Set in 140 AD in roman ruled Britain, a young solider (Channing Tatum) endeavours to honour his fathers memory by finding his lost legions golden eagle. Aided by his slave (Jamie Bell), they venture beyond the known world on a resilient quest that pushes their boundaries of loyalty and respect to the end.
There is plenty of grit and craft on display in this feature and alot to enjoy about it. This is not your typical sword and sandal cheese fest. To start with, the cinematography and location scenery are breathtaking. Filmed in Scotland and Hungary (mostly for the sunshine scenes i imagine), the details stay very true to its origin.
Almost from the outset the corny plot is forgiven with engaging performances from Bell and Tatum. The two play off each other admirably and the message of betrayal, trust and honour is understood and conveyed clearly.
The two sides to this story are portrayed with accuracy, whilst perhaps it is not as historically true. The opening 20 minutes we are submerged into roman life. The thick American accents and homoerotic compassion can be somewhat misleading to historical fact and we are left with the alarming thought of over an hour of Channing Tatum as our furry browed, deadpan hero leading us to the eject button.
All is forgiven and forgotten very soon, once they venture into the mysterious highlands of the Gaelic speaking land of the painted people.
Portrayed in a rather over the top barbaric, yet honourable fashion, the tribe of the painted people are truly a fascinating race and this is what helps the otherwise looming plot from becoming stagnant.
But the accents and history can be ignored and forgiven as this film really gives more enjoyment than the sullen satisfaction of previous contemporary pieces. The action scenes are engaging and lifelike, perhaps due to the lack of CGI that plagues our screens.
All in all a very enjoyable viewing that ignites some boyish enthusiasm of war and honour that has been somewhat lacking from most periodic pieces. A surprisingly and hugely entertaining film..
5/5
