The Last Legion (2007)

Directed by: Doug Lefler | 110 minutes | action, war, adventure | Actors: Colin Firth, Sir Ben Kingsley, Aishwarya Rai, Peter Mullan, Kevin McKidd, John Hannah, Thomas Sangster, Iain Glen, Rupert Friend, Nonso Anozie, Owen Teale, Robert Pugh, Alexander Siddig, Beata Sonczuk-Ben Ammar, Murray McArthur James Cosmo, Harry Van Gorkum, Trevor Lovell, Alexander Thomas-Davies, Ferdinand Kingsley, Rory James

The night after the coronation of the young Emperor Romulus, the Gothic leader Odoacer violates his truce with Rome and invades the Eternal City with a horde of savage hordes. The city and palace burn, and the cruel Wulfila (Kevin McKidd) captures the young emperor at the behest of Odoacer and takes him to Capri along with Romulus’ tutor Ambrosinus. Ambrosinus is a wise man from Britannia who wears a mysterious scar on his chest in the form of a pentagram with a sword.

He is one of the few who is aware of the existence of a legendary sword forged especially for Julius Caesar at the time of his conquest of Britannia, whose possessor will reign supreme. Nothing more was heard of that sword after Emperor Tiberius. As the last living relative of Julius Caesar, Romulus makes it out of the secret hiding place on Capri. Aurelius frees Romulus from his prison on Capri with a small group of men and a brave, good-fighting oriental warrior who, upon closer inspection, turns out to be the beautiful Mira (Aishwarya Rai). However, the escape is only the beginning of many dangers. Odoacer has also risen politically to rule in Rome, and Romulus’ fellow emperor in the east rescinds his initial pledge to grant him asylum. There is no other option than to travel to Britannia in the hope that the Ninth Legion is still loyal to the Emperor.

‘The Last Legion’ is not a historically sound film about the Western Roman Empire in its waning days or a spectacular film in imitation of ‘The Lord of the Rings’, but: who cares? Admittedly, the story is made up of philosophical babble, sentimentality and stealing and Kevin McKidd thinks he’s giving a good interpretation of a cruel Gutter with psychopathic looks. But the film is by no means boring. In fact, the fights are very exciting and very well executed. That the story takes place in Roman times makes no sense, it could just as well have been in the Middle Ages or in any other time. But the physical aspect and the pleasant acting are certainly entertaining. It is mainly about a couple of men and a woman who fight for a good cause. And fight they do. Very good even.