A Surprise Hit

Rating: 7/10 (27 March 2012)

Michael Fassbender is certainly a rising star and is becoming more recognizable ever since his success on "X-Men: First Class." His talent continues to shine through in this movie, more so since he is the main focus in the movie with everyone else playing a supporting role. He proved that he can carry my interest with his ability to draw me into his character and make me care about his situation. Dominic West plays a supporting role but is the only other recognizable name in the film (at least to me). He is a good actor, very talented and adept at playing bad guys (see "300" and "John Carter"), although his role here is defined by what side of the fence you happen to be on. Olga Kurylenko's role doesn't call for much range, just that she show up and exhibit rage expressed in lethal ability....and she delivers.
Quintas Dias (Fassbender) is the Roman sole survivor of a Pict attack on his outpost. After escaping his captors, he is rescued from certain death by the Ninth Legion under the command of General Titus Flavius Virilus (West). The Ninth Legion has been dispatched to march north and end the Pict threat conclusively.
Etain (Kurylenko) has been assigned to accompany the Ninth Legion as their guide and scout through the harsh northern lands of the Picts...but her past is never very far away from her, nor are the consequences of those experiences.
After the Ninth Legion is ambushed and General Virilus captured, Quintas Dias and a small band of six survivors set out to rescue him and return to Roman territory. What follows is a harrowing adventure in survival, betrayal...and surprisingly, love.
I watched this movie on a road trip and didn't know anything about it as it began, and wasn't very excited about watching it until I saw Fassbender's name pop up. I was just about ready to go to sleep instead, but decided to give it my attention...and it was a decision that I'm very glad I made.
The cinematography was well done and the directing kept me enthralled from one scene to the next as the movie flows seamlessly. I was pleasantly surprised at how exciting the combat scenes were and a little shocked at how gory some of the shots were, but it added to the intensity and the realism of the film.
I've read that the movie is more based on myth than actual historical events, and I didn't scrutinize it for historical flaws or hinge the value of it by it's historical accuracy. I watched out of interest with a slight hope of being entertained...and what I got in return was more entertainment than I knew what to do with. Despite the extremely small budget, it weighs in as one of the better films I've seen.