The Eagle (2011)

The greatest movie ever!

SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

This film is based on a mystery that has long intrigued historians: the uncertain fate of the Ninth Hispanic Legion (Legio IX Hispana). Founded in the Republican period, it participated in military actions such as the Gallic Wars (under Julius Caesar), the Battle of Pharsalus (where Caesar crushed the troops of his rival, Pompey) and the Battle of Camulodunum, where the British tribes, led by famous Queen Boudica, resisted the attempt of conquest by the Romans. It appears that this legion, which for a long time integrated the Roman garrison in the British Isles, was transferred in uncertain date to Nimegue (Noviomagus Batavorum), where it was suppressed. However, the doubts persist, and it is upon them that the film works, proposing the idea that the legion was crushed in a disastrous battle against the barbarians. An idea that existed in the historical community but is now considered improbable. Its likely that the film was also inspired by a totally different event, which was the disastrous Battle of the Forest of Teutoberg, where the German tribes crushed two Roman legions.The script is pretty good but it lacks logic when we look at what the Roman mentality was like at this time. There is clearly a current approach behind how actors behave, especially the protagonist, but I am able to excuse this. The best advantage of the script is its ability to tell the two perspectives of the story (the conquerors and the conquered). About the historical veracity of the script, I confess, I have some doubts. It seems to me that the Roman military uniforms used here are closer to the Republican period than to an average imperial period. I found the British tribal costumes interesting. Channing Tatum was competent and satisfied us as the protagonist, even though he did not shine. Donald Sutherland also remains in this middle line, without shine or disappoint. Jamie Bell is, perhaps, the most prominent actor here, in that he has played the most difficult and psychological character of the film in a moral, psychological and relational way.In short, it's a movie that delivers on what it promises and it has high-quality notes, without ever becoming grand or memorable. Above all, it entertains quite well and gives us an appealing story, good action and fighting scenes that do not let us sleep in front of the screen.

This was pretty good, a swords & sandals epic which is slightly different than others I've seen, using the story of the famed lost ninth legion and showing a piece of Scottish History I'd never even contemplated in that the early (early) Highlanders are portrayed as living like indigenous north American tribes. Not sure if this is accurate but the "Seal people" wear cool blue makeup (early Braveheart?) and are fierce fighters. Anyways.Channing Tatum is decent enough as Roman centurion Marcus -I've definitely seen him do worse in a couple romances and he's involved in some good battle scenes early on. I liked the story arc with British slave 'Esca'(Jamie Bell) and how the slave becomes the master as they forge over Hadrian's Wall on their mission to find "The Eagle" which went missing 20 years earlier. Donald Sutherlands whimsical character seemed out of place, more like he was just portraying who he felt like, without direction, and while as a whole I did enjoy this, the final scene, in the last 30 seconds of the movie was just terrible, as Marcus and Esca suddenly get all buddy-buddy comedic, it felt tagged on and ridiculous. 8/9/14

There was nothing much wrong with this movie. It was well filmed and the acting was capable. I found the odd American accent distracting though. I think Tatum Channing and Donald Sutherland might have done well to use a Brit accent, just for the sake of accent conformity. Mark Strong was good as the highlander too. There was good suspense throughout and an ominous mood of impending doom at the right time. Donald Sutherland's nice false teeth should have been less perfect too for the sake of credibility. But it was a well made movie showing Britain as it was- an invaded place full of indigenous Celts. The photography of the Scottish highlands was nicely incorporated into this gripping swashbuckling tale that did not over do it. I liked the authentic looking highland village and the scene of the killing ground. The appearance of the seal people was spooky and ominous and very well rendered. It was swashbuckling yet very believable. There were no holes except fort the anachronism of the false teeth and the incongruous American accents. A good movie worth watching.

Warning - contains spoilers concerning the original book and the movie plot:I loved and still love the book of Rosemary Sutcliff, because its details of the plots:the introduction-plot of how Aquila was even quite deeply befriended with the British people around the Roman fort, how the situation was able to change so that they became enemies in fight... how he found the former friend's family dead after a fight and how sad that was for him... etc.the frame-plot about Cottia and Esca and Wolf- how watching Cottia had a main influence why Aquila himself decided to buy Esca, how Esca was important for getting the wolf cub named Wolf - then the part, how the connection between Aquila and Cottia started by the help of the wolf cub ... and after the return of Aquila it started to blossom the main story - the story about the Eagle, the idea of the mission, the main idea that Aquila would travel as Medic for Eyes so that he would be welcome - and how he even got working medicine by the aid of the medic who was a friend of the uncle... How Aquila decided to let Esca free BEFORE they left so that Esca joined him as equal man, not as slave ... etc. etc.And then I had to watch the movie:All important parts except the action-parts cut away or changed completely - and even the action parts changed so much that it all completely changed the drawn characters of Esca and Aquila and even other persons - it nearly made a kind of Rambo out of out of Aquila... and so of course this movie as well perverted the story plot in the North - nearly all natives constructed as evil monsters - far different than in the book where the ambivalence was a main point.Therefore - this could have become a great story of a movie, but it was perverted into a flat Action-C-Movie at the cost of all important side- plots and even at the cost of main aspects of the main plot:Even the end was changed into the complete opposite: Whilst in the book the eagle's wings had to stay at the northern tribe and therefore it was pointed out as impossible to re-establish the Ninth with an eagle-torso which had lost its wings, but nevertheless Aquila AND Esca get rewarded both (but secretly) - Well, in the movie of course the War-Heroes rescued the eagle COMPLETELY and then they even openly babble about rebuilding the Ninth Legion - robbing the story the last aspect of its real historical context... WHAT THE ****?-> I was close to give 2 points, but it went worse and worse... so only 1 point possible.