Movie Review: 'The Eagle' doesn't exactly soar
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Sat, 02/12/2011 - 7:34pm
"The Eagle," an action period film of roughly 180 A.D., currently playing at the Fandango Galaxy multiplex in Carson City, is that rarity of a Roman legions movies that has no love interest, and barely any women in the cast. There's also a lot of flashy scenes that have nothing to add to the story as well as a lot of ankle-height shots showing troops or horses or somebody moving along. Honest.
That said, it's not a bad movie as this genre goes, although there are some questions that are begged. More on that later.
Seems that centurion Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum, hunk guy in charge) is upset that his father's legion, the Ninth, disappeared in the north of what is now Scotland (more or less) and the Legion's eagle standard has been lost. Shame on he Ninth! Marcus decides to go up past Hadrian's Wall in wild country and retrieve the eagle. He takes with him Esca (Jamie Bell), his slave thanks to him giving a thumbs up in a gladiator match.
They ride off to the north, meet an aging survivor of the Ninth who tells of Marcus' father running in the battle with the Picts who live north of the wall. Eventually Marcus and Esca are captured by the meanies Seal people, where since Marcus doesn't speak Pict the roles are reversed and Marcus becomes the slave. Much back and forth and Marcus gets his lumps but the two escape with the lost eagle that the tribe was worshipping.
Marcus' old wounds act up as the two head back to Hadrian's Wall and Esca casually rounds up (how?) the survivors of the Ninth, who fight a freewheeling battle against the Picts. They defeat the Picts (which is something of a mystery as the Picts clearly outnumbered the aging Legionnaires, but that's show biz). It's revealed that Marcus' father died nobly and Marcus and Esca return the eagle to the Roman senators and march off with Marcus giving Esca the choice of what they do next.
Much of the battle scenes are vague and show little more than flashing swords and spears. The Picts look nicely savage and Tatum as Marcus is stalwart even when wounded. Bell outshines Tatum as Esca and early on Donald Sutherland appears as a wise uncle-adviser to Marcus. He actually acts, something Tatum doesn't care to do.
Look, this is not "Hamlet." It's Romans against the savages and even if it doesn't make much sense at times (like when Esca betrays his own people, his father led the Picts against the Ninth; no team loyalty?) it doesn't matter to the viewer.
You've got to give the makers of this movie credit for going where no producers have gone before — without a pretty face. Would have been nice to have someone like Angelina as a change from sweaty males. But enjoy this for what it is — some nice piffle that takes almost two hours to watch.
— Sam Bauman
Cast
— Channing Tatum as centurion Marcus Aquila.
—Jamie Bell as Esca, a Scottish slave and a Brigantian Prince.
— Donald Sutherland as Aquila, Marcus' uncle who is living retired in Britain.
— Mark Strong as Guern, "an ex-soldier who holds crucial information about the Ninth."
— Tahar Rahim as Liathan, the seal prince.
— Walter van Dyk as the Roman Patrician
— Directed by: Kevin Macdonald
— Produced by: Duncan Kenworthy
— Screenplay by: Jeremy Brock Based on "The Eagle of the Ninth" by Rosemary Sutcliff
— Running time: 114 minutes
