Breathtaking settings, bloody but hankered

Rating: Null/10 (17 August 2010)

Talented and left of the middle director Neil Marshall returns with a 117 A.D story of a group of Roman soldiers who must fight for their lives as they are hunted down by the Picts the savage, elusive and remorseless inhabitants of Northern Britain.
In the vein of Beowulf & Grendel (2005) 13th Warrior (1999) and of course Gladiator (2000), Centurion oddly missed a long running large screen release. It has an excellent diverse cast ensemble, including Olga Kurylenko, Imogene Poots, David Morrissey and the great Liam Cunningham. With excellent make-up design, costumes and fantastic breathtaking settings, it's only hankered by some strained dialogue which lacks the conviction of that in the Black Death (2010).
Centurion is modest constructed period piece, there's Etain (Kurylenko) and Michael Fassbender's excellent performance as Quintus, violence, blood and decapitations. Supporting actors are the backbone with the likes of Axelle Carolyn and Dave Legeno to name a few but they are not given enough to do or say. You can forgive at times Ilan Eshkeri great, yet, at times intrusive theatrical score, as Marshall delivers some great set ups, action, the wolf hunt and ambush to name a few and Centurion grips you and creates tension like his unsurpassed earlier work.
There's lots of atmosphere created by the location shoot and visually Marshall delivers. Blood and gore lovers will eat this up.