Movie Review: "The Eagle"

Seen on: February 11, 2011

The players: Director: Kevin Macdonald, Writer: Jeremy Brock, Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Mark Strong, Donal Sutherland

Facts of interest: Formerly titled "The Eagle of the Ninth." The film is based on the novel by Rosemary Sutcliff.

The plot: A young Roman soldier (Tatum) heads to Britain to retrieve the emblem of a missing legion.

Our thoughts: Channing Tatum goes all Roman on us in Kevin Macdonald’s “The Eagle,” a decent action adventure that follows an ambitious solider on his quest to restore his family’s damaged honor. “The Eagle” isn’t exactly Oscar material, but the film’s fast-paced battles, stunning locations and satisfying cast successfully turn it into a gritty, entertaining big-screen spectacle you can’t help but enjoy.

It sure takes the film a while to get going and really focus on the main storyline, but at the same time, the dragging beginning also serves as a solid introduction to main character Marcus Aquila, a young Roman solider ordered to command a brigade stationed in Britain. Shortly after his arrival, Marcus helps defend his fort and protect his troops during a siege, and for his bravery, Rome commends him.

For Marcus, his mission doesn’t stop there though. If there is anything he would love to accomplish, it’s heading to the other side of Hadrian’s wall to track down Rome’s Ninth Legion, which went missing somewhere in Caledonia several years before. The legion vanished under his father’s command, which is why finding the Ninth’s golden Eagle means a great deal to Marcus.

This is where “The Eagle” starts to get a little bit more intriguing, with Marcus and his slave Esca (Jamie Bell) heading into the dangerous wilderness to retrieve the lost emblem. That said, the film’s story isn’t particularly fascinating to follow because Marcus’ adventure comes with all the standard ingredients of the quest plot – surprise attacks by rogue warriors, the fight for survival, and a predictable bonding between the main characters.

Still, with the help of Macdonald’s superb direction and the flick’s excellent production values, “The Eagle” never really translates into a boring cinematic experience. Although by no means memorable, the battle scenes do inject the movie with high energy, which remains on an acceptable level throughout. Nice camera work and first-class editing help as well, and the same goes for the decent performances we get to experience.

The script doesn’t exactly give Tatum the best lines all the time, but the popular actor handles this dramatic material quite well without going all cheesy on us. Screenwriter Jeremy Brock is gracious with Marcus’s character development, and Tatum plays an overall convincing soldier. Bell, Mark Strong and even Donald Sutherland stand out as well.

Freaky quote: "The Eagle is not a piece of metal. The Eagle is Rome." - Channing Tatum

The final word: “The Eagle” may not bring any new life to the genre, but as an action adventure following a devoted soldier’s quest to restore his father’s honor, the film works to a certain extent. That said, it doesn’t stand a chance against Macdonald’s three previous films “State of Play,” “The Last King of Scotland” and “Touching the Void.” Those are in a different league for sure.

On the Web: The Eagle on Focus Features

Article by Franck Tabouring