Solomon Kane

Plot:  A ruthless mercenary renounces violence after learning his soul is bound for hell. When a young girl is kidnapped and her family slain by a sorcerer's murderous cult, he is forced to fight and seek his redemption slaying evil.

Director:

Michael J. Bassett

Writers:

Michael J. Bassett, Robert E. Howard (character)

Stars:

James Purefoy, Max von Sydow, Rachel Hurd-Wood

This movie was freaking awesome.  It is in the same vein as Lord of the Rings in that it's an epic adventure type movie.  It didn't get a theatrical release, but it did have a $40 million dollar budget, so it's got legitimate special effects and CGI.  

The story is pretty basic, an swashbuckling mercenary has a run in with the devil and he avoids begin claimed for hell by hiding away in a monastery.  He eventually has to choose between protecting his own life and the life of the innocent, and he finds himself on a journey to save a young girl.

The acting is good, the action is good, the story is good, everything about it is solid.  It doesn't compete with the hundred million dollar box office hits like Lord of the Rings in scale and scope, but for it's budget they have made a very nice movie.

Moreover, when you compare this to the other adventure flicks on Netflix, this is simple one of the best avaliable.

I recommend it, especially for kids.  There's no nudity, no cussing...just violence.  There is one particularly brutal scene, but outside of that this is almost an PG-13 movie.  I put it's violence on par with The Mummy.  It's mostly him fighting monsters, so if you don't mind your kids watching Pirates of the Caribbean or similar films, it's one that the whole family can watch.  It's far less disturbing than the children deathmatch style of The Hunger Games.

4/5 STARS