REVIEW
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 The Last Legion
2007
Certificate: 12 | Runtime: 110 | Director: Doug Lefler
Starring: Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, Aishwarya Rai
 
In the last days of the Roman Empire, young Emperor Romulus Augustus (Thomas Sangster) is captured by Barbarians who have taken control of Rome. His faithful bodyguard Aurelius (Firth) launches a rescue attempt, and springs the boy from his captors. Together with Indian warrior Mira (Rai) and the young Emperor's mentor Ambrosinus (Kingsley), Aurelius and Romulus head to Britain. There they must make a stand against Vortgyn, the brutal pagan ruler of the land, with Romulus drawing strength from Julius Caesar's powerful sword - found during his time in captivity.
When watching The Last Legion, one gets the distinct impression that the film-makers knew what type of film they wanted to make, but were unclear as to how to fit all the necessary pieces together. It's an old-fashioned epic in intent, but in execution it's a muddled, messy and rather awkward beast.
There's something rather made-for-TV about the film's appearance. While limited in terms of budget when compared to some of the more spectacular epics of late, its alleged $65 million fighting fund should have been able to pay for more than fuzzy CGI and backgrounds that look like matte paintings, even if they're not. This issue extends to costumes and other cosmetics, which don't have the gloss and quality we're used to seeing in epics of this nature.
The film also suffers as a result of some questionable casting and performances. Colin Firth certainly looks the part, but his lack of charisma is a problem. He can brood with the best of them, but Firth just isn't rugged hero material, and the film suffers without a strong lead in place. Kingsley seems to be taking everything very seriously, and his Welsh accent jars. Rai is great to look at, though I'm not convinced she's got real acting chops. And there are also some cast members who are completely wasted, including John Hannah and Alexander Siddig in completely throw away roles. In fact, the most consistent performer is actually young Sangster. He doesn't have great range or anything like that, but there's a sense that he gets how the character of Romulus needs to develop from a boy into a man, and he handles this aspect successfully.
In terms of action, the film has some occasional bright spots. The fight sequences are reasonably well choreographed, though Lefler shoots them rather too closely at times and the editing is frantic. And I don't know if it was a post-production decision or not, but there are many instances where we cut away from the violence in a rather clunky manner; the blood and guts seem to have been sterilised somewhat.
Plotting is also a bit of a problem. While the first hour of the film is solid, the second feels rushed and confused, with characters jumping in and out of importance. Rather than focusing on Vortgyn, for example, the film spends ten minutes trying to construct silly romances between Aurelius and Mira and, even more bizarrely, between Romulus and a girl who cannot act. The ending feels anticlimactic too, with a final battle that is awkwardly staged and difficult to get into.
The Last Legion comes across as a TV movie that got out of control. The cast is packed with recognisable names, but not names that provide anything resembling a box office draw. Couple that with a first-time motion picture director and some uninspired cosmetics, and you have a film without a great deal to offer.© David Mercier
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