American Outlaws

Theatrical Release Date: 2001 08 17 (USA)

UPC: 085391903123

Studio: Warner Home Video

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Questionable for Children, Western Violence]

Summary: This loosely fact-based oater attempts to mimic the youthful heartthrobs in Western garb formula of Young Guns (1988), as well as the cheeky humor and some plot elements of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). Colin Farrell stars as Jesse James, who returns home from the Civil War to his small hometown to find that a crooked railroad baron (Harris Yulin) has been illegally forcing the residents from the homesteads to make way for a new rail line. Enraged, James leads a band of outlaws including his brother Frank (Gabriel Macht), Cole Younger (Scott Caan), and Younger's brothers Bob (Will McCormack) and Jim (Gregory Smith) on a criminal spree of bank robbing. Although their Robin Hood-style tactics soon make them local heroes, the James-Younger gang members find themselves pursued by the dogged Allan Pinkerton (Timothy Dalton), the world's first "private eye." Along the way, Jesse also finds romance with Zee Mimms (Ali Larter), the daughter of a local doctor (Ronny Cox). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Category: Western

Features: Feature-length commentary with director Les Mayfield, co-writer John Rogers, and editor Michael Tronick
Behind-the-scenes featurettes: "The Making of American Outlaws," "Creating the Old West," "How to Be an Outlaw," and "Costuming the Cowboys"
Deleted scenes
Storyboards
Production stills
Cast and crew biographies and film highlights
Publicity gallery
Theatrical trailers
Artwork
Director-approved transfer
DTS & Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks remastered for home theaters
Interactive animated menus
Scene access with previews
Languages: English and French
Subtitles: English, French, and Spanish
DVD-ROM/PC: screenplay, storyboards, web site, web links

American Outlaws

Format: DVD

Release Date: 12/04/2001

Audio: DTS Digital Theater Systems, 5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, 2 Europe, Japan, Middle East, Egypt, South Africa, Greenland

Runtime: 94 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French

Subtitles: English,French,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
0. Scene Selections
1. Pinned Down [3:24]
2. Smiling Distraction [3:09]
3. Riding Home ("Find My Baby") [3:20]
4. Doc and Zee Mimms [4:10]
5. Women's Eyes [2:55]
6. The Lord Says No [2:53]
7. Town Meeting [3:11]
8. Hanging Hangup [4:30]
9. Righteous Progress [1:42]
10. Shindig ("The Claddah") [3:41]
11. The Right Girl [1:50]
12. Pinkertons Strike [1:57]
13. Civil Robbery [5:29]
14. Thinking Strategically [2:10]
15. Setting the Record Straight [3:31]
16. Perfect Outlaw Band [4:19]
17. Mad Bob Younger [4:16]
18. Jesse and Cole at Odds [2:16]
19. Hellfire in Hyperion [3:58]
20. Casualty of War [4:41]
21. New Life [2:40]
22. Captured [2:18]
23. Fellow Passengers [4:28]
24. Vengeance Unchained [3:12]
25. Bullet Train [3:26]
26. Anytime He Wants [2:00]
27. Bound for Tennessee [2:16]
28. Curtain Call and End Credits ("Find My Baby") [1:45]

Derek Armstrong

Quite the cheery revisionist history of the life of Jesse James, the delayed release American Outlaws doubles as a Young Guns for the next generation, both in its righteous-outlaw structure and matinee-idol function. Whether the moviegoing public needs either project is doubtful. After a brief revival in the 1990s, westerns had again become a yawn by the early 21st century, especially those featuring a cast of poor man's alternatives to charismatic stars. Director Les Mayfield treats every robbery, shootout or narrow escape from the gallows as a chance for the actors to crack jokes and peddle their charm. This framework prevents the movie from developing a sense of weight or momentum, which might be okay if it were funny enough. It also entirely recasts James as an essential pacifist and darn fine gentleman to boot, a decision designed to propel Colin Farrell toward maximum heroic stardom. But Mayfield's dishonest interpretation of the character panders to the audience, undercutting Farrell and doing little for the other small-timers (Ali Larter and Scott Caan) trying to leapfrog to the next level. As the action goes, only one clever stunt along the outside of a train stakes claim to original choreography. American Outlaws was pushed back from a spring 2001 release to the dumping grounds of late August to avoid competition with Texas Rangers -- a worse disaster of a movie that ended up getting shelved for more than a year anyway. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Ed Geldart  Actor 
Muse Watson  Actor 
Les Mayfield  Director 
James G. Robinson  Producer 
Roderick Taylor  Screenwriter 
Jonathan A. Zimbert  Executive Producer 
Trevor Rabin  Composer (Music Score) 
Bill Gerber  Producer 
John Rogers  Screenwriter 
Colin Farrell  Actor 
Scott Caan  Actor 
Ali Larter  Actor 
Gabriel Macht  Actor 
Gregory Smith  Actor 
Harris Yulin  Actor 
Will McCormack  Actor 
Kathy Bates  Actor 
Timothy Dalton  Actor 
Ronny Cox  Actor 
Terry O'Quinn  Actor 
Nathaniel Arcand  Actor 

Country: USA