Review: The Eagle
Friday, February 11, 2011 at 9:00PM The Eagle is the latest of the many sword & sandal ripples that Gladiator set in motion 11 years ago. Channing Tatum is this year's brave soul, stepping into the Arena of Undefeated Russell Crowe Memories. Channing plays Marcus Aquila, a young centurion getting his first command in Britain. His faither soiled the family name by vanishing in the North of Britain and losing his legion's gold standard, The Eagle. Though Rome at large has moved on, Marcus is obsessed with retreiving the shiny bird.
Marcus is very serious about his command but he's also good at it. In fact, he's practically clairvoyant in his first test as a leader, sensing danger coming well before it arrives. Though he saves his men, a serious injury sidelines him from battle, and the film threatens to stop dead in its tracks just as its begun. Thankfully the movie picks up considerably when Jamie Bell enters as Esca.
Esca is purchased as a body slave for Marcus. Waste of money, that. Purchasing a body slave for Channning Tatum? Surely there were volunteers at the ready?
What are you seeing this weekend?
Channing Tatum, Denis O'Hare, Jamie Bell, Reviews, Tahar Rahim, The Eagle
Reader Comments (8)
I'm looking forward to seeing this film I think.
I just saw Sanctum with a friend - she'd seen the Green Hornet already and it was either Sanctum or queue for ages to see No Strings Attached. 3D was much better than I'd anticipated and there were some beautiful shots, but it really was Poseidon without the boat. Didn't really like the characters, horrible dialogue (though Richard Roxburgh did as best he could!). Improved considerably in the last half hour though....
Slightly off-topic (for some reason I can't post comments in the post below), but Megan Ellison, daughter of very rich Larry Ellison, is in talks to self-fund PT Anderson's Scientology movie and his next one after that. Best news of the week! I need "There Will Be Blood 2."
I saw The Eagle. It seems to have gotten many foul reviews, as if the moment some reviewers saw Channing Tatum, they thought they were back reviewing GI Joe, and had to get their saved vitriol out.
I loved the book The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliffe as a kid. The director and producer did too and it shows. Their interpretation was right in synch with mine and the casting for the two leads is perfect. (Also nice to see Mark Strong in a sympathetic role for a change). But I can see how without a memory of a personal reaction to the book, it could seem a lot on the surface.
If you'd asked before I went in why I liked this boys adventure story as a girl, I would have said one thing, but watching the movie I remembered. From a kids eye view, it's a collision of two cultures and both the cultures are scum. I've never ever wanted to be part of a male culture of dirt, violence, and misery out in the sticks. I have no nostalgia for that kind of life. I think kids also feel very keenly the critique of the other culture "why can't you just leave them alone?" They highlighted that in the movie, so I guess I'm not the only kid that spoke to. The heart of the story is that every cruddy culture still has a few people you can be friends with, and that friendship is where real civilization starts. (Sounds like book jacket for the school library, doesn't it?)
adri -- that's a beautiful read on it. although the ending totally implies that although it read kind of sitcomy for something that had been so frowny up until that point.
I did think the movie had some trouble getting around those friendship as civilizations issues though... in terms of it still wanting to completely buy into the culture of war equalling honor. and yo ucan't really have both and not be muddled.
Ruth -- i totally wanted to see Sanctum just because ...well actually i don't know why but i keep hearing awful things.
I can't stand these sort of movies... You know, the ones that aren't suppose to be spoken in English yet they are!!
I was disappointed with it. I hoped for more, especially because I love Roxburgh in general!
However, I have read one positive review that gave it 4/5 stars. One.... so maybe you'll be surprised.
Still hoping to see "Tangled" or "Tron: Legacy" (it's finally showing here NOT in 3D, because I am NOT paying extra) before this week ends.