Review of:American Outlaws (2001)
Director:Les Mayfield
Rating:PG-13 for western violence
Starring:Colin Farrell, Scott Caan, Ali Larter, Gabriel Macht, Gregory Smith
The James/Younger gang become the new age robin hoods of this century in the portrayal of this film. Like a lot of hollywood movies it is not based entirely in fact. Big surprise. What it doesn't have in factual facts it makes up for in a pretty good story line, and a lot of action.
Colin Farrell plays Jesse James. Jesse is sometimes hot headed, but to go along with that is the reputation of being one of the fastest men on the planet with a gun. We see Jesse, and his fellow brothers in arms returning from the civil war before they were outlaws.
They came back to try to rebuild, and wash off the smut of the war . Then the train gangs show up. They are building the train infrastructure of the United States, and they want Jesse James land. A war between Jesse and the gang and the railroads who are trying to encroach upon the farmers land starts. Extreme measures are taken to try to acquire the land, and that is when the stuffing hits the fan.
Playing around the action is also a romantic storyline being played out. It doesn't take away from the story via Pearl Harbor.
There is enough action, and witty dialogue to entertain you the entire length of the film. It will stray away from the historical account of Jesse James life quite a bit. If you don't mind that this could be the movie for you.
