Solomon Kane

If you are the type of person who cannot watch a film that removed from its source material even one iota this isn't a film for you. Robert E. Howard's puritanical holy warrior is a son of Devon, a true believer who fights with incredible bravery because he believes his actions are guided by God. This Solomon Kane is the estranged son of a German nobleman, living in a gothic castle definitely not local to the West Country. He is morbidly afraid of the Devil and initially refuses to fight fearing taking one more life would forever damn his soul.

Likewise if you like your history accurate you should steer clear. For one thing(maybe minor, I'll grant) the opening scenes (in 1600) have a ship flying the original Union Jack even though the decree that lead to the flag's creation was not issued until 1606. Another scene is set in the aftermath of a witch burning even though this was an n extremely rare practice in England where witches were hanged.

But if you can get past these issues then what you get is a darn good sword and sorcery dark fantasy with demons and magicks galore. It's a total romp populated by some damn fine actors – including James Purefoy (as Kane), Pete Postlethwaite, Alice Krige and Max Von Sydow. Yes at times the demons look like the Orcs in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings but hey, they look good and make effective bad guys. It's fun – but not too deep. Perfect Saturday night fodder.

Page updated 7 March, 2011