Customer Reviews

American Outlaws (Widescreen)

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

The action scenes in this movie are GREAT. I can get past all the other stupid stuff in this movie just to watch those. I think they should have cut out the part where they come back home and chat with all their friends because that just slows down the movie, but once you get past all that, the movie just keeps you jumping in your seat. Yes, the actors' lines are kind of dumb in some parts (only SOME parts!!) and Ali Larter is not the best actress, and sometimes Colin Farrell forgets he's not supposed to be Irish in this movie and Scott Caan still sounds too much like he's not out of high school yet- but hey it's not all that bad. There's a good plot and lots of humour and good fight scenes. If you're not a super overly critical and picky person you'll find yourself a decent movie that's entertaining and has a good ending. The Special Features are great. They give you a lot of inside info into the making which is always a treat to watch after seeing a good movie. Go for it!

Can somebody believe those baby face actors, look like tough cowboys? I've always seen men playing cowboys in films, not smooth-faced teens. And who had the idea to put a rap in a western movie? If Colin Farrel wants to be a good actor he musn't accept these characters, and Scott Caan is very far from be that good actor his father is. And Ali LArter? She looks like a Barbie in cowgirl disguise, it takes more than a pretty face and whipped cream bikini to be a good actress.

Keeo your money in your pocket and buy one of those good old western movies, you'll see good actors and good movies with good plots. Not this nonsense.

......I can get past certain anomalies, such as Ma James dying in the Pinkerton attack & Jessie & Frank serving together in the Rebel army. In the extras the director justifies diverting from established myth by claiming that no one knows for sure what really happened. Really? Some details may be arguable but it is fairly established that Jesse was murdered in his home and the Younger brothers spent much of their last years in prison.
......Having said that, the first half, even two thirds of the movie is quite entertaining. Forget the ridiculous unreality of the war scenes & the bank shoot-outs. Far too much attention is paid to the arguing over who was the leader and what the name of the gang should be, though it did provide some comic relief. Less worthy was Bob Younger's insistence on getting more recognition on the wanted posters, even in those days outlaws would surely want to keep a low profile. Maybe the "good will" they were supposedly creating with the locals in order to hide from Pinkerton justified that a bit, there is some suggestion the gang did engage in publicity & self promotion.
......Totally off the rails to have Jesse & Zee flee to Florida & get married. And then Pinkerton catches him & is taking him to Washington for a "fair" trial. And then Zee & the Youngers rescue him from the train!!! Please!!! Pinkerton advising him to go to Tennessee as he would have no interest in pursuit there as the railroad has no interest there. Suspending belief is one thing, going crackers is another.
.......Not a bad way to spend 90 minutes, amusing, some good action, but never, never, even close to a definitive Jesse James story. Much better movies have been made, this one is almost a waste of the budget.

Forget about history, this is strictly eye candy...Irish sweetheart Colin Farrell and the boys ride horses, shoot guns and trade quips. The villains are villainous, the heroes are heroic & there's enough action to keep the guys reasonably happy while the girls can enjoy a shirtless scene or two featuring hunky Colin, who manages to keep the brogue out of his voice. What's really surprising to me is that he followed the amazing "Tigerland" with this piece of forgettable fluff. But I forgive him :)

I liked the movie American Outlaws. Even though hollywood took its creative liberties or whatever you want to call it with the historical facts, it still was an awesome movie! The Younger farm was in Lee's Summit, MO and the James farm was in Kearney, MO definitely more than a days ride by horse between the two. Other than that it is a story told by the southerners and southern sympathizers from the north. This is definitely the story we didn't hear in the yankee schools of the north. If you're looking for a cool western with the look and feel of the civil war and young america in missouri, then this is for you. My favorite was Gabriel Macht, who portrayed Frank James. All the characters played well off of each other but his character held the gang together he was the intelligent calm voice of reason. So enjoy this is a funny dramatic western all rolled up into one!

The incredibly gifted Colin Farrell once again pulls a good one: an Irishman playing Jesse James. But give the guy credit: he does a very good job, although not up to par to some of his other work (Recruit, Hart's War, Tigerland). Obviously not a fact-based work, AMERICAN OUTLAWS, under the astute direction of Les Mayfield, nonetheless is an entertaining western, filled with anachronistic dialogue and music, but also filled with heart, humor and adventure in mind. In this version, Jesse and his brother Frank (well envisioned by Gabriel Macht) and his cousins, the Youngers (Scott Caan, Will McCormack and Gregory Smith) are fighting in the Civil War where we get to see Frank's expert shooting and Jesse's wildass courage and outright idiocy! The war is now over so everyone returns home to find that the railroad companies are forcing farmers to sell them their land. Kathy Bates in a brief but memorable turn plays the James mother, and when she is killed by Pinkerton detectives, the boys take matters into their own.
Wayfield plays the gang as a Robin Hood, with typical jealousy on the part of Caan's Cole Younger. Timothy Dalton as Pinkerton seems James Bondish in his delivery and Harris Yulin pumps up the ham to play the dastardly railroad owner.
All in all, the film is as entertaining as it needs to be and even though Jesse and gang are almost beatified, they still have a little of that bad boy in them to make it believable, even though it's not!!!

This movie is the one that should'nt have been made. No it's not historically accurate, But that's not the big problem(I liked the "Young Guns" movies)The problem with this move is it's just a really bad movie I could'nt even bare to watch the whole thing it truely sucked!!

Ok, if you want something historically accurate this film is not for you. But its not supposed to be accurate; its supposed to entertain , and boy, it does just that!
Right from the starting scene in a civil war battlefield and on to the end, the thrills never stop. It'll have you sitting on the edge of your chair or jumping up and down in excitement all the way through!
Farrell is an excellant Jesse (and very handsome too!), set off well by Scott Caan's equally brilliant Cole Younger. When Frank and Jesse James Return to Liberty, Missouri after the civil war, they find things greatly changed. The railroad is heading West and it needs their land. Jesse and Frank refuse to sell and create a spread of rebellion throughout their village. After seeing their Ma brutally murdered by the railroad men, the James brothers join forces with the Youngers and begin careers as outlaws in order to stop the railroad's advance.
The film does have a slightly romantic edge in the form of Zie, Jesse's beautiful fiancee (Ali Larter).
American Outlaws is equal to Pirates of the Caribbean for excitement, yet being shorter it doesn't even drag in the slightest. Infact, its only fault has to be that it lacks a Jack Sparrow, but with Bob Younger's wisecracks you scarcely notice it.
If, like me, you lost your heart to the West long ago you'd be a fool to miss this film. Even if you ain't lost your heart to nobody, you'd still be a fool.
So cowboys, saddle up; Let's Ride!!

If you want an absolute shameless glorification of Jesse James, his brother and associates with some great action sequences thrown in then this is for you. To me it's a bit silly and is pretty 'hollywooded' up but it is entertaining for what it is. The music is really awful in a couple spots but overall it has a pretty good soundtrack. If you just want to dismiss reality and watch some shooting and explosions for awhile then this is it ;)

friends rob banks and are wanted outlaws, Timothy Dalton wants them dead and kills their families, including Kathy Bates. great action and shootouts, the end where Farrell swings on the side of the train and shoots threw the windows is the best action scene. othewise its a bore for the most part. Ali Larter has never been more sexier, when shes in the water with Farrell and then the 2 are surrounded by horses on shore.