"I don't know about you, but I'm tired of running".

Rating: 7/10 (22 November 2014)

Film-maker Neil Marshall kicked off his career with two outstanding low- budget horror films; "Dog Soldiers" and "The Descent". Quite a promising start. Then followed "Doomsday", which got a mixed response. I enjoyed it, but it's nothing more than an outrageous homage to post-apocalyptic films like "Escape to New York" and the "Mad Max" series. So his fourth outing would see Marshall tackle a swords and sandals revenge pursuit on the frontier of the Roman Empire in "Centurion". It's a gritty and brutal tale of survival and courage, where Rome's invasion of northern Britain hit's a bump when they encounter the guerrilla tactics of the tribal enemy the Picts. There's something about it that looks epic thanks to its crisp, sweeping photography, but its minimalist story telling makes sure it doesn't quite complement it. The narrative is a fast-paced, cross-country chase of rugged action and bloody onslaughts amongst beautiful highland scenery. Where the terrain is just as harsh and unforgiving, as the Roman's enemy. I think it loses shape and momentum after the hour mark and the heavy-handed script gives us the usual character arches, but Marshall's stylish verve is slick and taut. The battle scenes are executed in a spectacular manner, where it's a barrage of relentless and gusty combat. Michael Fassbender leads the way as a man looking for redemption and Olga Kurylenko makes an impression as a Pict warrior. Also Dominic West pops up. Simple, but effective action romp that for most part doesn't let up and is masterfully framed.
"This is a new kind of war".