Posted by geemiz | Posted in Geemiz Thoughts | Posted on 14-08-2010
Tags: Centurion, Dominic West, Michael Fassbender, movie review, Olga Kurylenko
The movie is one of Neil Marshall’s horrific bloody movies. The Ninth Legion was sent to abolish the confederation of Celtic tribes or the Picts. The troop was lead by general Titus Flavius Virilus (Dominic West) with the aid of Etain (Olga Kurylenko) who later on turn out to be one of the enemies. On their way to the Pictish tribe they have rescued Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender) who is being chased by Picts. Quintus Dias became one of the centurion or Roman soldiers. Nearly reaching the Pictish Tribe the centurion soldiers were being ambushed killing almost all the centurion soldiers leaving only seven people.
The long breathless pursue sequence starts when Quintus Dias leading the six survivors had gone to rescue the general who are being held hostage by the Picts. They have failed to save the general but one of the men has killed the Pictish leader son. Etian was sent to lead the hunt for the seven soldiers because of her ability to track. The seven men have been divided when they jump over a falls. After a very long chase and bloody battle, Quintus Dias decided to end the long run and now will fight the Picts. Together with two left soldiers they have fought against the predators and ends victorious but with one soldier dead and the other wounded. As they journey home to the Roman Governor they have meet one comrade and the three travel home. As they reached near the Roman palace the wounded soldier riding in a horse run towards the gate but was shut by an arrow ending his life. On the other hand a fight arouses between Quintus Dias and the other soldier killing the latter making Quintus Dias the only survivor of the ambush by the Pictish to the Ninth Legion. Reaching the Roman Empire Quintus Dias was almost poisoned because of the reason that he is a harm for the empire. Quintus Dias leaves the place and went straight to Arianne (Imogen Poots) a Pictish necromancer who have helped them ones.
The story is bloody and not suitable for children aging 18 below. It has stunning visual and heavy violent fighting scenes with sometimes quiet moments. The best thing about the movie is it is not the common good versus bad plot. Both Romans and the Picts are fighting for what they think is right. You may be in the side of the Picts who are just trying to defend their lands or the side of the Romans who just wanted to expand their territory.
No big name was involved in the movie but Fassbender and West who are veterans of 300 leaves a mark for their genuine leadership abilities and fighting skills. Both have projected an excellent role as leaders and soldiers. On the other hand Bond Girl Kurylenko is one of the effective villains I ever seen. Though she has no word in the entire movie (her character was she had her tongue cut by the Roman, her father was killed in front of her and her mother was raped and killed) she is a striking menace and amazingly projects her role as a barbaric Pictish full of vengeance towards the Romans.
When you talk about horror films Neil Marshall is whom you will think. The Descent in 2005 along with Doomsday and Dog Soldiers were just a few of his film. Centurion is a shift of horror to action movie with a griping, visually stunning and well paced action film.
Centurion was rated 6.7 over 10 at IMDB and 55% at rottentomatoes.
