Review of Centurion (2010) by Morgan O — 11 Dec 2010

What could be the essential "guy movie" of the year, "Centurion" doesn't waste its time trying to establish a complex narrative with deep characters and motifs. Here, Neil Marshall ("The Decent") takes a nitty/gritty approach to the last stand of the 9th legion of the Roman army.

Marshall takes the film in a pretty straight-forward direction. He never really tries to establish any deep characterization. Instead, he keeps these characters true Roman soldiers. Their lives are in total submission to their general and their country.

The attitude is pretty much what Marshall had for the film. He is devoted to providing the viewer no-holds-barred action, while keeping the film constantly entertaining and engaging. Michael Fassbender was a solid pick for the lead.

He brought a no-nonsense attitude to the role, and it showed through the character. Dominic West was decent as the general, but the role didn't stretch out far. Olga Kurylenko ("Quantum of Solace") was the perfect female-fatal as the silent warrior hunting the men down.

Marshall's direction in this was very keen on making this a more realistic "300". He chose not to ham up any of the acting, and he chose to shoot the film with a real background. "300" will always hold a special place in my heart, but "Centurion" is the no-brains, all-brawn cousin that can kick a rear or two while providing solid entertainment.

Overall, "Centurion" provides and oft-bloody look at the final days of Rome's 9th legion.