Solomon Kane: Pushes Great Actors to the Limit

Solomon Kane was shot nearly three years ago and the distributors decided that opening the film in theatres was a much better idea than going straight to DVD. Unfortunately for them, straight to DVD is where the movie belonged.

The premise is a little difficult to follow unless you’re a fan of mid-seventies comic books or earlier publications. Essentially Solomon Kane (James Purefoy) is a puritan warrior (complete with pilgrim hat) who has sold his soul to the devil (although it’s never explained how or why) and then spends the rest of the film trying to redeem himself by righting all of the wrongs he’s committed. Solomon has one last chance to redeem his soul after the pilgrimage he is travelling with is slaughtered by demonic bandits, and he vows to save the lone survivor Meredith (Rachel Hurd-Wood). Throughout the course of the film Solomon fights the bandits and eventually has the third act showdown in his demonically converted hometown.

Despite its decent visuals (mid 90’s style) and intriguing premise, Solomon Kane fails to entertain on multiple levels. In terms of plot, Solomon keeps getting himself into the same predicament (surrounded by baddies) he’s then beaten up and then somehow rescued last second by someone else whom he inevitably must return the favor for later. No joke, I think Solomon was knocked unconscious four times only to wake up in the care of a newly introduced ancillary character. He then “wills himself” to fight through the pain and adventure on, only to be knocked out again later. Equally frustrating was the introduction of the main villain at the conclusion of the movie, only to be fairly easily defeated a few moments later. When a kick ass fire demon bursts onto the scene, I want to see a kickass fire demon battle instead of the quick sidestep and slash that instantly kills the behemoth.

Even veteran actors like James Purefoy, Max von Sydow, Mackenzie Crook, Jason Flemyng, and the late Pete Postlethwaite couldn’t save the crudely written dialogue of Solomon Kane. There was very little sub-text in the film. When Solomon said things like “I can’t hurt you or I’ll damn my soul” he wasn’t being manipulative, he was telling the bad guys the absolute truth. Luckily for the audience he breaks his own rules and attacks the badies, otherwise the movie could have been called Solomon Lame. ß (That would have been the best joke in the movie.)

Solomon Kane might have a second life as a rental, where it belonged in the first place. It’s not the worse piece of crap anyone’s ever rented, as the film does have a few interesting twists and cameos. I particularly enjoyed the up front approach to violence the villains possessed. In most B movies you can pick out from the get go who is going to live and who is going to die. Solomon Kane throws in a few shocking deaths along the way, keeping the viewers on their toes. The fight sequences were somewhat entertaining, as watching Purefoy slash through ghoulies with a rapier/cutlass combo didn’t get old. Lastly, the setting was pretty cool, as there aren’t many action-adventure movies set in the 1600’s. Watching a pilgrim Kung-Fu kick a demon gave me a chuckle.

Solomon Kane wont break any box office records, and the distributors might have some difficulty making their money back in theatrical release. However, I think the film has a market internationally and on DVD sales based on its premise alone. With its bad dialogue, 90’s visuals, and corny acting; the movie could be a hit for renters looking for a fantasy action fix sometime next year.