Dir: Kevin McDonaldCast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland
It's a swords and sandals road movie. Of course!
In a nutshell, this film is about the treacherous journey which two young enemies undergo in order to regain lost honour. The men must cross Hadrian's Wall into the unknown and unforgiving northern territories of Britain in search of the lost golden eagle standard of Rome.
What I loved about this film was that it didn't try to be Gladiator, 300 or Ben Hur. Yes, there are some incredibly intense and 'epic' battle scenes. And yes, the guys all run around in skirts and sandals. But at it's core, this film is about the relationship between the two protagonists and it is wonderfully applicable and contemporary.
Tatum and Bell are two incredibly talented young actors and they hold your attention for the entire film. Their relationship is gripping, tense, uncertain and eventually very heartwarming. They both deliver incredible combat sequences as well as poignant emotional moments perfectly. And, lets face it, they both look great on screen too! Accompanied by some breathtaking landscapes, and a smattering of kooky characters speaking rustic languages, the film has a a great authenticity about it. McDonald made a conscious decision to limit the use of CGI and I think it really paid off.
My rating: **** 4/5 stars
Recommendation: A gripping and heart-felt movie about respect, honour and friendship, that takes itself a little too seriously at times, but just about gets away with it.
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