American Outlaws

After the Civil War, Jesse James and his brother Frank return to their home town in Missouri to find that a railroad baron is seizing local land for his tracks, with the help of hired enforcers. When the farmers refuse to give up their property, the brothers and their friends take up arms against the railroad and the detective agency working for it, robbing the banks that hold the company's money. Their raids turn the gang into the target of a large-scale manhunt, and Jesse's reputation grows into a western legend. The story draws on the real James-Younger gang, with Colin Farrell as Jesse James, Gabriel Macht as Frank, Scott Caan as Cole Younger and Ali Larter as Zee Mimms.

Les Mayfield directed the film, which followed Blue Streak in his filmography and was written by John Rogers and Roderick Taylor. It was released in August 2001 and runs 94 minutes.

Made for a budget of 35 million dollars, the film returned about 14 million dollars worldwide, a poor result. Audiences on TMDB rate it 5.9 out of 10 from 298 votes, while a critics' score of 3.6 out of 10 from 102 reviews sits well below that. The gap suggests a film that drew some mild audience interest but little critical support.