five is an idiot, so as these rascally killers can go John Woo/Chow Yun Fat all over their gold-filled rumps and do serious damage without ever killing an innocent bystander. Electric guitar riffs fill the soundtrack, and the film goes through all its preordained set pieces where the outcome has already been determined yet the film makers treat them as if they invented the genre. If you need to see cute guys without their shirts on, go online. If you need to see a decent western, watch anything but this. The entire cast and crew should be ashamed of themselves for coming up with this and shooting it. Did we learn nothing from "The Brady Bunch," when Bobby worshiped Jesse James until Mike brought home the son of one of the outlaw's victims? Why is that decades old sitcom more responsible than this dung? Wanna know the kicker to this whole migraine of a movie? Ma James is killed, prompting the boys to take revenge on the railroad. In real life, she outlived Jesse by almost forty years. Avoid "American Outlaws" like you would the popular girl at the brothel.
Movie Recommendation
Amos & Andrew1993-03-05When Andrew Sterling, a successful black urbanite writer, buys a vacation home on a resort in New England the police mistake him for a burglar. After surrounding his home with armed men, Chief Tolliver realizes his mistake and to avoid the bad publicity offers a thief in his jail, Amos Odell a deal.More...
Texas Rangers2001-11-30Ten years after the Civil War has ended, the Governor of Texas asks Leander McNelly to form a company of Rangers to help uphold the law along the Mexican border. With a few veterans of the war, most of the recruits are young men who have little or no experience with guns or policing crime.More...
The Oh in Ohio2006-03-30Frustrated with their relationship, Priscilla and Jack decide to take a break. While Jack moves into a new place of his own and starts dating a student, Priscilla discovers the joys of self-pleasuring and finds an unusual bedmate.More...
Operation Dumbo Drop1995-07-28Five Green Berets stationed in Vietnam in 1968 grudgingly undertake the mission of a lifetime -- to secretly transport an 8,000-pound elephant through 200 miles of rough jungle terrain. High jinks prevail when Capt. Sam Cahill promises the Montagnard villagers of Dak Nhe that he'll replace their prized elephant in time for an important ritual. But for Capt. T.C. Doyle, the mission becomes a jumbo-sized headache!More...
Raid2003-01-31Raid is a mysterious drifter and ex-criminal who comes and goes as he pleases. He has been away from the country for an extended period of time but learns on his return that his ex-girlfriend Tarja has presumably died in a fire that he soon discovers was a larceny. He is also contacted by inspector Jansson, who he knows from the past regarding the murder of a protestor. Raid begins his investigation and soon finds that there's more to the cases than meets the eye.More...
Gold of the Seven Saints1961-02-18Fur-trapping partners stumble across a cache of gold, but their discovery quickly attracts every greedy villain in the territory.More...
Uncommon Valor1983-12-16A group of Vietnam War veterans re-unite to rescue one of their own left behind and taken prisoner by the Vietnamese.More...
Animal Factory2000-10-13Suburbanite Ron is spoiled, young and not overly worried about the marijuana charges leveled against him. But, after being made out to be a drug dealer, he faces a five-year jail sentence in San Quentin State Prison. Physically frail and unaccustomed to his rough surroundings, Ron is primed to fall victim to sexual predators and bullying guards – that is, until he's befriended by Earl, a veteran inmate who finds meaning in protecting the vulnerable new kid.More...
Soldier Blue1970-08-12After a cavalry group is massacred by the Cheyenne, only two survivors remain: Honus, a naive private devoted to his duty, and Cresta, a young woman who had lived with the Cheyenne two years and whose sympathies lie more with them than with the US government. Together, they must try to reach the cavalry's main base camp. As they travel onward, Honus is torn between his growing affection for Cresta.More...
Bad Company2002-06-07When a Harvard-educated CIA agent is killed during an operation, the secret agency recruits his twin brother.More...
Classified2024-09-19Operating alone in the field for more than 20 years, a CIA hitman uses the "Help Wanted" section of the newspapers to get his orders from the Agency. His long-lost daughter, now a UK MI6 analyst, tracks him down to deliver shocking news: his CIA boss has been dead for years and the division long since shut down. Together, they set out to discover whose orders he's been executing.More...
The Spirit2008-12-25A Rookie cop named Denny Colt returns from the beyond as The Spirit, a hero whose mission is to fight against the bad forces from the shadows of Central City. The Octopus, who kills anyone unfortunate enough to see his face, has other plans; he is going to wipe out the entire city.More...
Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse2004-02-18No one is safe when seemingly random killings emerge as a deadly pattern intended to usher in the end of the world. A murder victim with the same DNA as Christ. A serial killer mimicking the deaths of the 12 Apostles. Inspector Niemans and a young, rebellious detective team up with a beautiful expert in religion to crack the case before their elusive suspect completes the cycle of terror, paving the way to an even bigger bloody catastrophe.More...
Jane Got a Gun2015-12-31After her outlaw husband returns home shot with eight bullets and barely alive, Jane reluctantly reaches out to an ex-lover who she hasn't seen in over ten years to help her defend her farm when the time comes that her husband's gang eventually tracks him down to finish the job.More...
Black Snake Moan2006-12-31A God-fearing bluesman takes to a wild young woman who, as a victim of childhood sexual abuse, is looking everywhere for love, but never quite finding it.More...
The Guilt Trip2012-12-19An inventor and his mom hit the road together so he can sell his latest invention.More...
Timeline2003-11-26A group of archaeological students become trapped in the past when they go there to retrieve their professor. The group must survive in 14th century France long enough to be rescued.More...
Young Guns1988-02-17A group of young gunmen, led by Billy the Kid, become deputies to avenge the murder of the rancher who became their benefactor. But when Billy takes their authority too far, they become the hunted.More...
Maniac2012-12-26As he helps a young artist with her upcoming exhibition, the owner of a mannequin shop's deadly, suppressed desires come to the surface.More...
La Jetée1962-02-16A man confronts his past during an experiment that attempts to find a solution to the problems of a post-apocalyptic world caused by a world war.More...
Similar Movies
From Dusk Till Dawn
1996-01-19After kidnapping a father and his two kids, the Gecko brothers head south to a seedy Mexican bar to hide out in safety, unaware of its notorious vampire clientele.The Cherokee Flash
1945-12-13Lawyer Butler, wanting Jeff Carson's ranch, has the Sheriff and his gang frame the bank holdup on him. Then they kill a witness that could free Carson and blame the murder on his son Sunset. But Sunset escapes, frees his father, and then sets a trap to catch the real killers.Hard Rain
1998-01-16An armored car driver tries to elude a gang of thieves while a flood ravages the countryside.Jesse James Meets Fra...
1966-04-09Dr. Frankenstein's Granddaughter Maria, and her brother assistant Rudolph, moved to the old west because the lightning storms there are more frequent and intense, which allows them to work on the experiments of their grandfather. But the experiments are failing and Rudolph's been secretly killing the corpses afterwards. Meanwhile, the Lopez family leaves the town because of the evil going on thereThe Assassination of ...
2007-09-20Outlaw Jesse James is rumored to be the 'fastest gun in the West'. An eager recruit into James' notorious gang, Robert Ford eventually grows jealous of the famed outlaw and, when Robert and his brother sense an opportunity to kill James, their murderous action elevates their target to near mythical status.Thunderbolt and Light...
1974-05-23With the help of an irreverent young sidekick, a bank robber gets his old gang back together to organise a daring new heist.The 13th Warrior
1999-08-13A Muslim ambassador exiled from his homeland joins a group of Vikings, initially offended by their behavior but growing to respect them. As they travel together, they learn of a legendary evil closing in and must unite to confront this formidable force.Firecreek
1968-01-24A peace-loving, part-time sheriff in the small town of Firecreek must take a stand when a gang of vicious outlaws takes over his town.Carry On Cowboy
1965-11-26Stodge City is in the grip of the Rumpo Kid and his gang. Mistaken identity again takes a hand as a 'sanitary engineer' named Marshal P. Knutt is mistaken for a law marshal. Being the conscientious sort, Marshal tries to help the town get rid of Rumpo, and a showdown is inevitable. Marshal has two aids—revenge-seeking Annie Oakley and his sanitary expertise.The Wild Geese
1978-06-28A British multinational company seeks to overthrow a vicious dictator in central Africa. It hires a band of (largely aged) mercenaries in London and sends them in to save the virtuous but imprisoned opposition leader who is also critically ill and due for execution. Just when the team has performed a perfect rescue, the multinational does a deal with the vicious dictator leaving the mercenary band to escape under their own steam and exact revenge.Equilibrium
2002-12-06In a dystopian future, a totalitarian regime maintains peace by subduing the populace with a drug, and displays of emotion are punishable by death. A man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system.The Jayhawkers!
1959-10-15Before the U.S. Civil War rebel leader Luke Darcy sees himself as leader of a new independent Republic of Kansas but the military governor sends an ex-raider to capture Darcy.El Dorado
1966-12-17Cole Thornton, a gunfighter for hire, joins forces with an old friend, Sheriff J.P. Harrah. Together with a fighter and a gambler, they help a rancher and his family fight a rival rancher that is trying to steal their water.From Noon Till Three
1976-08-01Bank robber Graham Dorsey spends a few hours with beautiful widow Amanda Starbuck, in which time his gang takes part in a disastrous holdup. Learning of his comrades' demise, Dorsey goes on the lam. Believing her short-term lover was killed by the law, Amanda decides to make the most of having had a liaison with the supposedly deceased desperado by writing a book about him. Much to his confusion, the still-living Dorsey watches as his name becomes legendary.The Dukes of Hazzard
2005-08-05Cousins, Bo and Luke Duke, with the help of their eye-catching cousin, Daisy and moonshine-running Uncle Jesse, try and save the family farm from being destroyed by Hazzard County's corrupt commissioner, Boss Hogg. Their efforts constantly find the 'Duke Boys' eluding authorities in 'The General Lee', their 1969 orange Dodge Charger that keeps them one step ahead of the dimwitted antics of the small southern town's Sheriff, Roscoe P. Coltrane.Will Penny
1967-12-19Will Penny, an aging cowpoke, takes a job on a ranch which requires him to ride the line of the property looking for trespassers or, worse, squatters. He finds that his cabin in the high mountains has been appropriated by a woman whose guide to Oregon has deserted her and her son. Too ashamed to kick mother and child out just as the bitter winter of the mountains sets in, he agrees to share the cabin until the spring thaw. But it isn't just the snow that slowly thaws; the lonely man and woman soon forget their mutual hostility and start developing a deep love for one another.The Great Train Robbe...
1903-12-07After the train station clerk is assaulted and left bound and gagged, then the departing train and its passengers robbed, a posse goes in hot pursuit of the fleeing bandits.Cherry, Harry & Raque...
1969-11-26In a small border town, a sheriff and his 'associate', involved in an operation in which they divert marijuana through the border, must kill another smuggler who has gone into business for himself.Colorado Charlie
1965-10-01When Sheriff Bill marries, he moves to another village to lead a more peaceful life. His replacement is killed by Colorado Charlie and his gang. The town sends for Bill, who returns unarmed because his wife has hidden his gun. When Colorado Charlie demands a shoot-out, Bill's wife relents and gives him back his weapon After Bill kills the bandit, his wife agrees to his return as sheriff.Django the Condemned
1965-01-01A gringo gunman and two Mexican families fight a bandit and his gang.