Search - American Outlaws on DVD

Just like the old west

V. Hallett | 11/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie is such an awesome movie, however you need to watch it with people who are willing to actually "listen" to it. The humor is hilarious but its sarcastic under the breath humor so if your not listening for it you won't hear it.
I thought this movie was great. Especially for the ladies, these cowboys are mighty fine! And this movie came out before Collin Ferrel's bad boy roles he plays in videos now.
Excellent anytime movie! 2 thumbs up!"

Charming, fun, and not even remotely historical

Sandra Robertson | Huntsville, Alabama USA | 07/26/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I must immediately say that this film is a whole lot of fun. The actors are young, cute, talented, and obviously having a great time. Colin Farrell and Gabriel Macht have clearly captured the spirit of the James brothers; Scott Caan has his father's looks, charm and very good handle on the boldness and ruthlessness of Cole Younger; Will McCormack is a scene-stealing comic, and Ali Larter is--well, she's very pretty. The show is helped out immeasurably by veterans Timothy Dalton and Kathy Bates. (Bates would have been an even more natural choice for the James boys' mother if the part had been written closer to history, which it wasn't.) There are some wonderful action/adventure Indiana Jones-y stunts and the pace of the film is brisk. It's a Saturday afternoon kind of movie--fun, good-looking,and not mentally taxing.My problem was that I bought the film to give me some insight into the history of the James Gang, and if you are looking for reality, this isn't it. It's a combination of half-truth, made-up-out-of-whole-cloth falsehood, and so many anachronisms we lost count. Anachronisms can be charming--as "A Knight's Tale" illustrates so well-- and part of the movie's charm is the 21st century Saved-by-the-Bell language that these kids bring to their roles as famous desperadoes. If you know anything about the James Gang, the Civil War, or the history of western expansion, parts of this movie will drive you crazy. A partial list:1. The opening scene takes place during the last days of the Civil War with Frank James taking out a Gatling Gun with his sharpshooter's Winchester rifle, a' la' Sergeant York. Gatling guns were not used in the Civil War (except as a test case), and Frank's Winchester is an 1880's invention.2. Cole Younger was never about to be hanged by Federals and so the James boys didn't free him from the gallows, but it IS a great scene to watch.3. Most of the climactic scenes involve Jesse's escape from captivity. Jesse James was never captured. He was shot in the back of the head at his home by a former gang member for reward money.4. Mrs. James (her name was Zerelda Samuel) was not killed by the Pinkerton Raid. She lost an arm but lived well into old age. However, not mentioned by the movie was that her 8-year-old son Archie Samuel, the James boys' half-brother, was killed in the raid. 5. Jim Younger wasn't shot dead as a teenager after some bank job--he killed himself in his 50's after he was paroled from prison. 6. Pinkerton never saw the James Boys in person, but directed the hunt for them from Chicago.7. In the film, Nathaniel Arcand brings ethnic diversity to the Gang as "Commanche Tom," but I can't find a record of anyone named Tom in the James Gang and no one who was obviously Native American. I think his role was just a token; if you have "cowboys" you have to have an "Indian" too.8. Ali Larter was just precious, but her loose flowing Breck-girl hair and Gap-style gauzy clothing were anachronistic. And the idea the she led a raid to free (the never-imprisoned-in-the-first-place) Jesse, guns blazing, is totally out of character for her or most women of the age. The directors DID manage to present "ladies of the evening" as something less than Hollywood-beautiful, which is probably closer to the truth, however.Enjoy this film. It is meant to be enjoyed. Just don't take any of it seriously."