Rotten Tomatoes Logo Do you want to see ‘Outlander’?

Outlander (2008)

tomatometer

38

Average Rating: 5/10
Reviews Counted: 61
Fresh: 23 | Rotten: 38

Schizophrenic in subject and lackluster in execution, Outlander might have trouble finding the cult audience for which it was built.

25

Average Rating: 4.8/10
Critic Reviews: 8
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 6

Schizophrenic in subject and lackluster in execution, Outlander might have trouble finding the cult audience for which it was built.

audience

46

liked it
Average Rating: 3.1/5
User Ratings: 45,071

My Rating

Movie Info

When an extraterrestrial spaceship comes crashing down to Earth during the reign of the Vikings, the Scandinavian plunderers get set to do battle with a most unusual enemy in director Howard McCain's earthbound science fiction thriller. Jim Caviezel, Jack Huston, and Sophia Myles star in a film scripted by director McCain in collaboration with screenwriter Dirk Blackman. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

May 26, 2009

$59.6k

Third Rail Releasing

Cast

All Critics (61) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (23) | Rotten (38)

An unexpectedly enjoyable science-fiction adventure that should be generating louder fanboy buzz than it has so far.

January 23, 2009 Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | Comment
Dallas Morning News
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Outlander is a cheesy, low-budget, space alien Viking monster movie. And seemingly proud of it.

January 23, 2009 Full Review Source: Detroit News | Comment
Detroit News
Top Critic IconTop Critic

In its second half, Outlander falls apart completely, becoming nothing but a violent, mindless monster movie along the lines of Alien vs. Predator.

January 23, 2009 Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | Comment
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic IconTop Critic

In Outlander, the nuttiest hunk of junk in many months, Viking warriors and a stoic intergalactic traveler join forces to combat an enormous beetle with whiplash stingers.

January 23, 2009 Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | Comment
Chicago Tribune
Top Critic IconTop Critic

By taking nonsense seriously Outlander never achieves camp. It's a comic book that's mistaken itself for scripture.

January 22, 2009 Full Review Source: Boston Globe | Comment
Boston Globe
Top Critic IconTop Critic

An enjoyably goofy hybrid of extraterrestrial sci-fi and Iron Age action.

January 22, 2009 Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | Comment
Philadelphia Inquirer
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Beowulf with aliens and lots of gore, violence.

August 31, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comment
Common Sense Media

Outlander is a fluid genre exercise that satisfies cravings for action and Norse mythology in one fell swoop. It's a full-bodied adventure movie that's responsive and reverential to the needs of sci-fi escapism.

June 2, 2010 Full Review Source: BrianOrndorf.com | Comment
BrianOrndorf.com

Vikings vs. aliens -- Outlander is probably the best possible version of whatever movie you've already made in your head from reading those first three words.

December 17, 2009 Full Review Source: Cinematical | Comment
Cinematical

A mead hall party feels like a Iron Age version of "Cheers," right down to the "Norm!" greeting for one character. It's one of many leaden diversions from what should be a lean, economical, brutal B-movie of aliens, Vikings and alternate timelines.

June 20, 2009 Full Review Source: Suite101.com | Comment
Suite101.com

This is honestly better than all the big Hollywood blockbusters that have been released so far this summer.

June 8, 2009 Full Review Source: Montreal Film Journal | Comments (3)
Montreal Film Journal

...ultimately establishes itself as a fun little endeavor that boasts as irresistible a premise as one could possibly imagine.

May 28, 2009 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | Comment
Reel Film Reviews

About as subtle as being punched in the face by an angry Norwegian, it delivers everything you could possibly want from a movie about Vikings and alien monsters.

May 27, 2009 Full Review Source: SFX Magazine | Comment
SFX Magazine

Outlander is a perfectly acceptable mashup of "Alien," "Predator" and just about every Viking flick you've ever seen.

May 13, 2009 Full Review Source: What Would Toto Watch? | Comment
What Would Toto Watch?

Most of the time, though, Howard McCain's movie is plain dull.

April 28, 2009 Full Review Source: Sunday Times (UK) | Comment
Sunday Times (UK)

The creature is about as convincing as a furry dragon carried through Chinatown.

April 28, 2009 Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | Comment
Observer [UK]

Stunning special effects and bloody battle sequences make it just the ticket for a popcorn monster fantasy. If you want to engage your brain, best avoid.

April 28, 2009 Full Review Source: Sunday Mail [UK] | Comment (1)
Sunday Mail [UK]

As clunky and ineffective as an iron-age weapon on an alien predator's hide, this retro-SF rationalisation of Beowulf could have done with less sword and more pen.

April 25, 2009 Full Review Source: Film4 | Comment

With plenty of spattered blood and gore and some nice homages to the Beowulf tale the movie isn't without thrills, though its conceptual ambitions are rarely fulfilled in their execution.

April 25, 2009 Full Review Source: Digital Spy | Comment
Digital Spy

Outlandish would have been a better title for a film that's great fun and quite exciting before eventually outstaying its welcome.

April 25, 2009 Comment
Heat Magazine

A film version of fish and chips - humble, honest fare that's ludicrous, inventive, gory within limits, and has a cast having so much fun it's hard not to be swept along with them. And besides, you can't have nouvelle cuisine every night of the week.

April 24, 2009 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | Comment
Empire Magazine

Daft, obvious but hugely enjoyable, 'Outlander' is superior trash.

April 24, 2009 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment

Sadly, the kooky premise of Outlander solidifies quickly into formula: monster is fought, fair maiden won, kingship gained and past errors redeemed with no real surprises along the way.

April 24, 2009 Full Review Source: Times [UK] | Comment
Times [UK]

We are now deep, deep, deep into nerd territory, so deep you will get a nosebleed in your diving suit.

April 24, 2009 Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | Comment
Guardian [UK]

As the ginger offspring of a Ridley Scott/Peter Jackson gangbang, Outlander is a wannabe B movie classic that's so shit, it's just... shit!

April 24, 2009 Comment
Little White Lies
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Outlander

This movie got little advertisement when it was released in 2009 and thus ended up heading to DVD in a hurry. The box office on this shouldnt scare you. I just watched the blu ray and I must say not a bad little film. John Hurt as always is awesome. I love me some Sophia Myles. Ron Perlman gets a bit part. Just a nice

June 11, 2010
jmanard52

Super Reviewer

Taking a strong lead from 'Alien 3' and 'The Relic' methinks with this one, quite a good action flick none the less but it starts out quite drab and lifeless with little on offer.The cast is lifted with the presence of Hurt and Caviezel is strong as the hero but the rest of the cast can't really compare and come across

September 26, 2011
phubbs1

Super Reviewer

Outlander Quotes

No quotes approved yet for Outlander. Logged in users can submit quotes.

Latest News for Outlander

What's Hot On RT

Luis Guzman
Luis Guzman

What are his 10 best movies ever?

<em>Amazing Spider-Man</em>
Amazing Spider-Man

See the all-new action-packed trailer!

The Avengers!
The Avengers!

Five new Marvelous pictures

Total Recall
Total Recall

Unconventional Superheroes

Top Movie Quizzes

LEGO Mania: 2011 Best Picture Nominees
by natalie - 18,535 taken
created 12 months ago
How Much Do You Know About Leonardo DiCaprio?
by natalie - 44,351 taken
created 15 months ago
Pixar Movies!
by jdikwlzviv - 27,106 taken
created 15 months ago
The Wizards of Harry Potter
by jdikwlzviv - 27,608 taken
created 15 months ago
Help | About | Jobs | Newsletter | Critics Submission | API | Licensing | Blog | Developers | Mobile