Running from the Devil

New post up for the film Solomon Kane, enjoy.

FILM ONLY REVIEW

Solomon Kane is a mercenary and he has made a deal with the devil but when the devil sends his henchman to get his soul he manages to escape. Solomon seeks refuge in a monastery where he cannot be touched by the devil.

After a few years where Solomon has been living a quiet life he is asked to leave the monastery and return to his homelands but he fears that if he leaves the devil will be able to get him. He has not battled or killed for a good few years now and the priest tells him that as long as he stays this way he cannot be touched. Solomon sets of on his own but soon meets with a travelling family and they ask him to go with them and he agrees, unfortunately they are ambushed by the evil wizards men and the father and son are killed and the daughter is kidnapped.

Solomon makes a vow to the mother that he will rescue the daughter and return her home but this will mean he has to battle and kill which will result in the devil being able to take his soul. Can Solomon complete his tasks and will the devil get his reward?

This really was not my choice of film as I was expecting it to be very dark and brutal with a limited storyline but I am pleased to be able to say that I was very surprised by it and really did enjoy it a lot. The storyline was very good, it was slightly far fetched at times but I think that the added mythical element meant that they got away with the majority of it and despite not being believable it was still enjoyable. The fact that it was set many years ago, the 1600’s if I remember correctly helped with the storyline and believability of it.

The acting was very good and the lead role of Solomon Kane was played by James Purefoy. He looked excellent in the role and he made a good strong lead character. I enjoyed seeing the strength he bought to the film, not only with the fighting scenes but also with the grit and determination he used to deliver his lines. We did get to see a slightly softer side of his character when he was at the monastery and with the family and it was hear that we got to learn a bit about his past and why he became the man he did, this did help me to be able to understand him slightly more. We did have some very good support actors in the film but the one which stood out for me was that of William Crowthorne, purely for the fact he was played by the late great Pete Postlethwaite, he was a good character and very different to that of Solomon. Other actors in the film included appearances from, Ian Whyte, Mark O’Neil, James Babson and Jason Flyming, they were all very good and bought a good mix of characters to the film.

The film did have a mythical feel to it with the use of wizardry and for me it did help make the story flow better and seem more real. As this was the case we did have some special effects and CGI used and for me it was all of a very high standard and fitted seamlessly into the film. There was also a lot of effects used for the battle and fight scenes and they too were of a very high standard and at times they were quite brutal and I had to look away as the detail was so great. The costumes were all good and in keeping with the year and setting of the story, I loved the appearance of Solomon and though that when he put on the hat he looked quite scary. The props were great and also in keeping with the year of the film, it was good to see how basic life was all those years ago.

We did get some good shots of the countryside and forests during the film and they were very enjoyable to watch although I did have a hard time trying to work out what location we were supposed to have been in for this film. The music throughout was nice and fitted well although none of the tracks were really stand out ones.

I am only reviewing the film so there are no bonus features to speak about. The running time of the film is 104 minutes and the rate is a 15. I do agree with the rate as there are some brutal scenes which may be hard for the younger viewer to watch. The DVD is available in a wide variety of shops and online and is now priced around the £5 mark. I do think this is a fair price for such a good film.

I am more than happy to recommend this film and give it a good 4 stars, the storyline was enjoyable and believable for the majority, the acting was superb and both me and hubby enjoyed this a lot. It s well worth a watch especially if you can catch it on Sky movies for free.