Solomon Kane –
Now as a fan of James Purefoy, this review was done with not much reading of Solomon Kane comics taken to task, a very rare thing by me, as my reviews, comic-rants, comic-talk, and general disposition are rampant with robust comic influence. But this review is purely a movie-based one, as I’ve read just a few Kane appearances in comics including Conan chapters. Hence, I am coming at yah from the movie perspective…and how does this hold up as a film?…Well…
The film started off akin to a SCY-FY Saturday night flick, maybe a made-for-TV/DVD aura, and the opening ghoul encounter was reminiscent of a Harry Potter scene…and left me wandering…and wondering…did I waste my time? But Purefoy began to take command…and as Max Von Sydow as Solomon’s father, Peter Postlewaithe as head of the Crowthorn family, and special mention of the gorgeous and sure-to-be future star Rachel Hurd-Wood, and with the supporting cast all coming into their own in the film, the journey grew more enjoyable now. It started as a war-mongering Kane suddenly finding his soul in debt to the Devil, and to avoid damnation, he leaves his bloodlust behind and Kane turns to peace and God, but as he leaves his holy sanctuary and takes up a journey with the Crowthorn family…Kane’s past comes to haunt him…and we learn why he is damned…
The thrill factor now began to grow, as witches and crusades, and penances and debts, and family ties…vengeance, memories…and complex human emotion began to rise amidst the dark supernatural undertone whose aspect now enthralled me more…
Redemption, woe…and the protection of good from evil…was a theme of a man with a dark, dreary past trying to atone for his past sins…and hell, this film kept on getting better…
We now see how a man of peace…returns to War…in a dramatic encounter that really shook me…oaths and loyalty, and Justice like Lightning now grew bounds and leaps, but darker did Solomon’s journey for the righteous path grow. The lack of the protagonist Malachi also made things more interesting…but that is soon changed, as this film takes on further lengths of tragedy and darkness…
Kane embarks on his final journey to save young Meredith, played by Wood, and return her to her mother, but in so doing all mysteries and tragedies and haunting of his life are entwined and woven together as he returns to his home…and his father…and while the climax of the film lacks the CGI and action effects of Troy and Clash of the Titans, the decent story-telling of this tale of redemption more than makes up for it…and as usual, Purefoy turns in a great performance as Kane…
I give this a 7.5 out of 10!!!