Outlaw DVD Review

"Outlaw" reviews

DVD

Outlaw

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2007-07-06 14:50:23

Provider

DVD Review

Having dealt with gangsters and football hooligans in his last two films (The Business and Football Factory) director Nick Love turns to the other side of the law with a film about the tabloids' best friends - vigilantes.

The film centres on former soldier Bryant (Sean Bean), who has just returned from the war in Iraq. Feeling betrayed by the government and let down by the police, he forms a modern-day outlaw posse with like-minded crime victims intent on punishing the criminals who seem beyond the law. Fed information by a sympathetic copper (Bob Hoskins) the gang seek revenge on those who've wronged them before turning their attention beyond.

But Outlaw stumbles badly by labouring it's point that crime is out of control, making this gang so horrendously mismatched. While posh barrister Cedric (Lennie James) might be understandably driven wild by the fact that his pregnant wife has been murdered by a gang boss he was prosecuting, another member of these outlaws is simply an office boy who got caught up in a spot of road rage. Still this does give Love the chance to cast Danny Dyer - his favourite swaggering talent-free 'orfentic' cockney.

Like many vigilante films before it Outlaw depicts possibly noble intentions getting wildly out of control. However, Outlaw doesn't seem unduly bothered by the prospect of their retributive justice extending to some "****" at work who annoys Gene (Dyer). When security guard Simon (Sean Harris) suggests adding Muslims to the list of “paedophiles, dealers, bullies, junkies” Bryant calls him "philistine", which seems a rather mild rebuke for someone angling to start a religious war.

Outlaw is every bit, if not more, irresponsible than Daily Mail bait like Kidulthood. It just comes from a different angle. But expect those who condemned the latter to love this fantasy land depiction of a Britain where street crime is out of control ...And if you're a paediatrician, consider getting your windows boarded up.

DVD extras include an audio commentary by director Nick Love and stars Danny Dyer and Sean Bean, a Making Of Documentary, deleted scenes with director's introduction, a stunts featurette and not surprisingly, guns featurette.