The Eagle - Movie revew

The Eagle
U/A; action
Dir: Kevin Macdonald
Cast: Tatum Channing, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland
Rating:''

What's it about: Marcus Aquila (Channing) is a troubled man who is haunted by the "sins of his father" so as to speak.His papa was the commander of the Legion of the Ninth and the army he ledu00a0-- all 5000 of them -- disappeared in the north of England while he was still a kid. They were never heard of again. Forward to the present, Aquila seeks outu00a0 posting in Britain in the Dark Ages, so he can clear his family's name. What he seeks, apart from his dad, is the standard the legion carried, a metal eagle. A wall has been built since around the place, cutting it off from the rest of England. Called Hadrian's (after the Roman Emperor at the time) Wall, it marked "the end of the world". With such baggage, Aquila and a slave (Bell) venture into the unknown seeking redemption. Do they get it or do they wish they'd never gone looking?

What's hot: Channing puts in a sincere, studied performance as Marcus. He excels as the troubled commander who prays to the gods of his ancestors before setting out to do battle. His exploits on the field leave you nostalgic about old classics like Braveheart and such.

What's not: Trouble is, such scenes are too short and too few. Most of the movie lingers on an injured Aquila moping about being 'honourably discharged' from a vocation he considers his life.

What to do:u00a0 Catch it only if you have the patience. It tries to soar, but only hovers around the predicatable.