Writer: Ezekiel Lee Zhiang Yang

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Watch this if you liked: “Van Helsing”, “Conan The Barbarian”, “Gladiator”

To audiences vaguely familiar with this comic character, the first question is: what superpowers does Robert E. Howard's character have in this film adaptation? A cynical answer would be cheesy lines, the ability to kill CGI demons and a pretty cool-looking slouch hat.

Yes, for one we're fortunate that the we get a movie out of a decent character created more than 30 years ago by a man who also spawned Conan The Barbarian. However, while this Michael Bassett ("Deathwatch") imagining manages to retain Captain Solomon Kane as a brutally efficient 16th century killing machine armed with his signature pistols, cutlass and rapier (so says the production notes from the U.S.), the budget picture as a whole is monotonous, unrewarding and also marked by a distinct lack of humour.

James Purefoy (HBO's "Rome") didn't do a bad job at all as a Puritan with 'fallen priest' sentiments during those feudal times. His muscular performance is consistent throughout the show, right down to his transition in values, where he's called to take arms again having renounced violence to save his soul due a past encounter with a badass Skeletor-lookalike called The Devil's Reaper. The man's soul might be damned but he sure is joined by some very decent allies such as an ex-priest (Pete Postlethwaite, "In The Name Of The Father") and his innocent daughter Meredith (Rachel Hurd-Wood, "Perfume"). In fact, the entire cast is faultless as they are great drama actors, including a small role from Swede cinema legend Max von Sydow (whose illustrious career incidentally includes a role in 1982's "Conan").

The problem is that our dogged hero just isn't interesting enough here despite all the excellent period detail. He doesn't get too many show-off scenes and he takes himself too seriously under this direction. Although drama and action are struck with a fair balance here (and sometimes you may feel like you're watching "Gladiator"), the good captain's adventures are predictable, dour and ultimately told poorly with wrong focal points and unimaginative dialogue. Also, the lack of a true female lead may have made it worse. The final nail on the coffin is hammered home when the ultimate baddie demon makes his CGI appearance, emerging like an inferior Decepticon who dropped out of Sunday school.

Better luck next time, Master Kane.


Cinema Online, 25 February 2010