Centurion

Centurion is a historical adventure-hunt movie. Congratulations to Neil Marshall for working himself up to be a director of actors such as Fassbender, West, Cunningham and Morrissey. All of them, together with the fantastic natural scenery, help make the movie fun and engaging. This film is not bloody and brutal just to shock the audience; rather, it is realistic and its violence fits into the concept of a harsh drama in which the likable main characters are hunted in the wild by the bloodthirsty Lady Vengeance hitchhiker. Her anger and cruelty are justified and therefore her character does not inspire disgust and hatred in the viewer, but fear and respect. Less realistic is the make-up and blow-dried hairstyle of the beautiful wild woman living alone by a river in which she catches a fish breakfast with her bare hands – but still we are grateful for a bit of tenderness in the gray world of hopelessness. If the ending had been more confrontational, I would have considered giving this film four stars. (05/10/2011)

If only “Bran Mak Morn" were a little like this. Raw, warrior cut and thrust. Marshall has some shortcomings and mainly he should learn how to edit, and the scene changes aren’t always completely kosher, but nevertheless paint a wonderful atmosphere full of war and blood. The cast is remarkable. Excellent, fair Michael Fassbender is balanced by the dumb savage with the devilish face of Olga Kurylenko. And I liked Dominic West, even though he wasn’t given much time to warm up. And not forgetting Eskheri’s music, which was A-grade. (15/08/2010)

I’m sorry to say that this has been the most boring Marshall. If I were to judge it somehow objectively, I would go no further than seven out of ten points, but with my ugly relationship with historical films (accurate or otherwise), I can’t go over 50%. Centurion is as silly as Doomsday, but to its own misfortune, it takes itself very seriously. The action scenes are unreadable, put together with lots close-ups of chopped, flying or falling human body parts, without any overall view of the battlefield. This year’s winner in the competition of badass historical films is hands down Valhalla Rising. (12/08/2010)

I can't help it, but I was incredibly bothered by the fact that most of the bloody wounds here were digital. It's a shame that traditional tricks and masks weren't used. It would have suited the movie much better because "Centurion" is action-packed and gritty, and in that aspect, it definitely won't disappoint the viewer. However, it doesn't impress in terms of plot. (14/07/2017)

Men vs. Wild. These guys would need a few lessons from Bear Grylls. If they run out of bad luck, they run like hell. When they run, they don't think. They don’t have any of the good sense that is expected from the viewers. Ninety minutes of running, sitting, chewing, blathering (about wounds that can’t be seen and such) and killing. The most obvious thing in the scenes of carnage is the geysers of blood, which bring to light Marshall’s background in horror. There are none of the scary scenes that the situation comprising "a few nobodies in the wilderness" would require. Nor is there any value added beyond the ancient violence. Just as the parallel to the Iraq war, which is also a drawn-out and fruitless endeavour, is luke-warm, the presence of an Arab and a black man on the "team" is contrived. I don’t understand the point of such a film as this, like The Fellowship of the Ring, but with significantly less money and intellect invested in it. Even though the terribly illegible opening credits promise a grand spectacle, there apparently wasn’t enough money left over for money shots and if you’re not turned on by severed limbs, you can look forward only to two women, who are – as always in male fantasies brought to life – mysterious, quiet and sexy. But you don’t need a ninety-minute film for that; just close your eyes for a moment. 50% (20/01/2012)