Today’s quick review: Outlawed. Jake O’Neil (Adam Collins), a decorated British soldier, hits rock bottom after failing to save a kidnapping victim. Turning his back on his military career, Jake spirals into self-destruction. But he gets the chance to set things right when his childhood friend Jade (Jessica Norris) approaches him with proof that Harry Archibald (Ian Hichens), a corrupt politician tied to the kidnapping, is guilty of murder.
Outlawed is a budget action movie about a special forces soldier on a mission to take down a powerful politician. Outlawed has more ambition than other budget flicks, taking the time to set up the details of Jake’s background and the many reasons Archibald deserves what’s coming to him. But in spite of having a decent story for its genre, Outlawed’s clunky writing, unconvincing acting, and weak action make it a mediocre pick at best.
Outlawed has a vision that it lacks the skill to achieve. The film sets up Harry Archibald as the villain from the very beginning, giving him personal ties to Jade and Jake, showing the collateral damage of his criminal activities, and painting him as untouchable. Yet the film stumbles when it tries to actually tell its story. The details of the story are laid out in a confusing order, are tricky to follow, and never lead to much payoff.
Nor is Outlawed’s action enough to carry the film. The fights are flashier than one might expect from its apparent budget, but their stunt work is lacking. Outlawed also has a habit of padding out its fights with masked gunmen who have no story reason to be there, rather than making tougher shootouts with fewer enemies. Topping it all off, Outlawed’s characteres are uncompelling and don’t connect in the right ways to the story around them.
The end result is a budget action flick that aims higher than its competition but still suffers from some of the same flaws. Outlawed may be a nice breather for budget action fans interested in seeing what a little more investment in story can do for the genre. But Outlawed still makes for a less than satisfying watch in absolute terms, a movie with glimmers of potential but execution that falls short of the mark.
For another movie about a British ex-soldier working his way back up from the bottom, try Redemption. For a more thrilling action movie about a killer forced to seek justice on his own, try Killer Elite. For a budget action flick with meatier action, try All the Devil’s Men. For one that tinkers with a more complex story and finds greater success, try Avengement.
6.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.0 for a decent story and midrate action let down by flawed overall execution.