Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Released in April of 1995, this biographical adventure film from director Michael Caton-Jones
was an unfortunate box office disappointment, earning only $3 million in profit against
its $28 million dollar budget. This is largely because of the incredibly similar "Braveheart"
premiering only a month later. That eventual Best Picture's winner massive critical and
commercial success all but overshadowed this 139-minute film. Set in the beautiful and
rocky Scottish highlands during the early 18th century, this R-rated film focuses on
the real-life story of the title character, played by Liam Neeson, who battles feudal
landowners for revenge and honor. As expected, the six-foot-four Irishmen is wonderful in
the lead, measuring his strength and sword skills with plenty of wisdom and fortitude.
When he confronts the English for crimes against his friend, he gleefully spares their lives,
rather than mercifully killing them, and usual action given the circumstances, but an endearing
one. The talented supporting cast includes a determined Eric Stoltz, the fierce and romantic
Jessica Lange, and a breakout performance from Tim Roth who plays the eccentric and
fiendish villain. The Oscar-nominated supporting role sees him committing acts of ***, ***,
and arson: making it extremely easy to root against him. If you can get past the thick
Scottish accents, there's some great period-accurate dialogue here, like when Lange warns Neeson
about their English foes, "To these men, the truth is but a lie undiscovered." Commendably
filmed on location in the actual rainy mountains of Scotland, the visuals and cinematography
here are top-notch... beautifully framing the colorful costumes, livestock, and stone
castles. Carter Burwell's score includes plenty of strings and bagpipes, which sets the mood
from the outset. As the believable story winds from one scene to the next, it remains interesting,
if never quite impressive of memorable. That is until the final climatic sword fight between
Neeson and Roth; backed only by the twanging sound effects of metal-on-metal, the spectacularly
exciting and dramatic fight remains one of the best duels in history. As the opening
text suggests, this is a story about rejecting injustice, while retaining respect and honor.
So, despite some slower stretches, and a simplified second-act, fans of historical action and
***-kicking Liam Neeson, could do much worse than this film. "Rob Roy", "Decently entertaining.
Poor man's Braveheart."
My final score is a SEVEN. An enjoyable, above average movie I might watch again in a few
years, but hardly exciting, I thought "Rob Roy" was COOL.