Action movies typically fall within a finite number of formulas. For this reason, the success of an action movie generally relies a great deal on how well the filmmaker adapts to creating an original story within that formula. Acting is rarely a significant factor in an action film because, well, most viewers are not expecting an action film to win any major awards of a thespian nature.
To put it simply, action films rely greatly on the filmmaker accomplishing two very specific criteria. The first are riveting, exciting action sequences that are masterfully choreographed and meet the bare minimal qualifications for us to willingly suspend our disbelief. The second would be a storyline that is engaging and as unpredictable as possible. This second criteria is so very often the most difficult to achieve and this film just sort of glides along, content to earn that low-to-mid C grade, not ambitious enough to secure the solid B, but with just enough self-respect to avoid slipping into a D grade.
THE OUTSIDER is as original and engaging an action film as its title. Simple, unassuming and vague. Director Brian A. Miller serves up his fourth action offering as director, starring Craig Fairbrass as Lex Walker, an aging but formidable British military contractor currently on mission in the Middle East. When Lex finds out his daughter Samantha (Melissa Ordway) is dead, he throws away his lucrative career as a private soldier and heads to Los Angeles to retrieve his daughter’s body.
Jason Patric plays Detective Klein, the cop working the case, but when Lex arrives stateside, he discovers the body is not his daughter’s and immediately embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery and find his daughter. Lex’s first stop is Most Industries to visit Samantha’s former employer, Schuuster, played by veteran James Caan. It doesn’t take long before Lex is ruffling feathers and finds himself up against nameless security guards and henchmen, busting heads and cracking bones… all in the name of finding his daughter at any cost.
Miller manages to capture an essence of the 90s era action genre. THE OUTSIDER looks and feels like so many of the action films I remember from the late 80s and early 90s, but is missing something. Those films had a certain level of machismo, an element of masculine flamboyance to their central character that says “Hey, I may be a cocky badass, but I’m getting the job done, saving the day and/or the girl.” Fairbrass certainly portrays a confidence in technique. No one is questioning his ability to perform these simulated fight sequences, but there’s no flair. As an action hero, Fairbrass has far less visual appeal than Lorenzo Lamas and slightly more emotional investment than Steven Seagal. In comparison, Jason Patric fairs better in both camps as the detective, but with far, far less screen time.
Eventually, Shannon Elizabeth enters the story and offers up some B-level eye candy as Margo, an added asset to Lex’s mission to help Samantha take down the ruthless criminal businessman Schuuster. Coincidentally, its James Caan and his experience in portraying textured, three-dimensional villains and anti-heroes that outshines the rest of the film. While having a very limited amount of screen time, Caan manages to lift us out of an otherwise lackluster, uncommitted movie-watching experience for a much needed adrenaline boost. Hell. At one point, the now 73-year old James Caan actually gets his fists bloody and beats down one of his own goons! Tell me that doesn’t get your testosterone pumping!
When it’s all said and done, THE OUTSIDER is not a bad film, but its also not a good film. The movie coasts along, riding that mediocre money train that doesn’t turn heads but accumulates enough interest that it most likely will do well enough by investors’ standards. I’m not opposed to this philosophy and methodology of filmmaking. After all, today more than ever, filmmakers of all persuasions have the ability to make the films they want to make and even make a living out of it, but when it comes to what I prefer to see, what I go out of my way to find… THE OUTSIDE resides well outside of my standards for creativity and entertainment. If you enjoy generic, formulaic popcorn movies with minimal personality, you may just enjoy this film.
THE OUTSIDER opens in theaters on Friday, February 7th, 2014
Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
