High-Expectations Will Disappoint... Not Bad Though

Rating: 6/10 (23 February 2016)

Neil Marshall's Centurion (2010) doesn't hold a candle to movies like 300 (2006) or Gladiator (2000), and thus high-expectations will leave action-movie fanatics sorely disappointed. The predictable plot of men running for their lives behind enemy lines, is saturated with desensitizing gore, and it's cliché formula is just interesting enough to be called, entertaining.
There is nothing unique about the common adventure movie. The film opens with a helicopter shot of the jagged snowcaps in Highland Scotland, transporting the audience into the edge of the Roman Empire in 117 A.D.E. where an honorable centurion, Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender), is fleeing from his Pict captors. Dias finds refuge with the god like General Titus (Dominic West), the leader of the Roman Ninth Legion and the exotic and mute Pict tracker Etain (Olga Kurylenko), who have "come looking for a fight." Etain's tongue was cut out by Roman soldiers and for unspeakable atrocities she only craves Roman blood. She knowingly leads them into a ambush, which results in mass Roman casualties and the capture of Titus. Dias and the remaining men attempt to rescue their beloved General, but as they are relentlessly hunted by Etain, the idea of returning home seems further away then ever.
Marshall's attention for detail, his choice in camera angles, and even the breathtaking location in which he directs the film are remnants of his past works. Like in his horror movie The Descent (2005) he is an artist in crafting brutal scenes of death. The angles in which he chooses to display these scenes of blood and entrails are quite familiar; a low angle shows bodies being rolled on top of the camera, a nameless character has a quick close up right before his throat is slit, and numerous wide shots show rich red blood paint the dull gray and snow white landscape. The location itself of Highland Scotland is beautiful, but it's nothing new; Marshall's Dog Soldiers (2002) is filmed in similar woods and mountains in Luxembourg.
In regards to the actual performances, West utilizes every moment to capture the audiences attention. His hunched shoulders, devilish smile, and brooding brow create an ape like countenance for Titus, who is a true man of the legion, which makes him so loved by his men. Kurylenko conveys emotions of rage through her facial expressions to make up for her lack of lines, but her character is by no means dynamic. By nature Etain is the epitome of vengeance and wears an eternal visage of hate. Fassbender is a convincing hero who maintains true dignity and honor even when other minor characters fail to meet his morality or when actors fail to perform.
Despite the unoriginal plot it leads to no disruption in the flow of the film. It is constantly a predictable sequence of events. There is even time in this 97 minute film for a romance between Fassbender and Imogen Poots. Though the chemistry is a little forced it's not horrible, it's even appropriate to close the movie. Marshall brings nothing new to the table, but fanatics of this genera will be pleased with the gore which has been CGI'd, the shallow plot, and the transcending terrain.