Opening Day: 30 August 2007

Synopsis:

In Ancient Rome, a mighty force of the Roman Empire is being threatened. The young Romulus Augustus has been held prisoner by the Barbarian army on the island of Capri, before his crowning ceremony. The personal guard. Aurelius, of the fourth legion embarks on a rescue journey with his men and a mysterious, black-clad Byzantine warrior. Upon regaining Romulus’ freedom, they realize the Byzantines have betrayed them. They must find the one last legion that is still loyal to Rome – the ninth legion in Britannia. As they set off in search of the last legion, Romulus and Aurelius together embark on a new beginning.

Movie Review:

Adapted from a 2002 novel by Valerio Manfredi, “The Last Legion” carries with it a curiously blithe preoccupation with historical accuracy by fabulously treading a direct route from the fall of the Roman Empire to the rise of the Arthurian legends that notably began with the fabled sword in a stone. This Anglo-roman production does not just trace the roots of these myths of might and magic back to a quest embarked on by the last vestiges of the once powerful Roman army, but also the bloodline of the last of the Caesars in the boy Romulus (Thomas Sangster).

The film fancies itself an old-fashioned adventure film, existing in direct contrast to the modern action-adventure film that uses more CGI and green-screen effects to deliver visceral thrills. “The Last Legion” comes on the heels of the likes of similarly historically aggrandised blockbusters such as “300” and mega budget films of its ilk like “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” that ironically exists as a throwback to the days when matinee adventure features with a rich tradition were in high demand. This all the more reveals “The Last Legion” as an anachronistic casualty that never quite reaches the fervour of nostalgia and definitely does not even begin to approach the testosterone spurring mania of the modern genre staples.

It’s not at all surprising to find the inimitable Dino De Laurentiis credited as a producer considering his fixation on staunchly good vs. evil narratives, lavishly set epics that were always kitsch and always visually ambitious. The intentions are laid bare, almost simplistically and utterly devoid of pretense. It spins entirely on its axis of bankable stars: the inadvertently hilarious miscasting of Colin Firth as the soldier Aurelius who makes crabby disinterest into an art form, Sir Ben Kingsley continuing to cash in on past reputations as the wizard Ambrosinus and finally Aishwarya Rai as the swashbuckling, knee-tremble inducing warrior.

The unexceptional performances across the board do no favours to the lacklustre script that never builds on its premise’s giddy exuberance from conflating popular myths and legends. There could have been an opportunity for a sustainable high-camp movie experience if the cards were laid out right. This concept is most obvious in Firth’s performance as the perpetually dour soldier who’s apparently good in all sorts of fighting, especially passive aggression.

Movie Rating:



(A lifeless spectacle that would have played better as a children’s film)

Review by Justin Deimen