I can see what Outcast tries to be. It is western version of Chinese wuxia films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). Main story is son and daughter of emperor escaping their older brother who wants to be next emperor. Two former crusaders help the son and daughter. While movie mostly tries to follow wuxia genre there are western influences too. Western influences are not the only problem.
Nicolas Cage and Hayden Christensen are former crusaders who left crusades after seeing what crusades did to them. Cage is Christensen's mentor. He left to China earlier and Christensen followed. Both characters are drunk or high throughout the movie. Cage is alcoholic and Christensen opium addict but both are still great warriors. Christensen can kill group of solders when he can barely walk or see what is happening.
Movie's problems culminate to Cage and Christensen. Cage is Crazy Cage and Christensen is stoned Anakin. Christensen was ok in Jumper (2008). But this time he is Anakin who has found drugs. It doesn't help that both characters are badly written. Their actions don't make sense. Neither does some other characters'.
Worst stupidity is when Cage's gang defend dead end. They send the son and daughter deeper into cave but Christensen bring them out when everyone else has died. At one point they acted like they could escape through the cave and next they acted like they couldn't.
Wuxia films I have seen usually don't have clearly evil character. This movie makes older brother clearly evil and hits us head with it just in case we don't get it. Without that wuxia parts generally work even thought they are quite generic.
Outcast ends up being big mess with generic wuxia and alcoholic and junkie. There is sequel in plans. I just don't know why. Idea could have worked with better script and Cage and Christensen replaced by more suitable actors. I almost said better but Cage is good actor when he wants to be. This is not one of those movies.
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