The Last Legion

views updated

The Last Legion ★ 2007 (PG-13)

Barbarians have taken Rome, and Britain's heroes haven't even been born in this revision of the Arthurian legend. Romulus (Sangster), last of the Caesars, flees to Britain under the protection of General Aurelius (Firth), wise-man Ambrosinius (Kingsley), and a rag-tag group of cohorts. Seeking the Roman 9th Legion for protection, they find a group of men who have become farmers and avoid conflict with evil warlord Vortigern. Bloody battles for control of Britain ensue, although they're reduced to cheap CGI sequences worthy only as a distraction from the unlikeable characters and weak plot. Sangster is adequate as the boy emperor, Firth is desperately miscast as an action hero and cannot muster any chemistry with token female warrior Mira (Rai), while Kingsley chews scenery throughout in what's best described as an imitation of Obi-Wan Kenobi. 110m/C DVD . FR GB IT Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, Thomas Sangster, Kevin McKidd, John Hannah, Iain Glen, Aishwarya Rai, Rupert Friend, Peter Mullan, Alexander Siddig, Robert Pugh, James Cosmo, Owen Teale; D: Doug Lefler; W: Jez Butterworth, Tom Butterworth; C: Marco Pontecorvo; M: Patrick Doyle.

More From encyclopedia.com