[Rob Babcock]

I just got back from seeing The Eagle and I have to say I enjoyed it immensely!  It tells the story of a young Roman officer, son of the unfortunate commander of the 9th Legion.  After his father's legion vanishes into the forests of northern Britain along with the it's standard, The Eagle, young Marcus Flavius Aquila dedicates his life to redeeming his family honor.  After being discharged after being grievously wounded in battle, Marcus hatches a plan to redeem his father by venturing north and bringing back The Eagle himself.  So he and the slave who's life he saved, a Briton named Esca, set out alone to perform the quest.

The film is well acted.  The young Marcus Aquila is played by Channing Tatum; he's kicked around Hollywood but I'd never seen any of his movies.  But he was well cast here- he portrays Marcus with a good blend of innocence, naivete and courage, and the camera likes him.  Jamie Bell is also a standout as Esca, his reluctant companion. 

It's not an overly ambitious movie but it's a very compelling one.  I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a rousing sword-and-sandle adventure flick.

[satfrat]

I also watched this movie Rob, a few weeks back and I also enjoyed it for what it was, an entertaining story. But I thought it was a poor representation of the actual Roman period, say when compared to Starz Spartacus: Gods of The Arena. The mannerisms were too modernized imho, something I might have been so aware of if I hadn't been such an advent viewer of the 2 season Starz miniseries.
 
But that aside, I really enjoyed the movie and gave it a 3 out of 5 star rating. 
 
Cheers,
Robin

[Rob Babcock]

No, you shouldn't watch if a history lesson!   It made no attempt at historical accuracy- it's entertainment, pure and simple.  And great entertainment at that!

[kbuzz3]

The production values are wayyyy better then i thought.  And the modern mannerisms are off putting. But compared to what else is out there, there is an entertaining movie.