Centurion (2010)

Featured Audience Ratings

• John M

  
  amazing visuals and a decent story but somehow feels like it could have been so much better.

• Nathan H

  
  "This is neither the beginning nor end of my story" Centurion answers the question of what happened to the ninth legion. Its full of violence, blood, and history. Michael Fassbender performs very well as a roman hero. The rest of the cast performs admirably enough. The plot… More
  "This is neither the beginning nor end of my story" Centurion answers the question of what happened to the ninth legion. Its full of violence, blood, and history. Michael Fassbender performs very well as a roman hero. The rest of the cast performs admirably enough. The plot is thin, but intriguing. The movie brings to mind films like King Arthur or The Eagle, yet surpasses it easily, falling right underneath excellent tales like Gladiator, Braveheart, or Kingdom of Heaven (d.c.). If a fan of the genre, one will enjoy.

• EightThirty .

  
  26/06/2011 (PS3) Suitable for a good night at home! Action and brutality, risks and despair, hope and fear. Although I've seen this plot a many times I still find myself amused when it is done well. Truly Barbaric and no shortage of warriors hacking limbs and skewering their… More
  26/06/2011 (PS3) Suitable for a good night at home! Action and brutality, risks and despair, hope and fear. Although I've seen this plot a many times I still find myself amused when it is done well. Truly Barbaric and no shortage of warriors hacking limbs and skewering their enemies hearts or kidneys. The movie looks awesome and the scenery is very fitting to the story. No disappointments but then again no bars raised in my personal interests. Still... Its not a bad sitting at all.

• Curtis L

  
  Cool time period, costumes, etc. The story was alright. It somewhat fell apart after a while, but overall I enjoyed it.

• jay n

  
  Dull

• Kristijonas F

  
  A relentless, self-indulgent mess of a film that is light on plot and heavy on action. Really heavy on action.

• Manu G

  
  Fight or die. Great Movie! It has it all. Well made and some good acting. Nice cinematography and good story, loved it because it caught me off guard. It is A.D. 117 and the Roman garrisons are struggling to contain the Picts, the Celtic inhabitants of the Scottish Highlands. The… More
  Fight or die. Great Movie! It has it all. Well made and some good acting. Nice cinematography and good story, loved it because it caught me off guard. It is A.D. 117 and the Roman garrisons are struggling to contain the Picts, the Celtic inhabitants of the Scottish Highlands. The Picts under their king, Gorlacon, are perfecting guerilla warfare and are eliminating Roman outposts one by one. Centurion Quintus Dias is the only survivor of a Pictish raid and is taken prisoner. In the meantime, the Roman governor of Britannia wants to obtain favour with the central administration, hoping to secure a transfer back to the comforts of Rome. He dispatches the Ninth Legion to the front under General Titus Flavius Virilus, providing him with a mute female Brigantian scout, Etain. As the legion marches north, they encounter and save Dias, who has escaped. Etain betrays the legion to Gorlacon: the Romans walk into a trap and are annihilated. Dias, with six others, elude death and capture. They learn that Virilus has been taken prisoner and set out to rescue him. They find the Pictish settlement and sneak in at night, but fail to break the general's chains. As they retreat, one of them kills Gorlacon's young son. The next morning, after the dead boy is burned, the general is given a sword and made to duel with Etain, who kills him. The seven decide to return south via a long detour over the mountains, while Etain with a Pict detachment are sent on horseback to track and kill them, in revenge for the king's son. They eventually catch up with the fugitives, who have to jump off a cliff and into a stream. One is killed by arrows while two separate, pursued by wolves. Dias and his best fighter attempt a night raid on the Pictish camp, while Etain and her warriors do the same. Several men are killed. Dias and his two followers happen upon a hut in the forest and befriend Arianne, who lives there. She shelters them and when Etain comes, she confronts her while the Romans hide under the floorboards. The next morning they leave Arianne and find the closest garrison abandoned: an order on a wall informs them that Roman troops have retreated south, to Hadrian's Wall. As they see Etain approach, they set up a trap inside the fort. A battle ensues, Dias kills Etain, and he and one wounded companion emerge victorious. By chance they reunite with one of their lost companions, who earlier killed Gorlacon's son, and wounded another Roman soldier to leave as bait for a pack of wolves hunting them. Upon reaching Hadrian's Wall, the lost companion worries Dias, who says that he will report his crimes and the two men fight with Dias as the victor. Dias' other companion, in Pictish clothing, is shot by Roman soldiers by mistake. When Dias enters the camp he reports the situation to the governor. The governor has decided to have all Ninth Legion veterans killed, so that his record is not tainted by a military failure. The governor's daughter is trusted with making sure that Dias is also killed. Dias evades the attempt on his life and returns to Arianne in the forest.

• Steve K

  
  Gritty little medieval film gets knocked down half a star by using CG BLOOD. Grrrrr. I hate that! Sucks you right out of the film. Practical effects are where it's at. The film would have been far more visceral.

• Chris W

  
  The "Legend of the Ninth Legion" is a very popular story, so popular in fact that two films about it exist, with both being released within a year of one another. First was this one, next will be the upcoming "The Eagle". I get why it's a popular story:… More
  The "Legend of the Ninth Legion" is a very popular story, so popular in fact that two films about it exist, with both being released within a year of one another. First was this one, next will be the upcoming "The Eagle". I get why it's a popular story: it's filled with mystery, intrigue, action, it's open to interpretation and speculation, and it deals with an interesting chapter in Roman history. Plus, hisotircal epics are just fun movies anway. This film however, is less of an epic, and more of a historical action film. I would expect no less than that from Neil Marshall- a director whose work I've come to really enjoy, because it is entertaining and aesthetically pleasing, but also because Marshall is a good director who has talent and fulfills an audiences desire to see gore and action done with style, flair, and craft. Since there's no real consensus as to what happeneed to the Ninth, this allows for a lot of leeway. This particular film is basically a giant chase film. Think Apocalypto but with Romans and Picts with a major lift albeit an earned one) from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and that's what this movie delivers. It tires to blend nonstop action with a but of commentary on honor, duty, and deep themes about war, politics, man versus nature, and man versus man, which I commend the filmmakers for, but in the end, this is really just a superbly well made blood and guts actioner. I'm all for blending pure action with substance, but it is hard to do well, and, even though I consider myself a fan of Marshall's work, I don't think he has quite the chops (yet) to pull this off convincingly. He is at least a little less ambitious and more focused here than he was with Doomsday, which is good, but the film doesn't quite earn the 4 stars I would love to give it. It comes close though. Perhaps had the story and characters been fleshed out more, then I'd be able to comfortably change my grade. With that said, the performances are pretty good. There's nothing Oscar worthy here, but all things considered, the performances are pretty decent. Even Olga Kurylenko is good. Maybe it's telling that her character has no tongue, but I thought she did alright playing the role of the revenge driven warrior woman archetype. West and Fassbender fill out their roles nicely aswell. You might think I'm treating what on the surface (and for the most part basically is) appears to be just a standard priod piece action film too kindly or in the same manner that I would an art film, but I call them like I see them. Marshall might make genre films, but he treats them like critically lauded auteurs treat their film. This type of praise is earned because he, like Rob Zombie, does actually show skill and craftsmanship, even if they use it for the types of movies most disregard. I like the blood and mayhem, but would have liked a bit more (and better handled) substance. But that's fine because the cinematogrpahy is excellent, the pacing is just right, and the music is fitting as well. I'm torn on a specific grade, so let's just call it a split between a straight B and a low B+. It's a step back in the right direction, but here's to hoping Marshall's next film really puts him back on track.

• Lewis C

  
  "Now she hunts Romans. Now we are the prey." Centurion isn't a historical epic, it's a historical action flick. You won't get the grandeur and scope of a movie like Gladiator, but if you're looking for some violence and would like to substitute swords… More
  "Now she hunts Romans. Now we are the prey." Centurion isn't a historical epic, it's a historical action flick. You won't get the grandeur and scope of a movie like Gladiator, but if you're looking for some violence and would like to substitute swords and arrows for shotguns and Uzis, then you could do a lot worse. Michael Fassbender and Olga Kurylenko star on opposite sides of this movie. Fassbender is a Roman centurion in Britain who has been among the only survivors of two attacks by the warring Picts on his fellow soldiers. Kurylenko is a mute Pictish woman working with the Romans, who turns out to be more than she seems. Both of the stars prove credible in their action scenes, which are the main showpieces of the movie. The battles are what you'd expect from (director) Neil Marshall - visceral, brutal, and with copious amounts of blood. They occur frequently, and they never fail to have a high body count. If you're at all familiar with the story/legend of the Ninth Legion (which Centurion was adapted from), then you know not to expect many of the main characters to survive. You also probably know that there really aren't any true "good guys". The Romans are fighting to control the territory they've conquered, and the Picts are fighting for revenge and freedom. Both sides do some terrible things, but the Romans are presented as our main characters here, and therefore, our protagonists. This is a much more simple and conventional movie than Marshall's other work like The Descent and Doomsday, and it's probably his most mainstream flick, as well. But, there's nothing wrong with a straight-forward action movie if it's entertaining. I probably won't rush to own Centurion or see it again, but it was certainly worth seeing once. Fans of Imogen Poots will definitely want to check this out, as she has a nice (if somewhat brief) role.

• Aaron N

  
  Centurion Quintus Dias: In the chaos of battle, when the ground beneath your feet is a slurry of blood, puke, piss and the entrails of friends and enemies alike, it's easy to turn to the gods for salvation. But it's soldiers who do the fighting, and soldiers who do the… More
  Centurion Quintus Dias: In the chaos of battle, when the ground beneath your feet is a slurry of blood, puke, piss and the entrails of friends and enemies alike, it's easy to turn to the gods for salvation. But it's soldiers who do the fighting, and soldiers who do the dieing, and the gods, never get their feet wet. A fine enough chase film that uses the 2nd century Roman conquest of Britain as its backdrop. While there is solid action throughout the film, once it settles down on its B-movie-like plot, the film works quite well. However, while some of the storytelling is a bit clunky, the visuals present in this film make up for it. Some great scenery is blended with ample amounts of bloodshed that is shot in a very brutal manner. It doesn't hurt that a few good character actors head up the cast either. Michael Fassbender stars as Centurion Quintus Dias, a Roman centurion who essentially goes through hell, getting beat up constantly along the way. Quintus manages to get captured during a raid of his camp, only to be taken to the stronghold of barbarians known as the Pict. However, Quintus does manage to escape and make his way back to a legion of soldiers lead by General Titus Virilus (Dominic West). This legion is being helped by a Pict tracker known as Etain (Olga Kurylenko), who is a warrior woman with no ability to speak due to the lack of a tongue, as it was ripped out by Roman soldiers when she was young. Things turn for the worse when it turns out that Etain has been leading the legion into a trap, leaving almost all the soldiers dead and the General captured. It is soon up to Quintus and a small group of remaining soldiers to rescue the General, as long as they can survive being chased by the vicious group of warriors now led by Etain. The film was directed by Neil Marshall, who previously made the spelunking horror film, The Decent, and the messy but entertaining sci-fi flick, Doomsday. The thing that holds true between all of these films, is that Marshall is a fan of delivering some pretty violent movies. Here he has made a sword and sandals film that gets to the point and works as a fairly straight-forward action flick. The way he shoots his action is in a way that is up close but still comprehensible, which is fine. It is a visceral sort of take on the material that makes it all the more effective. From a narrative perspective, there is a bit more to be desired. It takes a bit of time before the real plot sort of takes hold, having an extended start up of sorts, being sure to handle all of the elements that lead up to its second half. I could somewhat compare this to how Apacolypto builds into its extended third act, which is entirely a chase. In addition, the film doesn't exactly present the strongest sort of characters, beyond some basic traits for each, but the actors involved make up for it, for the most part. Now, with all that being said, the film works in terms of how well filmed it is. The look of this film, as the soldiers travel across various wintery countrysides, forests, and mountains is all nicely done. While this film didn't see a wide release in America, it certainly has the look of an epic, with all the wide shots of these soldiers. That being said, the film is less than 100 minutes, and knows how to get down and dirty with its violence, without too much fat on the bones of this film. I must also make a special note about Kurylenko as Etain. While I have not really enjoyed her as the latest Bond girl or in films such as Hitman or Max Payne, I did find her quite effective here. It may have been due to the fact that she only needed to intimidate foes based on here looks and present a physical presence. As she was not required to speak, maybe that was for the better. The film is overall a little mixed in telling a great story, but the way the action is shot and the fun involved in the whole chase element of the film makes up for it. I have enjoyed Marshall's style as a filmmaker thus far, and continue to hope for more genre exercises in the future from him. Soldier: He's a ruthless, reckless bastard. And I'd die for him without hesitation.

• Dean M

  
  Amazing action film of epic scale. Spectacular body-part severing and gruesome hand-to-hand combat allows for plenty of what he does best. Rather than disintegrate into the sort of sweeping mish-mash seen in Ridley Scott's recent output, this epic is pared into a good… More
  Amazing action film of epic scale. Spectacular body-part severing and gruesome hand-to-hand combat allows for plenty of what he does best. Rather than disintegrate into the sort of sweeping mish-mash seen in Ridley Scott's recent output, this epic is pared into a good old-fashioned cat-and-mouse chase (while still maintaining grandeur). Director Neil Marshall also continues his penchant for ensembles, perfected here by the inclusion of charismatic Michael Fassbender and Dominic West.

• Ken S

  
  Fun, but not amazing.

• Cynthia S

  
  Wow. EVERYONE IS A CRITIC!! There was absolutely nothing wrong with this movie..other than the tendency to throw in bright red CGI blood splatters during battles, etc. Ignoring that, the movie was well done. Come on....what do we all watch a movie of this type for anyway??? It… More
  Wow. EVERYONE IS A CRITIC!! There was absolutely nothing wrong with this movie..other than the tendency to throw in bright red CGI blood splatters during battles, etc. Ignoring that, the movie was well done. Come on....what do we all watch a movie of this type for anyway??? It appeared to me to be a very accurate depiction of life as I have read it to be in the late Roman occupation of the British Isles. It was certainly full of action, bloody battle scenes, great acting, and beautiful cinematography. I enjoyed this. Great ending, too.

• Jennifer D

  
  Okay, LOVED the coloring and the contrast. Really conveyed the icy cold. And I liked the historical details. Great action. Gritty violence They must have spent a fortune on blood packs. I think it could have been a lot better all things counting. The story was missing a little oompf.… More
  Okay, LOVED the coloring and the contrast. Really conveyed the icy cold. And I liked the historical details. Great action. Gritty violence They must have spent a fortune on blood packs. I think it could have been a lot better all things counting. The story was missing a little oompf. Reminded me of King Arthur, but I liked King Arthur better.

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  Cast: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Olga Kurylenko, Noel Clarke, David Morrissey, JJ Feild, Axelle Carolyn, Imogen Poots, Ulrich Thomsen, Dave Legeno, Riz Ahmed Director: Neil Marshall Summary: In 2nd-century Britain, Roman fighter Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender) is the… More
  Cast: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Olga Kurylenko, Noel Clarke, David Morrissey, JJ Feild, Axelle Carolyn, Imogen Poots, Ulrich Thomsen, Dave Legeno, Riz Ahmed Director: Neil Marshall Summary: In 2nd-century Britain, Roman fighter Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender) is the lone survivor of a Pictish attack on a Roman frontier post. Eager for revenge, he joins the Ninth Legion -- under General Virilus (Dominic West) -- and journeys north on a mission to destroy the Picts. My Thoughts: "Writer-director Neil Marshall's sword-and-sandals film is an entertaining, action packed, bloody adventure. Great fighting scenes too. I may be alone on this, but I think Olga Kurylenko resembles Catherine Zeta Jones a bit. She could be her daughter. Once again, I may be alone on that thought. I usually do not lean toward films like these, but I have been watching more of them lately. My reasons are I just don't want to miss out on a possible good film. Trying to expand my movie taste. So I am happy that so far I am liking these types of films. I find them to be more interesting then I had previously thought. This film leaves promise of a sequel, which I am hoping for. I really would like to see were the character Centurion goes from where the film left off. If you like action-adventure and some gore mixed in with it, then this is a film for you to see."

• Conner R

  
  All kinds of awesome and exactly what you'd want from an action epic. The violence is so extreme and detailed in its delivery, sometimes it's almost unbelievable. Niel Marshall's style works undoubtedly best here, at no point did I feel like there was anything lacking… More
  All kinds of awesome and exactly what you'd want from an action epic. The violence is so extreme and detailed in its delivery, sometimes it's almost unbelievable. Niel Marshall's style works undoubtedly best here, at no point did I feel like there was anything lacking as I did with The Descent. The characters are almost superhuman in their ability to endure such pain. Michael Fassbender's blade dodging and Olga Kurylenko's trident of death were some of the more standout features. The story is simple, but really effective and perfect for the feel that they were going for. It's pretty perfect.

• Al S

  
  A explosive, gritty, brutal and spectacular action-packed adventure thriller. As much a survival thriller as it is an action movie and character drama, it's the best of all worlds. A fast-paced, well-crafted and visually stunning film that's loaded with explosive action,… More
  A explosive, gritty, brutal and spectacular action-packed adventure thriller. As much a survival thriller as it is an action movie and character drama, it's the best of all worlds. A fast-paced, well-crafted and visually stunning film that's loaded with explosive action, thrilling suspense and fantastic performances all around. A gripping and excellent movie. A shocking, jaw-dropping, eye-popping and exhilarating edge of your seat thrill-machine. I loved this flick for it's style, story and fantastic craftsmanship from its director. Director, Neil Marshall crafts an stylish, fierce, bloody and outstanding epic movie. A pure knockout. Michael Fassbender is electrifying, he's an exciting and powerful leading man. Olga Kurylenko gives a fearless and dominate portrayal as the films lead villain, she never says a word but you can feel the cold hard impact from her eyes. A tremendously entertaining movie.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"Fight or die."</i> A splinter group of Roman soldiers fight for their lives behind enemy lines after their legion is decimated in a devastating guerrilla attack. <center><font size=+2 face="Century… More
  <i>"Fight or die."</i> A splinter group of Roman soldiers fight for their lives behind enemy lines after their legion is decimated in a devastating guerrilla attack. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> All guts, no glory: that seems to be the message of Neil Marshall's "Centurion". Although the splattery battle scenes are its main selling point, it is also one of the most uncompromisingly anti-war films I have ever seen. It doesn't just say that war is futile; it says that was is death. You are asked to leave your humanity behind and become a killing machine, and then you most likely end up dead anyway, one more anonymous "number" for the history books. There are no "good" or "bad" sides, either; the story is mostly told from the perspective of the Romans, of course, but both they and the Picts are trapped in an endless cycle of violence (the parallels with contemporary wars are so obvious that they don't even need to be stated). The big battle where the Ninth Legion gets nearly annihilated is a bit too chaotic (yes, I realize that a real battle during that era would be pretty much exactly like that), but the "last stand" fight at the abandoned fort near the end is genuinely exciting - it has a definite "Do or Die" feel to it. Add points for some eye-filling panoramic shots of hills, valleys, forests and rivers; subtract points for the sometimes too-contemporary dialogue. Although the frenetic pacing (especially in the first half) doesn't allow for much character development, Michael Fassbender gives a very strong performance as the lead. Olga Kurylenko is fixating; Ulrich Thomsen is powerful as the leader of the Picts; Imogen Poots is extremely lovely as perhaps the only ray of hope in this world; Dominic West, despite his second billing, has very little to do.

• Khris N

  
  Hmmm... a clear case of not reaching its full potential, Centurion does feel more like a television movie.Don't get me wrong, some TV movies are great, but this is rather flat in emotion, and there is no build up or climatic explosion or energy which would otherwise make this a… More
  Hmmm... a clear case of not reaching its full potential, Centurion does feel more like a television movie.Don't get me wrong, some TV movies are great, but this is rather flat in emotion, and there is no build up or climatic explosion or energy which would otherwise make this a really entertaining film. A cast of newcomers and virtual unknowns do rather well to move it along, but sadly its all part of the general letdown. The real strength of this movie is its wonderful cinematography and scenery which would make Lord of the Ring's envious, the cold, chilling and haunted British landscape does well to instill the desolate, fearful and grim emotions that everything else lacks. where the scenery is spot on with its roughness, rocky and unbearable exterior, sadly is the script and general outlay. But the extravaganza of blood and violence would probably snap you out of it when the heads start rolling... literally. When it comes to sheer violence, not many movies can match Centurion for its outright massacre, being led by Olga Kurylenko as the demonic huntress, who pursues the survivors of a Roman Legion to fufill her blood lust and revenge. Michael Fassbender plays the Centurion charged with keeping the survivors alive as they race against their deadly enemies to the Roman lines before they are butchered. Anyways, not much else to say, except you might want to take a look at this one if you enjoy swords and sandals.

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