ReelBob: ‘The Outsider’ ★★ 1/2
By Bob Bloom
“The Outsider” is a standard revenge Western with racial overtones and religious underpinnings.
The movie, set in a small, nameless town, centers on railroad worker Jing Phang (John Foo), whose life is shattered after James Walker (Kaiwi Lyman), a deputy marshal, unjustly jails Jing, then later rapes the worker’s pregnant wife.
She dies from the ordeal and, after escaping jail, Jing sets out to kill Walker.
But the deputy is shielded by Marshal Walker (country singer Trace Adkins), the town’s peace office, who, despite knowing his son is a rotten apple, does everything in his power to protect him.
The elder Walker’s motivation is not predicated by love, but a promise he made to his dying wife. The marshal is often shown praying and asking forgiveness for his actions.
He hires a group of bounty hunters and a tracker, Chris (Sean Patrick Flannery) to find Jing.
“The Outsider” blends East and West as Jing uses his martial arts skills to overcome the odds as he gets nearer and nearer to the younger Walker.
One of the movie’s major problems is that director Timothy Woodward Jr. stages many of the best scenes at night, where it is difficult to discern the action.
Woodward must also have rented a rain machine, because he makes abundant use of it, which only makes the proceedings darker and murkier.
“The Outsider,” at a short 86 minutes, moves at a leisurely pace. It builds suspense and lets us get to know the main protagonists enough to get emotionally involved in their fates.
The movie, written by Sean Ryan, has a few shortcomings. It never explains why the younger Walker and a fellow deputy harass Jing in the first place. You surmise it’s because he is Chinese; or it could be that Walker is simply a psychotic bully who abuses the authority of his badge.
Foo’s Jing rarely speaks, allowing his hands and feet to do most of his talking.
Flannery’s Chris also is taciturn and, like Jing, fatalistic. He first is hired to track Jing, then, after his life is spared, he becomes an ally.
The movie’s most interesting relationship is between the Walkers. “Trouble just seems to find you, doesn’t it,” the elder lawman tells his son.
The marshal is disappointed in and disgusted by his son’s actions, but he places blood above justice and uses the authority of his office to hire gunmen to stop Jing.
Walker continually urges his son to seek redemption, but the young man is a lost cause. As portrayed by Lyman, James Walker is arrogant, self-centered, angry and out of control. He seems to enjoy inflicting pain — physically and emotionally.
“The Outsider” does not add anything new to the Western genre. It’s simply an interesting B-
movie that will hold your interest and provide some fodder for thought about prejudice, power and prayer.
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
THE OUTSIDER
2 1/2 stars out of 4
Not rated, violence, including rape, disturbing images