Outlaw King Review: 7 Ups & 2 Downs

Ups...

7. Chris Pine & Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Strong Performances

There was a lot of pre-release concern about Chris Pine's ability to pull off a convincing Scottish accent, being an American as he is, but it's a pleasure to report that Pine clearly did his homework, and the end result is pretty damn great.

Sure, there are moments where he slips a little, but considering how notoriously difficult the accent is to pull off, especially for an American, he nailed it for the most part.

Plus, he manages to disappear into the role of Robert the Bruce rather than looking like a Hollywood star playing dress-up, as is so often a problem in these types of movies.

At least as good as Pine if not better, however, is Aaron Taylor-Johnson as James Douglas, also smashing the accent but also getting a far more volcanic role to sink his teeth into given Douglas' well-noted insanity.

He's not in the movie anywhere near as much as Pine, but he savours every moment he gets and continues to impress as one of the most under-appreciated young actors of his generation.