Writer/director Michael J Bassett's well-appointed, if rather old-fashioned, action fantasy epic brings Conan the Barbarian creator Robert E Howard's lesser-known Puritan hero Solomon Kane to centre stage. Provided here with an invented origins story, charismatic James Purefoy is terrific as the West Country-accented crusader devoting his life to good deeds after just escaping eternal damnation for past sins. But demonic powers relentlessly sabotage his road to redemption and plant the vengeful Malachi (Jason Flemyng) in his way. Owing more to Lord of the Rings than anything intrinsically Howard, it's an obvious sword-and-sorcery affair. But decked out with terrific Czech locations, Klaus Badelt's rousing score, neat CGI visual effects (notwithstanding the pointless monster lurching through the climax), keen biblical imagery (the best sequence being Solomon's crucifixion epiphany) and a solid supporting cast, the imperfections can be forgiven.

A nomadic 16th century warrior, condemned to hell for his brutal past, seeks redemption by renouncing violence, but finds some things are worth burning for as he fights to free a young Puritan woman from the grip of evil.