The Eagle

Title: The Eagle
Directed by: Kevin Macdonald
Principle actors: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell
Synopsis: A young Roman soldier, discharged early in his career because of wounds, decides to restore his family's honor by retrieving the lost standard of Rome: the golden eagle. To find the eagle he must cross into the wild north of Britain aided only by his slave.
My Rating: 3/5

  This is a pretty average movie. Predictable and in some places cheesy, but beautifully filmed. That's the thing about Focus Features films; the cinematography is almost always unique and beautiful. My kudos go to the costume and set designers. The sets were amazingly rich in detail and authenticity as were the costumes. The painted men were especially well done.

  I couldn't detect any loop holes in the story, although I do wish we could have found out more about the character of Esca, the slave, played by Jamie Bell. Almost no background information is given about him. I would have loved to know how he came to be a slave, why he was captured, what he was doing to have been captured, etc. Bell seems to be a fairly good actor as well. He never seemed to pander to the script or the camera, but was always in and of the moment. A few moments felt forced, but that was mostly because of the cheese of the script.

 Tatum, who plays our hero, Marcus Aquilla, is not the best actor in the world. He's definitely not the worst major player on the screens but he's only mediocre as far as skill goes. He is improving though, I will give him that. Just compare this latest role to one of his first, Step Up. Unlike Bell, Tatum definitely pandered to the script and cameras. Nothing felt authentic.  He did play this role more quietly than some of his previous roles. I mean to say that his character was more contained, thoughtful. Other characters Tatum has played have been boisterous, arrogant, flashy young men. It was a refreshing change from previous roles. I'm actually surprised that Tatum was cast in this movie. It just seemed so out of character. Perhaps he's trying to grow as an actor and break the mold that he's been forced to fill since his break-out role. If that's the case, I definitely respect him for it. I have a feeling he's going to be around in the industry for a while. I look forward to watching him grow and become a better actor.

So, overall, a very average movie. I probably won't remember it in a year or two. But, it's good enough if you've got a day with nothing to do.

And just a side note: I loved the soundtrack. Bagpipes and horns bringing to mind misty meadows with vague, man shaped shadows. I'll have to see if it's available for purchase.


And, just cause he is a total hottie: