What Outlaw King lacks in narrative freshness it more than compensates for with its authentic-feeling sense of gritty verisimilitude. Directed by David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water, Perfect Sense, Young Adam, Starred Up), the film was co-written by Mackenzie, Mark Bomback, David Harrower, James MacInnes, and Bathsheba Doran, and essentially picks up where Braveheart left off, featuring a gruffed-up and appropriately dirty-looking cast including Chris Pine, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Billy Howle, Tony Curran, Stephen Dillane, Sam Spruell, and many others.
I was a bit nervous that Pine would feel too modern (not to mention pretty) within this historical context, but he yet again delivered a commanding leading turn, however unfortunate his hairstyle turned out to be. And everyone around him came to play with macho swagger.
The climactic battle scene is tremendous, with all sorts of flawlessly-realized gore and photo-real CGI/special effects that help to demonstrate just how utterly awful it would have been to take part in something like that. The fact that the battle scenes were done with as much practical stunt work as possible really made me smile.
I also really appreciate how everyone looked filthy in this movie, and the strong costumes and damp, earthy production design really sealed the deal. But the biggest star of the entire piece was cinematographer Barry Ackroyd (The Hurt Locker, United 93), who after busting out a nearly 10 minute opening Steadicam shot that is just staggering to contemplate in terms of overall logistics, covers the action with unflinching intensity, incorporating some lovely wide shots that give full context to the gruesome combat carnage.
It’s thrilling stuff, and while not matching the overall bonkers-insanity of something like the jungle massacre in Oliver Stone’s vastly underrated Alexander (those war-elephants…), it’s clear that Mackenzie and his creative team pulled out all the stops when it came time to showcase the severed limbs and arterial blood-sprays.
I don’t understand how they did all of the horse stuff in this movie; that nobody was trampled to death and that no horses were killed would seem to be a miracle. Currently streaming on Netflix, this $120 million production clearly spared no expense, with every penny appearing on-screen. Maybe a little too Game of Thrones-y for my personal taste, but it’s definitely worth seeing.
I wish Mackenzie’s original cut, which screened to mixed reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival and ran 30 minutes longer, was the version that’s streaming; you have to wonder why he’d cut the film (regardless of critical reaction) considering that with Netflix, there are ZERO expectations in terms of financial performance.
Review by Nick Clement
Summary
This is a good, solid, familiar piece of storytelling, with absolutely incredible production values. Well worth a watch!
