The Saint is a film that is based on a character (that characters name is Simon Templar) that has been around the block a few times, and by that I mean he has been used in a lot of things. In fact, Simon Templar was created by Leslie Charteris in 1928 in a series of books that were titled (no surprise here) The Saint. However, Simon Templar did not stop there; he was also the main feature in a lot of Hollywood movies between 1938 and 1954. Was that all you ask? Not by a long shot. The same character was also the featured for a 1940's radio series starring the voice of Vincent Price as the voice of Templar. I wish that was it, but I am afraid it keeps on going. The character is also the star in a British television series that ran in the 1960's that starred Roger Moore. Later in the 1980's another series ran, but this time it starred Ian Ogilvy as Templar. Of course, none of these are as well known as the 1997 Hollywood movie, The Saint starring Val Kilmer. Out of all the people that played Simon Templar the best, I would have to say that Val Kilmer and Roger Moore nailed it. They were just perfect for the part, and Val Kilmer proved that in his role as Simon Templar in The Saint.

However, when you watch the movie The Saint, you will see that Val Kilmer does not claim to be the Simon Templar that Leslie Charteris made. In fact, he plays an orphan that chose the name Simon Templar for himself. He chose this name by combining two different names. One being Simon Magus, and the other being Knights Templar, who was one of his childhood heroes. In fact, he only refers to himself as Templar at the start of the film during a flashback. Whether or not the character is based off the same character that Leslie Charteris made or not, you still have to admit it was a great movie. The reason it was a good movie has a lot of different factors in play. First of all, Phillip Noyce is a great director, and he did a great job on this film. The second reason would have to be the actors themselves. You have Val Kilmer that has been in a number of great movies and played a number of different roles. There is nothing he cannot do. Some of the other movies he has been in was Batmen Forever, The Doors, and The Island of Dr. Moneau. All these films had him playing a very different person and he has proved that he can do it all. Val Kilmer is a great actor and these movies prove it.

If you have not had a chance to see The Saint, you need to go out and rent it today. This is a movie that you are going to need to see at least once. However, if you are not a fan of Val Kilmer then you are not going to have to own this movie. You have to be a big Val Kilmer fan to buy it, because after all he is the main star in the film. This is a great movie that is loosely based on a great character (whether it claims to be or not). All the great elements of this film have come together to make a great movie that you will not soon forget. This was a great movie to see in theaters when it first came out, but now you will have to settle for seeing in on DVD. Either way you are going to enjoy this film, and you are going to want to watch it more than once.