Outlaw King review: One could have been forgiven for rolling the eyes at the news of the casting of Chris Pine as Robert The Bruce in David McKenzie’s probable big-budget Netflix epic Outlaw King, a new portrait of the Scottish hero, but he’s not the worst thing about the film which opened this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. In fact, there’s not much to pick apart at a first glance of this historical epic, which is almost certainly more suited to the big-screen than TV, tablet and mobile phone handsets through the streamer.
Image credit: Courtesy of TIFF
Outlaw King review [TIFF]
It’s the 1300s, and Scotland, through Sir Robert VI de Brus (James Cosmo) and his son, also Robert (Pine), have pledged their allegiance to England, and its reigning king, Edward I (Stephen Dillane). To cinemagoers with a lack of knowledge of 14th century Britain, this is roughly when Mel Gibson’s Braveheart ended, though William Wallace does show up in Outlaw King, just before he’s found, hung, drawn and quartered during the opening reel. The Bruce’s clearly aren’t happy about their union but agree to Edward’s demands and even let him torch one of their remaining castles right after their handing over of power.
Obviously, this doesn’t last for long and, after being given the hand of Edward’s daughter Elizabeth de Burgh (a solid once again Florence Pugh) in marriage, Robert The Bruce Jr. and his brothers decide to unite against The Crown, for the good of their people and the honour of their heritage.
The true-life events of this well-documented story – some of them more accurate on-screen in some productions than others – play out over a butt-numbing 137 mins, most of which tick along at a reasonable pace, actually – in fact, the action is quite unrelenting and the story totally engrossing for the most part. Pine truly shines, his accent spot on, and he really captures the essence of the character. The well-documented full-frontal nudity scene did draw a few gasps in our screening, and seems a little out-of-place as it does nothing for the plot, but it does go to show Pine’s commitment to the role, I suppose. There’s also a sex scene half way through which again sees the camera gratuitously focus upon Pine’s backside, a cutaway not really needed, but hey, if it sells the film…
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The set design is, of course, stunning, as too is the costume design and the sweeping vistas of Scotland’s beautiful scenery, with locations across the country taken in by the production. It adds a welcomed authenticity to proceedings and the choice to use real locations, observed with some wonderful aerial photography taking in the huge landscapes, is truly breath-taking.
It’s very brutal stuff, and should come with a stark warning. The battle scenes are as gruesome as you may expect with swinging swords and axes spilling blood and guts all the way through, and one obviously computer-aided scene sees one of Bruce’s crew strung upside down and disembowelled, McKenzies’s camera refusing to pan away.
The film has been criticised for not having too much substance beneath its polished top layer and central cast in Pine and Aaron-Taylor Johnson, but I have to admit to getting a lot out of the film and had no such problems. I did have other concerns – notably with Florence Pugh and her character of Elizabeth. Pugh, one of the best young actors of her generation is near-faultless, it’s just that there isn’t enough of her in the movie – particularly during the final third. The film choses to move away from her storyline once a certain even has taken place, and then hardly returns to her until a very clichéd re-apperance right at the very end. It hardly ruins the film totally, but I really wanted to see more of her and the young actor playing Robert The Bruce’s daughter.
Overall though, Outlaw King – identified as Outlaw/King over the titles, is a largely enjoyable epic affair, one which won’t tarnish McKenzie’s growing, glowing resume. It proves he’s capable of stretching himself to more big-budget, epic fare too. Maybe a spy franchise next? I certainly wouldn’t complain.
Outlaw King review by Paul Heath, September 2018.
Outlaw King was reviewed at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. Click here for all of our coverage.
