Solomon Kane (2010)

Featured Audience Ratings

• David L

  
  Solomon Kane is a literary creation from the legendary Robert E. Howard (1906-1936), who was also the creator of Conan the Barbarian and the father of modern heroic fantasy.I've been waiting on this film for a while and I finally got my hands on the dvd from overseas since the… More
  Solomon Kane is a literary creation from the legendary Robert E. Howard (1906-1936), who was also the creator of Conan the Barbarian and the father of modern heroic fantasy.I've been waiting on this film for a while and I finally got my hands on the dvd from overseas since the film has not got a U.S. release date as of this writing and I have to say this film ended up being a very entertaining film with very good action scenes and a well written screenplay which constructed the main character on a quite interesting way. Director Michael J. Bassett has only two other movies in his filmography (the modest but excellent war horror film Deathwatch; and Wilderness, which I have not seen), and the idea of putting him in front of an ambitious multi-national co-production may sounded risky, but the truth is that he made a very solid work in Solomon Kane.As for the screenplay (which was written also by Bassett), I appreciated the fact that it did not try to "modernize" the story; it would have been easier (and more economic) to move the story to modern times, but if the film had done that, it would have lost the heroic "taste" from the main character, as well as the historical content from Howard's tales, and his almost academic examination of the social contrasts during the puritan period in England.However, I cannot deny that the classic conflict between God and Satan, along with the many Christian references, could be interpreted as simple religious propaganda nowadays. James Purefoy was excellent in the titular role. Frankly speaking, I had little faith in a lesser-known actor playing a titular role, but James proved everybody wrong. He was like the shining armor for the movie. Others, even though little-known, played their part decently enough to leave any bad impression. "Solomon Kane" strength is clearly its stylish direction, taut storyline, fine character development, ample sword play, and adequate running time. Kudos to the Director Michael Bassett, who gives the movie a very stylish look. The camera-work, slow-motion sequence, action choreography added great depth to the movie. Giving scope for character development is very important and it was properly showcased. The movie derides itself a bit in the ending. Like most action movies, the ending is reduced to One-Versus-All fight, giving a little unrealistic feel. Also, the ending came a little too fast. Meaning, the So-Called-Very-Bad-Guys were overpowered quite quickly and easily by the protagonist. Having said that, this movie is far better than most movies in the similar category. Overall, "Solomon Kane" is a very good movie that will hopefully find a U.S. release date one day.

• A.D. V

  
  I stumbled across this film after I heard the news of Pete Postlethwaite's passing and decided to check it out since I had already read several of Robert Howard's stories. It doesn't really do those stories justice and at first glance looks like a Van Helsing rip off… More
  I stumbled across this film after I heard the news of Pete Postlethwaite's passing and decided to check it out since I had already read several of Robert Howard's stories. It doesn't really do those stories justice and at first glance looks like a Van Helsing rip off but unlike that film, Kane turns out to be a highly entertaining, visually impressive Puritan action movie--as weird as that sounds and is something I wouldn't mind owning whenever it actually gets released in the US.

• Dean M

  
  The title character who dressed like Van Helsing, fought like Conan, and battled evil as though his soul depended on it (which it did). James Purefoy cuts a terrifically intense dash as Kane, effectively managing the transition from amoral killer to tortured soul who finds eschewing… More
  The title character who dressed like Van Helsing, fought like Conan, and battled evil as though his soul depended on it (which it did). James Purefoy cuts a terrifically intense dash as Kane, effectively managing the transition from amoral killer to tortured soul who finds eschewing violence is all very well - but "sometime you have to fight to be a man". Max von Sydow and Pete Postlethwaite add necessary <i>gravitas</i> in support roles, although an equally weighty actor would have been welcome as the villain: no amount of make-up or CG trickery can make Jason Flemyng remotely threatening.

• Kylie B

  
  When I saw this advertised I just knew I was going to love it. It's got that sword and sourcery element I tend to love in fiction, and visually it is stunning. Also it has some good performances from the cast, most notably James Purefoy and MacKenzie Crook. The Pilgrim family… More
  When I saw this advertised I just knew I was going to love it. It's got that sword and sourcery element I tend to love in fiction, and visually it is stunning. Also it has some good performances from the cast, most notably James Purefoy and MacKenzie Crook. The Pilgrim family were very endearing, and I was most upset about what happened to them.

• Dean !

  
  An enjoyable sword and sorcery film with some good fight scenes. Starts well, slows a little before leading up to the grand finale! I thought after the start we would get more demonic creatures to fight but there aren't many which was a bit disappointing. Otherwise an… More
  An enjoyable sword and sorcery film with some good fight scenes. Starts well, slows a little before leading up to the grand finale! I thought after the start we would get more demonic creatures to fight but there aren't many which was a bit disappointing. Otherwise an entertaining film with some bloody sword fights and a good array of largely English acting talent, filmed on some impressive sets.

• Ginny  

  
  Okay, Im torn between rating this above average and average cuz I liked it. -- have to go get ready for work n my dish in the kitchen is about to burn!!! proper review to follow!

• Gordon A

  
  Spirited effort from all involved but the wafer thin plot can't sustain the generally impressive visuals. Purefoy gives his all to try and add weight but it can't escape its graphic novel limitations - would be much better as a videogame.

• Khris N

  
  In the tradition of The Lord of the Rings fused with the dark persona of Constantine and the glitz of Van Helsing without the cheesyness, and throw in a brooding anti-hero damned to hell, Solomon Kane is a pretty interesting movie Based on the fictional stories and character, Kane is… More
  In the tradition of The Lord of the Rings fused with the dark persona of Constantine and the glitz of Van Helsing without the cheesyness, and throw in a brooding anti-hero damned to hell, Solomon Kane is a pretty interesting movie Based on the fictional stories and character, Kane is a 17th century mercenary working for the Queen Elizabeth. After conquering a North African stronghold, Kane finds himself trapped by the Devil's Reaper, who proclaims his soul is damned and belongs to the Devil. Defying heaven all his life and now hell, Kane manages to escape, but to keep the devil at bay, he turns his back on his evil life and seeks to live a religous and peaceful life to find redemption. But that isn't possible for a man like Kane, and despite his strength and devotion, Kane begins to seek out his true destiny and must fight evil to be redeemed. A story is defintley there, the past, present and uncertain future. Religion, faith, horror, family and bloodlust take a part in Kane's dark world, which is magnificent in the movie, the cold, desolate wasteland filled with death and evil. The scenery and costumes and most of the demon work is astounding, the location is just as you would imagine it to be, a dark, hopless world with no life. The twists and turns are nearly predictable, but its hard not to get engaged when things get rolling... this movie is intended to introduce the character of Solomon Kane, therefore it does take some time exploring the persona and dark history. James Purefoy undoubtedly was the star, his portayl of the brooding and guilt riddled Kane is perfect.... a lone wanderer with no home, no past and possibly no future, trying to find peace... and if peace is threatened, his sword will find it for him. it is a character struggling to find himself, find forgiveness and faith in an evil world. As a B-grade movie, the quality of the script, storytelling, direction and action is much better than the recent Clash of the Titans and other Fantasy /Period flicks. its darkness and depth of evil is its attractiveness, its foreboding and horrific. The ending though, and the use of mainstream CGI is what brought down the movie.... it was poorly finished and the creature was... disappointing. it just didnt end with a bang, which was wanting, after the slow start and build up. the movie is.... solid. Not fantastic, but a solid effort. In terms of quality to budget costs, it is a success in my view. But it could be better, but I think Mainstream influences will kill the quality it has. Think of it as a quasi history / periodical movie, crossed with Van Helsing and Dracula, infused with the fantasy of Highlander and the darkness of Blade... it is a huge mix of a lot of things and influences. But it does stand out on its own, which makes it one of the better movies amongst its peers. its a touch of old school style movie making with a minimal of CGI, and you will see what little CGI it did use, it didn't work for the movie. Anyways, for those wanting to watch it, its worth it.

• Phil H

  
  Hey now this is actually pretty good stuff :) I saw it go in and out from the cinema like a bad case of diarrhoea so I kinda assumed it would be another bad comic book adaptation, but no!!! its not, this is good fun sword wielding stuff :) flintlocks at the ready!! ;) For starters… More
  Hey now this is actually pretty good stuff :) I saw it go in and out from the cinema like a bad case of diarrhoea so I kinda assumed it would be another bad comic book adaptation, but no!!! its not, this is good fun sword wielding stuff :) flintlocks at the ready!! ;) For starters this is nice and dark with plenty of blood n head chopping so it passes the 'kiddie crapola' test, I'm not up on the comicbook so I don't know if this is close to the original concept or if the plot was in a comicbook but its still a good little predictable story. Cross Highlander, Willow, even some Star Wars and you have a cool, dark, rainy, Elizabethan based, Pilgrim looking action flick thats got a nice original look n feel about it. The action is fast and effective, stunts and effects are top notch with some good cgi and most of all it all looks very authentic and well made, the lashing rain adds to this of course but in general this film looks damn good. Highly enjoyable yarn with a good baddie/hero character well played by James Purefoy and looks good in his hat. Choose your rapier sir!

• Emily A

  
  This is a silly popcorn movie, and it's also great fun. I haven't seen Conan at all, but this film is based on a character written by the same guy. This movie is all spectacle and stock characters in archetypical situations, and it does what it's supposed to do very… More
  This is a silly popcorn movie, and it's also great fun. I haven't seen Conan at all, but this film is based on a character written by the same guy. This movie is all spectacle and stock characters in archetypical situations, and it does what it's supposed to do very well. It hits all the right spots and is never anything less than entertaining. It's about a vicious warlord butcher that is confronted by an actual, old-school demon that says that it's time to collect his blackened and cruel soul. It's only then that he decides to swear off bloodshed. I'd personally rather see a guy who's in the same situation at the start of the movie and decides that if his soul is already damned, he's going to go as dark, cruel, vicious and black as he can in hopes that he'll earn a spot in Satan's graces. But I suppose that'd be another movie.

• Cameron J

  
  Wait, this is "Solomon Kane", right? So where's the scene where he says "Rosebud" and then drop the snow globe? No, I'm kidding. If this was like "Citizen Kane", then he would have set the snow globe on fire, thrown it into the air and shot it 3… More
  Wait, this is "Solomon Kane", right? So where's the scene where he says "Rosebud" and then drop the snow globe? No, I'm kidding. If this was like "Citizen Kane", then he would have set the snow globe on fire, thrown it into the air and shot it 3 times. But seriously though, make no mistake. This is certainly not "Citizen Kane". This film doesn't shoot for an extremely deep, complex character study, it's just action, action, action, with a hint of action and just a dash of action, with a side of action and action for desert. Would you like an appetizer? I would recommend the action in a blanket. Of course, as action-packed as this film is, it's really not too simple-minded. However, it is flawed. These flaws include some weak visual effects, some cheesiness, abrupt events, forced backstory and disturbances. In spite of this, the film is supported by very good cinematography, a decent score, fine practical effects, an effective hook, fair dialogue, a decent ending and of course, action sequences that range from solid to flat-out spectacular. Of course, what might make these action sequences so tense is the character investment through all of it. When the action dies-down, there is a genuine, rather compelling story. Power to director Michael J. Bassett for making both of these elements high in their own quality and have a smooth connection without any pretense. In the end, "Solomon Kane" has its flaws, but is ultimately an entertaining and compelling adventure packed with grand action.

• Rodrigo R

  
  Acceptable, with good effects, an interesting story.

• Adam M

  
  Decent medieval thriller. When a soldier who used to love slaughtering his way through armies gets a visit from the devils reaper telling him the devil wants his soul, the soldier promises to stop killing and live a life of peace. This goes to shit when a family he's travelling… More
  Decent medieval thriller. When a soldier who used to love slaughtering his way through armies gets a visit from the devils reaper telling him the devil wants his soul, the soldier promises to stop killing and live a life of peace. This goes to shit when a family he's travelling with are attacked and the daughter taken hostage. This type of film isn't usually my sort of film but it has some good moments and fight scenes and some not bad effects occassionally to make this an enjoyable gothic-ish thriller.

• The S

  
  A dark, brooding atmosphere and good performances, especially by James Purefoy in the title role, are spoiled a little by snarling, pantomime baddies, a fairly predicatable plot and a climax that clearly says bigger is better. It's at its best when it's not trying too hard… More
  A dark, brooding atmosphere and good performances, especially by James Purefoy in the title role, are spoiled a little by snarling, pantomime baddies, a fairly predicatable plot and a climax that clearly says bigger is better. It's at its best when it's not trying too hard to impress.

• Anthony V

  
  James Purefoy seems well cast in this Puritan fantasy, based very loosely on the character created by Robert E. Howard (creator of Conan). Good special effects and some nice action pieces help move it along. It's a film that actually might have benefited by expansion with… More
  James Purefoy seems well cast in this Puritan fantasy, based very loosely on the character created by Robert E. Howard (creator of Conan). Good special effects and some nice action pieces help move it along. It's a film that actually might have benefited by expansion with further development of the story, but it was a fun outing, which I didn't regret purchasing.

• John M

  
  "Solomon Kane" is a decent movie that had potential to be better. The plot is a bit weak and some drama moments just don't work but it is well-crafted movie with some good moments and a good visual treat that is well done for a low budget movie . Not a great movie… More
  "Solomon Kane" is a decent movie that had potential to be better. The plot is a bit weak and some drama moments just don't work but it is well-crafted movie with some good moments and a good visual treat that is well done for a low budget movie . Not a great movie movie but entertaining.

• Magnus B

  
  A great and thrilling adventure film with an almost operatic feel to it in some scenes. Great cast with among others Pete Postlehwaite, Mx Von Sydow, Rachel Hurd-Wood and the excellent James Purefoy as Solomon Kane.

• Barry L

  
  Ive just sat and watched this and I have to say that it is a fantastical romp with some great scenes of puritanical beastliness. Unfortunatley this lacked the sence of humour of Van Helsing which I think a little of would have improved this film no end. Okay the subject matter doesnt… More
  Ive just sat and watched this and I have to say that it is a fantastical romp with some great scenes of puritanical beastliness. Unfortunatley this lacked the sence of humour of Van Helsing which I think a little of would have improved this film no end. Okay the subject matter doesnt lend its self too readily to sillyness but it was a little overacted at times and the slow-motion scenes were a little over done. That said it is a great film and one I have a sneaking suspicion I will be buying rather soon.

• Remi L

  
  Eh, it helped me kill roughly two hours. It was kind of like a B-movie version of Van Helsing with only a fraction of the excitement...and budget. Bad CGI can really ruin a movie for me, regardless of how charismatic or likable the headling actor is. James Purefoy, to me, is at his… More
  Eh, it helped me kill roughly two hours. It was kind of like a B-movie version of Van Helsing with only a fraction of the excitement...and budget. Bad CGI can really ruin a movie for me, regardless of how charismatic or likable the headling actor is. James Purefoy, to me, is at his best when he plays a villain (check him out in HBO's 'Rome'). I saw him play a goody-goody in FlashForward which is unnerving, so I guess casting directors decided to go halfway with a jaded baddie-gone-good hero. I can see why I had never heard of this film. It had the potential to be something bigger, but fell short. For a long movie, certain elements moved on too quickly, certain things happened that were never thoroughly explained (if at all); it just did not work for me. I usually like flicks like this, so quite the shame. Watch if you're REALLY bored and have nothing to do.

• Jonny C

  
  A thoroughly entertaining demon-slaying romp set in 16th Century Britain. Solomon Kane is a man seeking redemption for his past sins, and vows to live in peace. But evil is never far away, and Kane must choose to lay down his arms, or fight and be forever damned to hell. Anyway… More
  A thoroughly entertaining demon-slaying romp set in 16th Century Britain. Solomon Kane is a man seeking redemption for his past sins, and vows to live in peace. But evil is never far away, and Kane must choose to lay down his arms, or fight and be forever damned to hell. Anyway it's obvious which one he chooses and when he gets going the it pretty much rains blood. The action is relentless (in a good way) and James Purefoy is brilliant in the title role. Overall a solid movie that's worth checking out.

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