Trailer Tuesday: Centurion

I honestly don't understand why it's so difficult to make a good movie about Roman military exploits in ancient Britain. 2004's King Arthur and 2007's The Last Legion, apart from trying to add some realism and Roman history to the Arthurian legend, were both as dull as ditch water. Centurion, the latest from The Descent, Dog Soldiers and *ahem* Doomsday writer-director Neil Marshall, attempts to change the fortunes of this very specific historical action-adventure sub-genre. Still though, Centurion doesn't look like an overwhelmingly awesome film experience, even if the red band trailer provides a better indication of the film's R-rated uber-violence.


Previously known as Ninth Legion, Centurion is a survival thriller that theorises what happened to the real life Roman Ninth Legion - consisting of well over 4000 men - which mysteriously disappeared during a disastrous campaign in northern Britain circa 117 ADE.

Inglourious Basterds, 300 and Hunger's Michael Fassbender stars as Centurion Quintus Dias, a soldier who has already survived a devastating fort raid by the Picts. He joins General Virilus's (Dominic West) Ninth Legion on a mission to slaughter the savage local tribes once and for all. Unfamiliar with the Picts' guerrilla warfare though, the Legion is ambushed, Virilus captured and it's up to Dias to rescue his commander and keep his small squad of men alive behind enemy lines. At the same time the band struggle with unfamiliar terrain and harsh weather, they have to contend with the Picts' most bloodthirsty group of hunters and warriors, led by the mute but deadly tracker Etain (Quantum of Solace and Max Payne's Olga Kurylenko).


Like all of Marshall's movies, expect Centurion to be graphic, action-packed and very well made. You can also expect it to certainly have flaws. Having screened widely in the UK and Europe, as well as at various film festivals around the world, Centurion is currently 54% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie seems to be dividing reviewers neatly down the middle. While some critics have praised Centurion for its energy, excellent cast and refreshingly no-nonsense approach to action movie-making, others have complained about its lack of character development and "monotonous violence." Although apparently not as good a period-set chase movie as Apocalypto, Centurion is much more satisfy than Robin Hood and Clash of the Titans, both of which were released earlier this year. That kind of comment certainly piques my interest, although I'm keeping my expectations moderated given the number of times I've been disappointed this year already.

In the United States Centurion is currently available for Video on Demand viewing via Xbox Live, Playstation, Amazon and VUDU. The film will still also receive a theatrical release in North America on 27 August. Centurion opens in South Africa in 2 months' time, on 15 October.