This adaptation of Rosemary Sutcliff's 1954 sword 'n' sandals saga The Eagle of the Ninth tells the story of colliding cultures while following one centurion's quest to regain family honor. On a remote Roman outpost in Britannia in A.D. 140, Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) has a personal agenda as he assumes command of a rural fort: he's determined to restore the reputation of his father, Flavius, whose 5,000 soldiers of the Ninth Legion vanished some 20 years earlier after marching into Caledonia (later Scotland). Their mysterious disappearance and the loss of the Golden Eagle insignia led to the creation of Hadrian's Wall, separating Britain from the Northern territories. Marcus is determined to discover what happened and recover that shiny, gilded emblem symbolizing Rome's strength, valor, and power. Despite warnings from his patrician uncle (Donald Sutherland), Marcus ventures into hostile territory, reluctantly accompanied by an angry Caledonian slave named Esca (Jamie Bell), whose divided loyalties surface as they encounter savage rogue warriors and the formidable Seal Prince (Tahar Rahim). After collaborating on The Last King of Scotland, screenwriter Jeremy Brock and director Kevin Macdonald here emphasize Rome's empire-building political subtext while also serving up plenty of bravado and graphic violence in the fierce fighting. Unfortunately, while Bell conveys his ambiguous character's inner conflict, jaw-clenching Tatum exudes only grim stoicism, throwing the relationship that forms the crux of the dramatic tension somewhat off-kilter. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include both unrated and theatrical versions of the film, audio commentary by director Kevin Macdonald, a “making-of” featurette (12 min.), deleted scenes (7 min.), an alternate ending (5 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus digital copy of the film, and the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an uneven historical action film.] (S. Granger)
The Eagle
Focus, 114 min., PG-13, DVD: $29.98, Blu-ray: $39.98, June 21 Volume 26, Issue 4
The Eagle
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