Superb action film. Likable characters.

Rating: 9/10 (20 February 2016)

This is a film I can watch again and again. A good fast pace, characters you can care about, and fantastic scenery, beautifully filmed. Having some military experience I thought the 'gung-ho' mindset (and foul language) of the troops was plausible. The Roman Army was a brutal killing machine in it's time, and they had enormous self-belief. I think that is reflected well by the characters, particularly by Fassbender's Centurion character. He is a political fanatic, devoted to his nation/ cause. You could put him in a Soviet or German uniform in WW2 quite easily. Yet somehow, his humanity survives beneath the exterior. The film combines the historical/ war genre with the chase/ survival genre, mixed with military camaraderie and even a love angle. I recommend this film. A big screen, beer and pizza are not essential 'viewing aids', but they don't do any harm either!