The Civil War has ended and the James brothers (Colin Farrell as Jesse and Gabriel Macht as Frank) and the Younger brothers (Scott Caan as Cole and Will McCormack as Bob) return home to Liberty, Kansas, eager to return to their pre-war lives as farmers.

Problem is, Liberty is occupied by federal troops. Problem #2: The Rock Northern Railroad is trying to buy up the farms around Liberty for a transcontinental line that will run smack dad through Missouri. And the railroad isn’t afraid to use muscle to get what it wants.

First, Cole is thrown is jail for killing two men who threaten to take his family’s land. Jesse rescues him from the gallows. The railroad responds by blowing up a few farm houses, including the James’ homestead, killing Jesse and Frank’s mom in the process.

So the James and the Younger brothers are back at war. Except instead of attacking the Pinkerton detectives who are working for the railroad, the James-Younger gang decides to rob the banks where the railroad keeps its money.

Harris Yulin plays Thaddeus Rains, the railroad king eager to see Jesse hang. Timothy Dalton plays Allan Pinkerton, the man determined to lure the gang into a trap.

And Ali Larter is Zee Mimms, the lovely young woman who tempts Jesse to go straight.

Colin Farrell as Jesse James in American Outlaws (2001)

Gabriel Macht as Frank James in American Outlaws (2001)

Review:

OK, we probably didn’t need another retelling of the James-Younger tale. But, hey, it you’re going to make a film this spirited and action-packed, why not?

The outlaws get the hero treatment in this version of the oft-told tale, which plays fast and loose with the facts, but makes up for it by being damned entertaining.

Farrell makes for a charismatic leader of the James-Younger gang, and Scott Caan turns in a fine performance as the eldest Younger brother, who grows a bit jealous of Jesse’s fame and, in one of the film’s light-hearted moments, suggests changing the gang’s name to the Younger-James gang.

Ali Larter helps brighten things as an attractive Zee Mimms, who isn’t afraid to use a cannon to stop a train if that’s what it takes to rescue boyfriend Jesse.

Scott Caan as Cole Younger in American Outlaws (2001)

Will McCormack as Bob Younger in American Outlaws (2001)

Directed by:
Les Mayfield

Cast:
Colin Farrell … Jesse James
Scott Caan … Cole Younger
Ali Larter … Zee Mimms
Gabriel Macht … Frank James
Gregory Smith … Jim Younger
Will McCormack … Bob Younger
Harris Yulin … Thaddeus Rains
Kathy Bates … Ma James
Timothy Dalton … Allan Pinkerton

Runtime: 96 min.

Ali Larter as Zee Mimms, Jesse’s girl in American Outlaws (2001)

Kathy Bates as Ma James in American Outlaws (2001)

Memorable lines:

Bob Younger, after the Confederate raiders ride into a Yankee ambush: “God dammit, Cole. This stopped being fun about two years ago.”

Jesse James: “See, that’s your problem, Frank. By the time you’re done figurin’ stuff, well I’m already finished doin’ it.”
Frank James: “No, Jesse, you’re problem is you’re always finished doin’ something before I’m finished figurin’ it out.”

Ma James, welcoming her sons home: “Did you kill Yankees?”
Jesse James: “A fair number, ma.”
Ma James: “And did you say your prayers?”
Frank James: “Every night, ma.”
Ma James: “Well good.”

Thaddeus Rains: “We’ll teach these podunks what happens when they challenge the righteousness of progress.”

Bob Younger, on Cole’s suggestion that the gang be called the Younger-James gang instead of the James-Younger gang: “The Younger-James gang is confusin’.”
Cole: “How’s that, Bob?”
Bob: “Say we burst into a bank, and we yell, ‘We’re the Younger-James gang.’ Now people will be thinkin’ ‘The Younger-James gang? Is there an older James gang? How come we never heard of the older James gang?’ So people will be tryin’ to figure that out instead of raisin’ their arms.”
Cole: “Do we even have the same mama? Huh? Do we?”