The Last Legion

Mark CMG · May 25, 2007

Looks like fun -

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462396/

http://www.paradisegroup.ru/Roliki/Films/posl.mov

Mark CMG · May 30, 2007

Wow. No one interested in this? That surprises me.

Darth Shoju · May 30, 2007

I dunno; the trailer made it look a little corny and low-budget. I've never really pictured Colin Firth as a leading man in an action movie either. But my interest is piqued I guess. I'll keep my eye on it anyway.

Mark CMG · May 30, 2007

Well, it's got somewhat of a budget to include Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, and rising International, stalwart Bollywood, star Aishwarya Rai. Plus, it has Kevin McKidd from the Rome series and John Hannah from the Mummy flicks. Then there is young Thomas Sangster who also played young Tristan in Tristan + Isolde (another film that seems to have slipped under a lot of radars).

The landscapes look "sweeping" much like LotR exterior shots and it appears to be well-directed ciematically. I think if it has one thing about it that might lower the audience numbers it is the lack of gore in the fight scenes. Maybe audinces, since Gladiator, have gotten used to the idea that battle should be bloody. This one seems to be set up as more of a family film that ties the Arthurian legend to the downfall of Rome.

I wonder if the "bloodless battles" that family rated films need to have are a thing of the past?

Darth Shoju · May 30, 2007

Mark CMG said:
I wonder if the "bloodless battles" that family rated films need to have are a thing of the past?

Personally I couldn't care less how much blood the battle scenes have; all I know is when I watched that trailer, at times I thought I was watching an episode of Xena: Warrior Princess. I thought some of the action shots looked clumsy. However, I do think it has potential and I'm also going to keep in mind that these are early shots from the film and it will probably be tightened up quite a bit by the time of release.

Mark CMG · May 30, 2007

I think it appears heavily choreographed. Not surprising considering, as you say, that Colin Firth is not known for this sort of thing. You're probably right, too, about the tongue in cheek humor approach being used but that tends to keep a flick light-hearted and offsets the more serious nature of wars or battles. Like in the old Robin Hood movies when the big battle sequences would intercut Friar Tuck defending his ale casks by clouting people over the head with over-sized turkey legs.

Dog Moon · May 30, 2007

I like the main actress. She's cute.

I don't know about this movie though. Could be interesting. Not really looking forward to it, but yeah, I might still check it out.

Dioltach · May 30, 2007

I think I once bought the novel that this movie is based on. If the movie is anything like the book, I'd not make it past halfway. (The problem being, in my view, that although the Italian author seemed to know a lot about Ancient Rome, either he was a very poor writer or else the translator was.)

Steel_Wind · May 30, 2007

Magic 8-Ball says: wait for DVD.

mmu1 · May 30, 2007

Mark CMG said:
Well, it's got somewhat of a budget to include Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, and rising International, stalwart Bollywood, star Aishwarya Rai.

Freakin' Bloodrayne had Ben Kingsley, Michelle Rodriguez, Billy Zane, Michael Madsen, Meatloaf, and the T3 chick. None of them heavyweights, aside from Kingsley, but still pretty definitive proof you can get a lot of highly recognizable names dirt cheap.

Plus, it looks like a UK production, no? That always means much lower budgets / salaries than Hollywood...

Anyway, I'm sorry to say that the trailer didn't really do anything for me - looks too campy, and too low-budget to pull off the epic scope it's shooting for. But I make a point of giving fantasy movies a chance, so I'll be hoping for the best...