American Outlaws Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

American Outlaws Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 3, 2020

Director Les Mayfield does not attempt to reinvent the Western with American Outlaws, but he does attempt to modernize -- albeit ever so slightly -- the style and cadence. And why not: he's a filmmaker who has dabbled in all sorts of genres and who has put together a filmography that certainly doesn't stand out for quality but that does make for an interesting cross-section of a portfolio that includes a Pauly Shore Comedy (Encino Man), a Buddy Cop laugher (Blue Streak), and a couple of remakes (Flubber, starring the late, great Robin Williams; and Miracle on 34th Street). The western seems as good a stop along the way as any genre for a Swiss army knife director, and in American Outlaws he builds a competent picture that's perfectly energetic and engaging but not particularly memorable. It's workmanlike, a movie that plays well enough while it's running but that won't be remembered amongst the genre greats. And that's perfectly fine. The world needs good disposable entertainment, and American Outlaws works quite well as just that.

Jesse James (Colin Farrell) is a hero of the Confederate Army. When he and his friends learn that the war is over -- General Lee has surrendered at Appomattox -- they are overjoyed at the prospects of returning home. But there, James will face a new kind of war against a new kind of adversary: the U.S. Railroad. He and his family are asked to sell its land to the railroad for pennies on the dollar. The family refuses and is threatened with lowering prices and is intimidated by physical force by the nefarious Scot Allan Pinkerton (Timothy Dalton). When Jesse’s mother (Kathy Bates) is killed, James and a band of friends, including Cole Younger (Scott Cann), begin attacking Pinkerton’s assets where it hurts the most: in the pocketbook. The James-Younger gang becomes a widely known band of bank robbers, targeting the Railroad’s bankrolls and putting a target on their own backs in the process.

The movie plays with a contemporary edge, integrating modern music into the soundtrack and carrying itself with a wink-and-nod swagger that toes the line of betraying the genre’s roots but maintains its footing just on this side of traditionalism. It has its moments of serious drama and some fun lead-slinging action under its belt, but it’s at its best when the clashes are verbal, whether between James and his gang and the suits working with the railroad or when the inevitable tension between James and Younger reaches a breaking point when James instinctively knows that a story has been planted in the newspaper in hopes that the gang will ride into an ambush. The rest of it is serviceable, including the romance, but don’t expect to find any high concept story beats or first-class workmanship here.

This is one of Collin Ferrell's earliest works, coming hot on the heels of his breakout performance in Tigerland. He's smooth but grizzled in this movie, walking that line between hunk and hero quite nicely. The performance does not challenge him, however, considering the script's breezy structure and the movie's somewhat lighter tone, but he fits the bill of the rugged cowboy both physically and emotionally. The ever-reliable Timothy Dalton carries the film as Allan Pinkerton, a railroad henchmen who brings class and swagger but a deadly serious persona to the movie, burdening it just enough to counterbalance the frivolous feelings that permeate through so much of it elsewhere.

American Outlaws Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

American Outlaws shoots its way onto Blu-ray with a solid, though certainly imperfect, 1080p transfer. The image is adequately filmic, boasting a fairly reproduced grain structure that accentuates core details with appropriate clarity and tactile definition, notably across the dense period attire in varying states of wear (from rugged cowboys to classy bankers) but also wooden storefronts, dusty roads, natural terrain, and the like. It's generally firm and attractive, finding very impressive clarity to pores and stubble in close-ups. The film features a deliberately desaturated palette, favoring warmer tones of brown and beige with only splashes of more intense color to be found, notably seen during a couple of explosions that pop with pleasantly intense orange fireballs. Skin tones are dialed in and black levels don't disappoint. The picture does retain some troublesome, but not overwhelming, edge enhancement. Additionally, the odd pop and speckle is a regular companion throughout the viewing experience. On the whole, however, fans should enjoy the 1080p boost and general filmic vibe that's visible for the duration.

American Outlaws Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

American Outlaws shoots its way onto Blu-ray with an adequate-at-best DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation has some high points, including a pitch Civil War battle to start the movie which delivers a barrage of gunfire popping out form every speaker, with each shot distinct and identifiable in its point of origin and zip through the listening area. Gunshots are also weighty but are not to be outdone by a large explosion in chapter seven that hits with positive concussive force and stage saturating intensity. Every action scene delivers similar results, with chaotic action spilling from every channel and creating a vibrant, boisterous, and impressively immersive environment. There are drawbacks, however. Music lacks verve and clarity, presenting with width and some back end depth but failing to bring balance to its components and detail to each note. It's a bit underpowered in general, and various environmental atmospherics are likewise a little unbalanced, struggling not so much in positioning but rather in clarity. Dialogue is proficiently prioritized and detailed from a true front-center location. The track serves the material well but it's a few tweaks from glory.

American Outlaws Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

American Outlaws includes several featurettes, deleted scenes, and trailers. No DVD or digital copies are included. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

• The Making of American Outlaws (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 8:34): After comparing this film to Young Guns, this piece explores casting Colin Farrell as Jesse James, story details, Timothy Dalton's performance, additional character beats and performance praises, actor training, and more.
• Costuming the Cowboys (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 5:08): Voiceover explores costumes and how they compliment the movie's palette, characters, and contemporary edge atop still photos and sketches.
• Creating the Old West (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 8:34): Looking at Texas shooting locations, set construction, repurposing the same sets for several key locations, and more.
• Behind the Scenes Train Rescue (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 1:37): A quick look at the Texas railroad system used to make one of the film's key moments.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p upscaled, window box): Included are Frank & Jessie Argue (2:14) and Jim and Lyla (1:26).
• Trailers (1080p): Included are Teaser Trailer (0:57) and Theatrical Trailer (1:39).

American Outlaws Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

American Outlaws hits a few high points in the midst of general mediocrity. It's good entertainment but not a particularly good film, struggling to settle on tone, cadence, and character presentation. The action is solid enough and the production design is fair, but dedicated genre fans might find the film wanting compared to so many similar, and superior, pictures on the marketplace. Sony's MOD Blu-ray delivers good but imperfect video and audio presentations. A few vintage extra are included. Worth a look if it ever falls into the $10 range.