The Eagle
Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Mark Strong, Donald Sutherland, Tahar Rahim
Director: Kevin MacDonald
Rating: 3/5
It seems that Hollywood just can't get enough of Rome and Kevin MacDonald's latest movie The Eagle, which is based on novel The Eagle of the Ninth, takes up back, once again, to that period in history.
Twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion in the mountains of Scotland, young centurion Marcus Aquila (Tatum) arrives from Rome to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father, the commander of the Ninth.
Accompanied only by his British slave Esca (Bell), Marcus sets out across Hadrian's Wall into the uncharted highlands of Caledonia where he must rely on his slave to navigate the region.
When they encounter ex-Roman soldier Guern, Marcus realizes that the mystery of his father's disappearance may well be linked to the secret of his own slave's identity and loyalty - a secret all the more pressing when the two come face-to-face with the warriors of the fearsome Seal Prince.
Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell are two actors who have moved through s series of genres throughout their careers from drama and comedy to action and war and are a perfect fit for The Eagle.
There is a great onscreen connection between the pair; Marcus, who is desperate to restore his family's name and Esca who hates everything that Marcus stands for.
And yet as the movie progresses there is understanding and acceptance on both sides as they fight for what they believe to be right... and in the end each other.
Tatum leads the movie well as 'the perfect Roman' keen to lead his legion well and fight with honour.
But Marcus is a man who is haunted by the past and Tatum plays him as a tortured soul, but a man with a real heart.
Bell has been one of the best young British actors since he burst onto the scene in Billy Elliot and it's great to see him in more of an action role.
The pair benter and fight well together and their relationship really does push this movie forward.
One thing that really does work for this film is the stunning cinematography as director Kevin MacDonald shows off the beauty and well as the harshness of the Scottish Highlands - some of the shots are just stunning.
However the pacing is a little up and down - perhaps too much emphasis of Marcus and Esca trudging around in search of the eagle.
And having seen Ironclad a few weeks ago the fight scenes do seem a little tame - which is a real shame as this would have brought some realistic brutality to the film.
And this lack of brutality does come as a surprise from director MacDonald having made a movie such as The Last King of Scotland.
It's great to see MacDonald back in the director's chair as he has delivered a great movie about loyalty, pride and masculinity - as well as a great bromance.
But on the whole The Eagle is an action packed thriller that delivers some great characters and relationships - it's a great addition to the sword and sandal genre.
But the real winner here is Anthony Dod Mantle with his stunning cinematography.
The Eagle is out on DVD & Blu-Ray now.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw