Legion (2010)

Directed by: Scott Stewart | 104 minutes | action, horror, thriller, fantasy | Actors: Paul Bettany, Lucas Black, Tyrese Gibson, Adrianne Palicki, Charles S. Dutton, Kevin Durand, Jon Tenney, Willa Holland, Kate Walsh, Dennis Quaid, Jeanette Miller, Cameron Harlow, Doug Jones, Josh Stamberg, Yancey Arias

In ‘Legion’, after centuries of hatred, war and violence, God once again thinks it’s time to sweep through his creation. He does so this time by sending angels to Earth who take possession of normal humans and turn them into zombie-like killing machines. A group of survivors barricade themselves in a roadhouse called – however obvious you want it – Paradise Falls and try to repel the attack. They are assisted in this by Archangel Michael (Paul Bettany), who believes that the heavenly father has gone a bit too fast. There is indeed goodness in people, according to Michael, witness the friendly car mechanic Jeep (Lucas Black) and the heavily pregnant waitress Charlie (Adrianne Palicki), who carries the salvation of humanity within herself.

The concept of ‘Legion’ is definitely original, but it does raise a number of questions. Why does God act like a Bond villain and choose such a cumbersome method to punish humanity? What’s wrong with an old-fashioned deluge? Why does God send his winged thug on Charlie’s unborn fetus and if the child is not chosen by him, by whom? Let’s just say ‘Legion’ doesn’t excel in logic, but that’s not what director Scott Stewart is about. Although the story suggests depth, it is nothing more than a stepping stone for a barrage of firefights. As a rebellious angel, Michael has had to give up his special powers and, like everyone else, he is forced to use ordinary American weaponry.

It’s a shame that ‘Legion’ loses its gunpowder so quickly. At first, Stewart spoils his viewers with effective horror moments and some memorable creeps (including an extremely bendy ice cream man and an old lady with a walker), but once they’re shredded the film quickly gets bogged down in clichés that betray the director’s religious version. wanted to make of ‘The Terminator’. As tough as Paul Bettany looks with an automatic weapon, the chatter of bullets gets boring after a while, as do the philosophical reflections on the importance of hope, faith and love. That peaceful message bears little relation to the violence in the film. If you can draw one conclusion from ‘Legion’, it is that hope is not enough. What ultimately saves humanity is hope, faith and a trunk full of machine guns.