Never mind that it's already been done before and better; it's never been done this pretty.
The film's musical score is mostly electric guitar and bass, which just about sums up the filmmakers' approach to history. Every young person in the story is single and attractive; every older person is married and common. Every old Western movie cliché is pulled out of the cowboy hat, including last-second rescues from the noose, a multitude of impossible shoot-outs, a lot of breakaway glass and balsa wood in the fight scenes, and a ride into the sunset at fade-out.
Most movies about Jesse James end with his death, shot in the back by that "dirty little coward," but not this one. That wouldn't fit with the movie's sprightly, upbeat temper, so, instead, we're lead to believe that he and his wife lived happily ever after. Damn, that's sweet.
Video:
There's not a lot to fault about the picture transfer. It measures about 1.77:1 in ratio across a normal TV, enhanced for those televisions able to reproduce it, and its quality is on a par with most other new films. The images appear in solid, truthful colors. The clothing looks right, the dust looks right, everything seems natural, if just the slightest bit soft edged, which may also have been part of the director's intent in giving the story a romanticized, old-timey look.
Audio:
The sound comes via Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, or Dolby 2.0 Stereo, the DD 5.1 being all-encompassing and all-enveloping. Bullets whiz, cannons blast, horses hoof, train whistles blow, music blares, it's all there, all around the listener. I did find the actual tonal balance a trifle dull at the high end, however, and the dynamic range a tad limited, but they're minor reservations.
Extras:
As if to make up for the film's lack of dramatic content, Warner Brothers have loaded the DVD with a bundle of special features. I can't say I enjoyed any of them, nor can I deny their number. Because the movie itself is only ninety-four minutes long, the bonus stuff fits easily on one side of a dual-layered disc. Chief among the extras is an audio commentary track with director Les Mayfield, co-writer John Rogers, and editor Michael Tronick. No matter how many people talk about a bad film, though, it doesn't change the film. Then, there are four behind-the-scenes featurettes. The first, "The Making of American Outlaws," is nine minutes long; the second, "Creating the Old West," is six minutes long; the third and fourth, "How To Be an Outlaw" and "Costuming the Cowboys," are five minutes long. Each featurette is like an extended promo. In addition, there are cast and crew bios, a stills gallery, two deleted extended scenes, storyboards, costumes, town blueprints, various DVD-ROM materials, twenty-eight scene selections, a theatrical trailer, a teaser, four TV spots, and six trailers for other Warner/Morgan Creek films. English and French are provided for spoken languages; English, French, and Spanish for subtitles.
Parting Gun Shots:
I can't tell you how many movies I've seen about Jesse James, but out of all of them, "American Outlaws" ranks among the least effective in terms of dramatic interest, characterization, historical accuracy, action, and excitement. Much better prospects may be had by watching my favorite of the breed, "The Long Riders" (1980), or "The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid" (1972), "Jesse James" (1939), "Badman's Territory" (1946), "I Shot Jesse James" (1949), "Best of the Badmen" (1951), "The Great Jesse James Raid" (1953), "The True Story of Jesse James" (1957), "The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James" (1986), or "Frank and Jesse" (1994), all of which, more or less, feature the famous outlaw and do him greater justice.
Most movies about Jesse James end with his death, shot in the back by that "dirty little coward," but not this one. That wouldn't fit with the movie's sprightly, upbeat temper, so, instead, we're lead to believe that he and his wife lived happily ever after. Damn, that's sweet.
Video:
There's not a lot to fault about the picture transfer. It measures about 1.77:1 in ratio across a normal TV, enhanced for those televisions able to reproduce it, and its quality is on a par with most other new films. The images appear in solid, truthful colors. The clothing looks right, the dust looks right, everything seems natural, if just the slightest bit soft edged, which may also have been part of the director's intent in giving the story a romanticized, old-timey look.
Audio:
The sound comes via Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, or Dolby 2.0 Stereo, the DD 5.1 being all-encompassing and all-enveloping. Bullets whiz, cannons blast, horses hoof, train whistles blow, music blares, it's all there, all around the listener. I did find the actual tonal balance a trifle dull at the high end, however, and the dynamic range a tad limited, but they're minor reservations.
Extras:
As if to make up for the film's lack of dramatic content, Warner Brothers have loaded the DVD with a bundle of special features. I can't say I enjoyed any of them, nor can I deny their number. Because the movie itself is only ninety-four minutes long, the bonus stuff fits easily on one side of a dual-layered disc. Chief among the extras is an audio commentary track with director Les Mayfield, co-writer John Rogers, and editor Michael Tronick. No matter how many people talk about a bad film, though, it doesn't change the film. Then, there are four behind-the-scenes featurettes. The first, "The Making of American Outlaws," is nine minutes long; the second, "Creating the Old West," is six minutes long; the third and fourth, "How To Be an Outlaw" and "Costuming the Cowboys," are five minutes long. Each featurette is like an extended promo. In addition, there are cast and crew bios, a stills gallery, two deleted extended scenes, storyboards, costumes, town blueprints, various DVD-ROM materials, twenty-eight scene selections, a theatrical trailer, a teaser, four TV spots, and six trailers for other Warner/Morgan Creek films. English and French are provided for spoken languages; English, French, and Spanish for subtitles.
Parting Gun Shots:
I can't tell you how many movies I've seen about Jesse James, but out of all of them, "American Outlaws" ranks among the least effective in terms of dramatic interest, characterization, historical accuracy, action, and excitement. Much better prospects may be had by watching my favorite of the breed, "The Long Riders" (1980), or "The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid" (1972), "Jesse James" (1939), "Badman's Territory" (1946), "I Shot Jesse James" (1949), "Best of the Badmen" (1951), "The Great Jesse James Raid" (1953), "The True Story of Jesse James" (1957), "The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James" (1986), or "Frank and Jesse" (1994), all of which, more or less, feature the famous outlaw and do him greater justice.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]11026[/release]