Solomon Kane (2009)

 

By far the best known character developed by Robert E Howard would be Conan the Barbarian. Not only did he give rise to some iconic and most excellent artwork by Frank Frazetta, the first film with Arnold Schwarzenegger was friggin' awesome and catapulted Arnold to stardom. But Howard also wrote of a sword-wielding Puritan who fought against all sorts of magic. Sort of like Conan, but different. 

Well, maybe just a little. Because Solomon Kane isn't a barbarian. But other than that, it is roughly the same idea. 

Roughly.

And you know what? It's a bit of a shame that this film didn't receive that much attention. Sure, it isn't a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but it is entertaining as all hell and those involved do a decent job. It even feels as though this one set the tone for the Conan reboot starring Jason Momoa, as stylistically, there are definitely similarities. 

Solomon Kane is a buccaneer who fights on behalf of the British crown, but who is - by all accounts - not a very nice man. He is the best at what he does, but what he does, isn't pretty. When raiding a North African castle however, his crew gets dispatched by demons and he is faced by the Collector of Souls, a subsidiary of the devil, who wants Solomon's soul. Solomon escapes, but vows never again to use violence, as the one thing he fears is that his soul would become damned. 

Huh. Go figure: commit the worst of atrocities in the name of some cause or other, yet piss your trousers when a reckoning is due. 

Solomon returns to Britain and seeks refuge in a monastery, but the monks eventually tell him to leave, as they feel his purpose lies elsewhere. Solomon is hesitant, but eventually he meets up with a family that is heading for the coast in order to leave for the new land: America. Because these people welcome him warmly and treat him like a human being, Solomon begins to think that he might be able to leave his dark past behind him. 

Ye,s of course somthing will happen. Screenwriter's 101.

It turns out, a massive band of rogues is plaguing the lands, led by a masked knight and headed by a dark wizard named Malachi. They come across the family and Solomon and before his eyes slaughter all but the daughter and mother. The daughter is taken away and Solomon kicks much backside. He swears to return Meredith to her mom, but he has quite the journey ahead of him. He even gets crucified at one point, as he has given up all hope. But this, combined with seeing Meredith pass by, gives him the strength to stand up and face evil, as he returns to his ancestral castle where Malachi now reigns. Even Malachi's general is someone Solomon knows... 

So yes, the story isn't this film's strong suit, as anyone who has ever seen comparable things will quickly now the exact beats of the tale. But that is not why this one should be viewed. It's the atmosphere. It's the fact that James Purefoy does a great job as the titular character. It's the fact that this film is loaded with excellent British actors and actresses who do their best with what they are given.

And because the fighting (with or without swords) is pretty bloody excellent. Pun intended. Yes, this film might not have an R-rating, but blood spurts and flows, bodyparts fly and it isn't shot in that hyperkinetic and incomprehensible manner. Well, most of the time, anyway. The whole of the story just clicks and feels rightly 'Howard-esque', if that even is a thing. You get a straightforward tale of vengeance and redemption, with some magic and monsters thrown in and it is immensely satisfying to see it all unfold. 

Sure, maybe Malachi gets dispatched rather easily, but everything else except for those final moments just relies on atmosphere and good old fashioned adventure, which is sometimes the perfect recipe for an evening where you want to be entertained.