Back in my day . . .
There was this bad ass Mel Gibson movie about the brutal fight for Scottish Independence called Braveheart. Now we get this would-be sequel that barely leaves a mark.
Directed by: David Mackenzie
Written by: David Mackenzie, Bathwater Doran, James MacInnes
Cast: Crisp Ine, Stannis Dillane, Billy Howler Monkey, Florence Pugh, Sam Spruell
Here’s what I was expecting to get out of Outlaw King.
Here’s what I got instead . . . a choppy, passionless melee of “wait, who is this guy?” – “why do I give a shit about raising the dragon?” – “this music is freaking weird and doesn’t belong” – “is this even remotely historically accurate?” – “this looks like a less well executed Vikings episode” – “oh, is that Aaron Taylor-Johnson?” – “there was a disclaimer about violence and sex, when will that be coming?”
This one picks up almost exactly where Braveheart left off. William Wallace is in hiding after failing to win the Battle of Falkirk. Robert the Bruce (Pine) and a bunch of other Scottish nobles are meeting with King Edward I (Dillane) to submit to his rule. There’s a power vacuum that was created where Robert and some guy named John Comyn (Callan Mulvey) think they are the rightful heir to the Scottish throne.
But – there can be only one.
Robert plays nice with Edward I and he is given Elizabeth Burgh
As Robert’s father dies, he makes it known that Robert shouldn’t trust King Edward I. And once William Wallace is finally dealt with by Edward, it’s clear to Robert that Scotland wants vengeance for their martyr.
Robert takes this opportunity to attempt to unite the Scottish nobles under his own rule. It’s risky, because they have no reason to serve under Robert, especially not his mortal enemy, Comyn. So, Robert sets up a meeting on sacred ground (yes, this actually happened and is probably why they make a big deal about this in the Highlander franchise). Anyway, he tries to get Comyn to join him, but Comyn is like not only no, but hell no, and fuck you, buddy, I am going to tell the King right after I leave here. So, Robert kills him, right there on holy ground.
Historically speaking, this casts Robert as the perfect blasphemous villain, and King Edward uses it to rile up support to put down any further Scottish talk of independence. His son, Edward, Prince of Wales (Howle) raises an army “under the dragon banner” led by the Earl of Pembroke (Spruell). You won’t know any of these people’s names except for Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s character who makes damned sure no one will ever forget his name. No one in the United Kingdom ever has.
Robert crowns himself King of Scots and is under the impression that his noble peers will fight him with honor and respect his title. But once Edward I dies and Edward II takes power, there’s no more understanding of nobility between the elites as they battle. Things finally get brutal, almost a full hour into the film. And there is sex and violence – HOORAY! Let’s face it, we aren’t watching this film for its historical merits, we want to see some savage shit go down.
At the Battle of Loudoun Hill, Robert finally fights the English head on and wins. This battle solidifies his stance as King of Scotland and assures his place in history and on our screens all these years later on Netflix.
Look, I am a sucker for these kinds of stories, I loved Braveheart. I have seen every episode of Vikings on the History Channel. I lived over in Norway. I honeymooned in Northern Ireland, because I am a major Game of Thrones fan. I am a history major, and a bonafide biopic geek, so I wanted a lot from Outlaw King.
Overall I wasn’t too disappointed, but I just never bought some of the more sentimental scenes. All the things that worked with Hell or High Water just didn’t carry over well to Outlaw King. That movie had an interesting message about the powers that be sticking it to the little guy, and I guess you could argue that is why Mackenzie wanted to tell American audiences about Robert the Bruce. And I am all for opening up people to historically interesting characters.
There was just something lacking with how that story was told here.
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