First of all, I decided to watch Solomon Kane because I wanted a good old fashioned "dark hero" fantasy film and, to that extent, I was not disappointed. Of course, it does have plot-holes and some details are unrealistic but if you can get past them you will find this to be a thoroughly enjoyable film.
The visuals are good: dark, cold places. In the first part of the movie, I felt like I was watching Sleepy Hollow. The falling snow and wandering through the cold woods was quite atmospheric, although I couldn't help but wonder why doesn't the damn snow settle on the ground after days of continuously falling. The pilgrim family is austere and believable, with good costumes and expected lines coming from simple, religious people.
With the first major happening in the plot (the bad guys attack) the quiet snow turns into pouring rain. Actually, the only moment when we do get to see the sun is when it's prettily setting behind a church (a false sense of hope, if I may afford a spoiler hint).
The villages/settlements were also pretty realistic, with just the right amount of mud and even a black death cameo.
Now, regarding character: the film catches Kane's inner struggle quite well, with both his recurring nightmares and the discovery of his purpose (see movie tag). We don't really see him become a better man because he's not; he is left to be seen as a sort of hero of circumstance, forced to keep fighting to make up for his past sins.
And the fighting was, indeed, satisfactory. I was expecting a killing machine and that is what I got: bad-ass hero (with the obligatory black cape), dual-wielding swords and pistols and killing pretty much anyone who gets in the way. Combat was satisfactory and maybe a bit on the gory side, considering we get to actually see him drive his sword through and across many an enemy's chest/body. Also, heads rolling. Action packed, fun to watch. Not any ridiculous special effects (Van Helsing style): most of the "bad guys" were made with make-up, and CGI was kept to the minimum necessary.
Story-wise, the film keeps it simple. At the ending you realize the story-line is actually a circle that has finally been closed. Also, I am happy the film-makers didn't adapt this to a love-story, keeping to the true point of this tale.
All in all, the film is worth watching, I recommend it to any fan of the fantasy/sword-fighting/Gothic genre. A pity that it's fairly unknown, with other, poorer-quality films being much more popular.
The visuals are good: dark, cold places. In the first part of the movie, I felt like I was watching Sleepy Hollow. The falling snow and wandering through the cold woods was quite atmospheric, although I couldn't help but wonder why doesn't the damn snow settle on the ground after days of continuously falling. The pilgrim family is austere and believable, with good costumes and expected lines coming from simple, religious people.
With the first major happening in the plot (the bad guys attack) the quiet snow turns into pouring rain. Actually, the only moment when we do get to see the sun is when it's prettily setting behind a church (a false sense of hope, if I may afford a spoiler hint).
The villages/settlements were also pretty realistic, with just the right amount of mud and even a black death cameo.
Now, regarding character: the film catches Kane's inner struggle quite well, with both his recurring nightmares and the discovery of his purpose (see movie tag). We don't really see him become a better man because he's not; he is left to be seen as a sort of hero of circumstance, forced to keep fighting to make up for his past sins.
And the fighting was, indeed, satisfactory. I was expecting a killing machine and that is what I got: bad-ass hero (with the obligatory black cape), dual-wielding swords and pistols and killing pretty much anyone who gets in the way. Combat was satisfactory and maybe a bit on the gory side, considering we get to actually see him drive his sword through and across many an enemy's chest/body. Also, heads rolling. Action packed, fun to watch. Not any ridiculous special effects (Van Helsing style): most of the "bad guys" were made with make-up, and CGI was kept to the minimum necessary.
Story-wise, the film keeps it simple. At the ending you realize the story-line is actually a circle that has finally been closed. Also, I am happy the film-makers didn't adapt this to a love-story, keeping to the true point of this tale.
All in all, the film is worth watching, I recommend it to any fan of the fantasy/sword-fighting/Gothic genre. A pity that it's fairly unknown, with other, poorer-quality films being much more popular.