As most Robert E. Howard fans know, Solomon Kane, staring James Purefoy, was made back in 2009, but for some reason couldn’t find a distributor willing to get it into theaters. I think it did eventually end up in a few, but it never went nationwide (in America, anyway). And after watching it, I can understand why, sort of, to a point if you will. That’s not saying it’s a bad movie, because it isn’t, far from it in fact. What I do think is/was the problem, and this is just my ignorant assessment, is the subject matter.
Let’s face it…Solomon Kane is a story (or in written form, set of stories) about a Puritan that walks around wearing a floppy brimmed hat with a belt and buckle strapped around the crown, dressed in black and fights with swords and a gun (sometimes), in 1600. Maybe I’m wrong, but that was probably a hard sell to distributors, especially given the amount of money it costs to advertise movies these days. When most Joe Blow Averages hear Robert E. Howard’s name, I’m pretty sure they immediately think of Conan the Barbarian at the drop of a dime. Solomon Kane? Kull the Conqueror? Never heard of ‘em. And that’s a shame, really, because all three are interesting characters in their own right, but only one ever fully resonated with the general public. Basically, it is what it is. But enough about why Solomon Kane didn’t make it into theaters and why it took four years for us to finally be able to own it on DVD. It’s here now, so let’s take a look.
The story opens with Solomon as a Captain in the Royal Navy, under orders to burn and pillage castles and places either against England or perhaps suspected as being in league with the devil. The motivation isn’t quite clear, but what Solomon does is crystal clear—he kicks ass and takes names later. Well, during his latest pillaging, he runs into one of Satan’s Reapers, a hooded being that speaks with a hollowed raspy voice and informs Solomon that his deeds of violence and greed have resulted in his soul being forfeited over to Satan…and the Reaper is there to collect it. Solomon fights off the demonic creature and his flaming sword, escaping through a window. A year later we find our hero in a monastery, still struggling with his past, but vowing to God to never fight or kill again.
Oh Solomon…if you only knew.
A priest informs Solomon that he can no longer stay at the monastery, and so, with a heavy heart, our hero leaves. When the priest suggests Solomon go home, Solomon winces at the idea. There’s back story in the form of flash backs explaining why, but I won’t spoil it for you. Later, Solomon encounters a family of Puritans and at first declines their offer to travel with them. But later, due to circumstances that trouble our hero, he joins with them. At this point of the story, it’s important to remember that Solomon is committed to his vow of non-violence, or peace, but at the same time he’s a man of this world, having seen and participated in its dark side, so he knows trouble when he sees it. And as you might expect, both he and the family he’s travelling with eventually run into trouble and all hell breaks loose.
As the family is threatened by raiders, Solomon is forced to make a decision—stand idly by as the family is slaughtered or taken against their will, or break his vow and start mixing things up, as only Solomon can do. Thankfully for us viewers, he chooses the latter and the game is on!
Solomon embarks on a quest to find the daughter of the Puritans he befriended, after promising the girl’s father and mother that he’d rescue her. She was marked by a witch earlier—again, that’s all I’m going to say, so as not to spoil anything—and as a result was taken by the raiders. And that’s when the action gears up, and it’s some pretty good action, in my opinion.
The rest of the story is about Solomon trying to find the girl, dealing with raiders and other unsavory types, as he desperately tries to save her. There’s a lot of action during this part of his quest, as well as back story and who’s really who and who’s not what they seem. There’s nothing super special about the story, but it was pretty good, with a twist or two at the end that won’t shock you, but weren’t necessarily obvious, either. Solomon’s going to save the day, of that you can be sure, but it sure was fun to watch.
As for the movie itself, it’s gritty and dirty and rainy a lot, shot nicely, and moves along at a nice pace. Some might feel Solomon’s time with the family at the beginning dragged on a bit, but it was necessary to build the relationships somewhat, even though the effort isn’t iron clad solid in doing so. I’ve seen better, but I’ve seen worse, so no harm no foul. What really stood out though was the sword play. Purefoy was excellent as he swung those bad boys around, lopping off heads and gutting his antagonists left and right. And while he doesn’t completely nail the persona of Solomon Kane, he’s damn close and more than made up for that picky observation with his sword play.
Seriously…the action is great! And bloody.
The feel of the movie puts you in 1600 effortlessly, a welcome feat for a small budget film. And while there may be a tick or tack moment here and there, the story moves along at a nice pace, segueing into each action set piece fluidly.
As for the characters, well, to be honest, the only one you’ll really care about is Solomon. The others, however, aren’t cut from the roll your eyes type, but ultimately you aren’t pulled into their plight or circumstance whole heartedly. In other words, you won’t think much about anyone in the film not named Solomon Kane when it’s over, but I don’t recall a single character depiction that I wished the fleas of a thousand camels infest their armpits, either.
Solomon Kane isn’t perfect, but it is solid, a film I would compare to last year’s “Dredd.” It’s about a character we know and love, but outside of our circle few can identify with. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars; and 4 out of 5 stars for REH enthusiasts.
I’m Citizen…