Solomon Kane (2009)

May 31, 2024 9:12 PM

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.

JustWatch listing - currently streaming on Prime.

posted by skycrashesdown (6 comments total)

I remember watching this -- because I was a fan of the Robert Howard character, and a comic (Marvel, IIRC?) that came out based on the books.

And then I re-watched it, within the last couple of years, because I thought it was such a good concept, maybe I was just in a bad mood, it couldn't be that bad.

And it's not that bad, just... inert? I have no memories of the movie specifically; I remember being let down by the movie twice, but nothing in the actual film stuck to the point that I can call it to mind now.

I think there's a good Solomon Kane idea out there, and a good Solomon Kane movie could be made, but it'd take a lot less studio oversight, a lot more risks, and a metric ton more weirdness.
posted by Shepherd at 6:09 AM on June 1

A ruthless mercenary renounces violence after learning his soul is bound for hell.

That does not sound at all like Howard's Solomon Kane, "the Puritan who stood at the Gates of Hell and flinched not." What made Kane interesting, to me, was that his Puritanic posturing was just his justification for fighting. In truth, Kane is never so alive as when he's in a hard fight.

And ruthless mercenary? Canonically, Kane abandoned the Drake expedition after the execution of Thomas Doughty (The One Black Stain). Kane was, at least in his own mind, a man of principle, a far cry from "ruthless."
posted by SPrintF at 7:26 AM on June 1 [1 favorite]

I watched this some years ago and thought it was fine & fun. There are truly terrible sword and sorcery-ish movies out there, and this ain't that. Would watch again, though I'd rather watch an adaptation of the Bran Mak Morn tales.
posted by cupcakeninja at 7:35 AM on June 1

Looks like the URL got pasted into the justwatch link twice, it doesn't work.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 2:45 PM on June 1

I have no memories of the movie specifically

I know I've seen this film and I came to the thread hoping it would jog my memory and....yeah I got nothing.
posted by miss-lapin at 5:24 PM on June 1

[Mod fixed the Just Watch link for me!]
posted by skycrashesdown at 9:27 AM on June 2