Save for the beautiful cinematography by Anthony Dod Mantle (Slumdog Millionaire) and some nicely choreographed, non-bloody battle scenes, this Gladiator and Apocalypto wannabe fails to take flight. Sure, director Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) has a keen and assured eye on the whole thing, but The Eagle’s failure is due in part to its stoic storyline (not in a good way) and the uneven performance by lead Channing Tatum. Even if he cuts a rather dashing figure as a Roman warrior—the man’s no Russell Crowe.
He is Marcus Flavius Aquila, a young garrison commander who arrives in the South of England bearing the legacy of his father, whose 5,000-strong legion marched into the North to battle the Brits—but vanished into thin air. Marcus aims to restore some family pride by successfully holding the fort against revolting Brits, but sustains a career-threatening injury following his first big battle. While recuperating at the home of his uncle (Donald Sutherland), Marcus sees to it that a defiant Briton, Esca (Jamie Bell, looking better than ever with a buff new bod), is spared from death in the local arena before taking him on as a slave.
However, despite an honorable discharge, Marcus can only rest when he recovers the Roman’s long lost emblematic Eagle, especially since his father is still being ridiculed for leading the Romans to their death. But as the mission means venturing beyond Hadrian’s Wall—the official end of the Roman world—Marcus must complete the mission alone, with only Esca to act as his guide. Thus begins a perilous journey where master and slave have a go at it together—putting their endurance, friendship and honor to the test to recover a lost treasure.
Based on the 1954 novel The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff, this entertaining but historically muddled film is best enjoyed for its eye candy. While Tatum struggles with the heavy-handed role, Bell manages to shine through as the slave with conscience and honor, and his Esca comes off as the eventual hero in the film. Juxtaposing the two heartthrobs against soft-focus, picturesque views of the English landscape, The Eagle periodically soars. Just don’t walk into this one expecting another 300-type epic filled with blood, sex and violence. There’re barely any women in this one.