(Enlarge) Tahar Rahim inspects Roman trespassers Jamie Bell and Channing Tatum in "The Eagle," now at area theaters. (Photo by Keith Bernstein)
"The Eagle" is a sword-and-sandal epic in which the Roman soldiers get cold feet once they march into Scotland. Set at the edge of the known world in 140 A.D., this muscular ancient adventure packs a punch for modern audiences.
If you're willing to overlook the occasional quasi-anachronistic touch, "The Eagle" does immerse you in a story that involves Roman civilization harshly confronting English and Scottish tribes that had not yet learned how to serve tea and play cricket.
Although there is nothing profound or subtle about this movie, it does deliver plenty of vigorously macho shouts as the opposing forces do battle in a ruggedly beautiful landscape.
War is fun, at least when it's separated from us by so many centuries. Taken on its own blustery terms, "The Eagle" is an entertaining cinematic flight.
This brutal setting is very much a man's world. In fact, there are only a few women literally hovering at the edge of the frame. Indeed, the plot is so rigorously anchored by father-son and master-slave relationships that you have to remind yourself that there also were women in the ancient world.
We never see the father figure here, but we know that he was a Roman military commander who took his legion beyond Hadrian's Wall and marched north into the forbidding Scottish highlands. This legion was never heard from again, but rumor has it that its Eagle-shaped standard is now a war prize displayed at some barbarian encampment.
The missing commander's young adult son, Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum), vows to lead another legion north. He knows that finding his father alive is a long shot, but he hopes to at least recover that gleaming standard and thereby restore Roman honor to his father's tarnished name.
Although it's easy to smile and observe that Channing Tatum looks like he should be leading an Ivy League rowing team, the actor proves capable of barking orders and looking determined. It's not a great performance, but it becomes more persuasive as the movie pushes further into the wilderness.
Other aspects of Roman culture, likewise, seem a bit wobbly at first. The contemporary slang, for instance, makes it seem as if these soldiers trained in a 21st-century boot camp. For that matter, the casting of a veteran movie star as Marcus' Uncle Aquila (Donald Sutherland), perhaps inevitably will have some of us thinking: "Hey, that's Donald Sutherland in a toga."
Marcus' search for his missing father is what keeps the movie itself marching northward, but there's only so much you can dramatically do when the father half of the equation is missing in action. That's why director Kevin Macdonald and screenwriter Jeremy Brock (adapting Rosemary Sutcliff's novel) are smart to keep the scene-by-scene focus on Marcus' relationship with his English slave, Esca (Jamie Bell).
When Esca's warrior father was killed in battle by the Roman army, Esca became a youthful prisoner. The slightly built Esca is now about to be killed by a massively muscled gladiator in a makeshift arena, but one member of the bloodthirsty Roman audience, Marcus, admires Esca's courage and gives the "thumbs up" signal indicating that this slave should be allowed to live. Esca despises everything about Rome, but he is so thankful for the mercy shown by Marcus that he vows to serve him forever.
The Roman master and his English slave make for a rather precarious duo, but they do stick together. Esca's familiarity with the terrain and its tribes proves to be valuable as Marcus takes his men to the other side of Hadrian's Wall.
It's best to discover for yourself the many adventures that await them in this wild country. At its wildest, "The Eagle" has the conservatively outfitted Romans confronting a tribe called the Seal People. This fierce tribe's minimal wardrobe, painted skins and Mohawk haircuts are so extreme that these archetypal punk rockers would be a formidable match for Mad Max in the Australian outback. Grade: B
"The Eagle" (PG-13) is now playing at area theaters.
"Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son" (PG-13). Not reviewed. Martin Lawrence stars in this sequel as an undercover F.B.I. agent who brings his teenage stepson along on assignment. Opens Friday, Feb. 18.
"I Am Number Four" (PG-13). Not reviewed. D.J. Caruso directs this science fiction fantasy about a mysterious fugitive with extraordinary powers.
"Unknown" (PG-13). Not reviewed. Liam Neeson stars in this thriller as a doctor who discovers another man has assumed his identity. Opens Friday, Feb. 18.
"The Eagle" (PG-13). See Above. Grade: B Owings Mills 17, Towson Commons 8, Hunt Valley 12, AMC White Marsh
"Gnomeo & Juliet" (G). In this animated 3-D comic treatment of Shakespeare's romantic tragedy, the young lovers are garden gnomes, the rapidly dispensed pop cultural references are all over the map, the songs are by Elton John, and the eclectic voices include James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Hulk Hogan, Ozzy Osbourne, Patrick Stewart, Michael Caine, Jason Statham, Dolly Parton, Julie Walters and Maggie Smith. It's a busy mess, but has some funny bits. Grade: C+ Owings Mills 17, Towson Commons 8, Hunt Valley 12, AMC White Marsh
"The Green Hornet" (PG-13). Seth Rogen is aptly cast as a playboy-turned-superhero in a movie that pretty much sticks to genre conventions. Director Michel Gondry brings snappy pacing and some visually inventive touches, but otherwise he's just directing traffic here. With Jay Chou as the sidekick Kato, and Cameron Diaz as a female sidekick of sorts. Grade: B- Owings Mills 17, Towson Ciommons, Hunt Valley 12, AMC White Marsh
"Just Go With It" (PG-13). Adam Sandler plays a plastic surgeon who pretends to be married in order to woo single women who sympathize with his fabricated tales of marital woe. There are so many illogical and otherwise forced scenes that this comedy really strains for laughs. Thank goodness for co-star Jennifer Aniston's expert comic timing, because she nearly salvages unbearable scenes. Grade: C Owings Mills 17, Towson Commons 8, Hunt Valley 12, AMC White Marsh, Rotunda Cinemas
"Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" (G). Even if you are not impressed by 16-year-old pop star Justin Bieber's singing and dancing, you've got to admit he has great hair. This 3-D documentary combines concert footage, home movies, and interviews with Bieber, his family and his very demonstrative fans. Grade: C+ Owings Mills 17, Towson Commons 8, Hunt Valley 12, AMC White Marsh, Rotunda Cinemas
"The King's Speech" (R). Colin Firth plays the stuttering King George VI and Geoffrey Rush plays his speech therapist in the sort of inspirational, beautifully acted and handsomely produced English movie that amounts to Academy Awards bait. Although the clever banter and sentimental message sometimes verge on being just a vowel short of cloying, it's a smartly packaged picture that emotionally wins you over. Grade: B+ Owings Mills 17, Hunt Valley 12, AMC White Marsh, Rotunda Cinemas
All capsule reviews and grades are by Mike Giuliano unless otherwise noted. Bookings change on Friday. For showtimes and to confirm listings, call the phone number in Screen Scene.
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