I guess that everybody who sees this movie will immediately compare it to "Braveheart". And that's not only because both stories are situated in Schotland and are based on a historical figure. I found it quite surprising that two movies, who were made with only one year in between, could share so many similarities, but still could be so different. But I believe that every movie has the right to stand on its own and that's why I will not compare the two into detail.
In the highlands of Schotland, Rob Roy tries to lead his small town to a better future. As a former cattle thief and because he now protects these animals for other thieves, he knows the difference between good and bad cattle. He decides to borrow money from the local nobility so he can buy a herd on the market, which he then will sell on the other side of the country with a large profit margin. But when the money is stolen and he is accused of the theft, he has not only to defend his honor, but also his family from the ones that have always wanted to get rid of him...
The best thing this movie had to offer were the realistic characters. The highlanders, the thieves, the noblemen,... all characters were well-developed and interesting. The fact that they all felt real in this movie also has a lot to do with the good acting of course. Let's take the character of Rob Roy for instance. Somehow, Liam Neeson isn't exactly the man I would think of for this kind of role, but he sure proves that he is capable of doing it well. But only talking about Neeson's performance wouldn't be fair towards the other actors as they all did a very fine job portraying their own characters.
Overall this is an interesting movie with a good story, some nice scenes and fine performances. When you've seen Braveheart, you'll notice the similarities, but these are still two different movies and should be treated that way. I give this movie a 7/10, maybe even a 7.5/10.
In the highlands of Schotland, Rob Roy tries to lead his small town to a better future. As a former cattle thief and because he now protects these animals for other thieves, he knows the difference between good and bad cattle. He decides to borrow money from the local nobility so he can buy a herd on the market, which he then will sell on the other side of the country with a large profit margin. But when the money is stolen and he is accused of the theft, he has not only to defend his honor, but also his family from the ones that have always wanted to get rid of him...
The best thing this movie had to offer were the realistic characters. The highlanders, the thieves, the noblemen,... all characters were well-developed and interesting. The fact that they all felt real in this movie also has a lot to do with the good acting of course. Let's take the character of Rob Roy for instance. Somehow, Liam Neeson isn't exactly the man I would think of for this kind of role, but he sure proves that he is capable of doing it well. But only talking about Neeson's performance wouldn't be fair towards the other actors as they all did a very fine job portraying their own characters.
Overall this is an interesting movie with a good story, some nice scenes and fine performances. When you've seen Braveheart, you'll notice the similarities, but these are still two different movies and should be treated that way. I give this movie a 7/10, maybe even a 7.5/10.