Year:
2001
Studio:
Touchstone Television/Bad Robot
Feature:
5/5
DVD:
3/5
American Outlaws
is about Jesse James (Colin Farrell) and the rest of
the James-Younger Gang with his brother Frank (Gabriel Macht) and
cousins Cole (Scott Caan), Jim (Gregory Smith) and Bob Younger (Will
McCormack). Much like Young Guns, this movie tells the story from the
viewpoint of the outlaw as hero.
The boys come home at the end of the Civil War. The railroad wants to
gobble up all the land cheap and they're willing to murder people to do
it. The James boys and the Younger boys decide to take the fight to the
railroad, hitting banks as well as railroad payrolls and such.
While the James-Younger gang robs the rich and gives some of their loot
to the poor, they are chased by Allan Pinkerton (Timothy Dalton) and
his detectives. And there's also a romantic subplot between Jesse and
Zee (Ali Larter), his first cousin in real life though that part is not
mentioned in the movie. Eventually Jesse retires with Zee and they at
least get to ride off into the sunset, safe for now.
I liked this movie. It's very action-oriented. The shootouts had lots
of people moving about jumping and running and leaping. Colin Farrell
makes a handsome and roguish Jesse James. Timothy Dalton was even
better as Pinkerton, totally hamming it up and having fun. It's an
enjoyable movie.
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Extras
Commentary: director Les Mayfield, co-writer John Rogers, editor
Michael Tronick
Behind the Scenes: 25 minutes in four parts, plus production stills
Deleted Scenes: two
Trailers and commercials
More artwork
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