|
|
| |
 |
The
Last Legion** *ing
Colin Firth, Aishwarya Rai
Directed by Doug Lefler
Tagline
|
| |
Before King Arthur, there was Excalibur
As a film, The Last Legion has little to offer. With so many historical
epics flopping lately (Troy, Alexander The Great and from Bollywood
Taj Mahal) one buys this DVD only to see Aishwarya in action. Unfortunately
her role in The Last Legion fails to leave an impact, just like Mistress
of Spices and Provoked. However, with Aishwarya in the role of Indian
warrior, the cast also includes Colin Firth, as Aurelius a tough Roman
officer, Ben Kingsley as a Gandalf like magician and Thomas Sangster
playing a 12-year old Roman ruler, Romulus Augustus Caesar.
The movie revolves around a 12 year old Roman ruler set in the time
when the Goths take over Rome and abandon the boy to the island of
Capri.
|
 |
| |
TLL
is an idealistic movie, which spins around the young emperor's dangerous
journey to Britain in search of his last legion. It is in Britain
where Romulus (Thomas Sangster) and his entourage fight a final battle
with their German pursuers and a masked local warlord, Vordkyn.
The movie based on an Italian novel by Valerio Massimo Manfredi and
is no way in keeping with historical accuracy. Even the story unfolds
in an idiotic manner with many stones left unturned and many questions
left to the viewers' imagination. For example, from where do Romulus
and his followers get supplies (to counter harsh weather) and a boat
for their journey up north to Britain. It proves to be a cheesy movie
with many immature scenes like in the midst of sheer tension before
the final battle, the lead couple is busy sleeping together and romanticizing.
Could this be Bollywood playing its part? Nowhere near Gladiator in
terms of perfection, even Alexander the Great seems good in comparison
to TLL. |
| |
One
will be amused by the adventurous 'epic' as long as you watch it with
a healthy sense of irony and humour. The film boasts of international
starts who fail to do justice to it. Colin Firth (as Aurelius) is
least suited to play the role of a roman warrior, in fact he's even
worse than Collin Farrell as Alexander. A mediocre performance on
his part like the movie itself, no wonder he's still not on the Hollywood
A-list. He's only worth doing movies like Bridget Jones and Nanny
McPhee. Aishwarya as always, proves that she can't act to save her
life (no pun intended) but at the same time it's fun to see her trying
to follow the footsteps of Angelina Jolie who played Olympias in Alexander
the Great. Even Ben Kingsley is not at his best, with a laughable
fake beard. Sixteen year old Thomas Sangster has done a better job
than the experienced artists.
The cinematography is worth digesting, with spectacular scenery and
picturesque animated castles and temples and Hadrian's Wall. However
the screenplay is lipid and predictable with bits in action sequences
that are plain dull. In an era when movies like Lord of the Rings
and Harry Potter are being produced, the sequences are definitely
of a low level and small scale. Even the background music is extremely
average, failing to evoke any emotion at all. The endless, hand-to
hand swordfights will have you looking at your watch as the film loses
all momentum towards the end, and grinds towards the predictable ending.
|
 |
| |
A one in all formula that has everything lame to offer including a
brooding hero, clashing swords, a wet clothes moment when Ash rises
from the water and a cheesy love angle. Overall The Last Legion is
a movie to be watched and soon forgotten if watched at all!
– Zarish Rasheed *YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME
|
| |
|
