THE EAGLE (Kevin Macdonald). 114 minutes. Opens Friday (February 11). For venues, trailers and times, see Movies. Rating: NN
It’s hard to know what to make of The Eagle, the latest film to try to make a star out of pouty-lipped model/heartthrob Channing Tatum. The story, set in 140 AD, is adapted from Rosemary Sutcliff‘s young-adult classic about a Roman soldier’s attempt to restore honour to his name and country. But the virtually female-free picture resembles a soft-core homoerotic fantasy, complete with some laughably wooden acting.
Tatum straps on a breastplate and helmet to play Roman soldier Marcus Aquila, who, after being injured and decorated in battle, travels north of Hadrian’s Wall with his British slave Esca (Jamie Bell) – whom he saved from death – to retrieve the golden eagle, the emblem of his legion reportedly lost by his father years before. Once in the Highlands, beautifully captured by Anthony Dod Mantle‘s camera, the tables are turned and Marcus is suddenly at the mercy of Esca and the various Roman-hating warriors.
Kevin Macdonald (The Last King Of Scotland) takes a long time to generate any excitement, waiting until the final act to deliver the kind of action and adventure demanded by the genre. He’s not helped by Tatum, who mumbles his lines when he’s not squinting his baby blues at the horizon.
Bell (Billy Elliot), however, adds lots of complexity to his part, and scenery chewers like Donald Sutherland, Denis O’Hare and Mark Strong also raise their spears to add dramatic support to their square-jawed star.
