Centurion (2010) User Reviews (272)

Battles, Blood & Warrior Women....what's not to like?

[klam0500 · 7/10 · 27 April 2010]

This is a straight forward tale of a band of Roman soldiers being hunted down by Pict warriors in the stunning surroundings of the Scottish mountains.

Whilst the dialogue and script won't exactly win any Oscars, the film was entertaining enough with plenty of blood & guts fighting scenes.

Olga Kurylenko was actually quite convincing in her portrayal of a brutal ice cold warrior, much better than Keira Knightley's portrayal of a female warrior in King Arthur. Perhaps Olga not having to utter a word in the entire film as she portrays a Pict who had her tongue cut out was a clever way to make her character more cold and mysterious.

I wouldn't quite go as far as one of the previous posters who describes the first major battle scene on a par with the opening scene in "Gladiator". Indeed some of the small criticisms I would level would be the use of very fast action shots during some of the fight scenes, i.e the camera motion is faster than your eye can register, think opening car chase in "Quantom of Solace" and you get the picture.

What really stands out in the film though is the stunning back drop of the Scottish mountains, It's like "Highlander" all over again only better!

Centurion, doesn't carry the "epic" status as other movies like "Gladiator","Braveheart" or "Kingdom of heaven", no it's on a much smaller scale and doesn't really spend too much time on character development on either the Pict or Roman sides. I suppose in a way it helps this film as it doesn't get bogged down in lengthy dialogue, but concentrates more on action.

Whilst this film won't score too highly on the originality stakes, it's a good effort in an all too neglected genre.

Playing cat and mouse with the Picts

[Siamois · 6/10 · 24 August 2010]

A group of Roman soldiers who survived an ambush are chased relentlessly by a hunting party of Picts. As with every other movie by Neil Marshall (The Descent, Doomsday) this big screen epic attempts to mix the grittiness of European filmmaking with the entertainment values of Hollywood movie-making. And as is becoming signature with this director, Centurion pursues his tradition to feature very strong and memorable female characters.

While it is Centurion Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender) who is the protagonist as the somewhat reluctant leader of our heroes, the most memorable character on screen is Etain, a Brigantian tracker played by Olga Kurylenko. Etain's tribe was massacred by the Romans and she took refuge with the Picts. Her backstory is a powerful device that explains all the hatred she has for Romans and the length she will go to exact revenge. Neil Marshall makes great use of actress Kurylenko and she literally eats the screen in almost every scene she is in, despite her character being mute. Etain reaches iconic status as far as I'm concerned, much like Karl Vreski (Die Hard).

The actual plot, despite its historical context, is less Gladiator and more Apocalypto. Several battles are extremely gritty, entering gory territory as blood flows. There are a lot of CGI sequences mixed with traditional effects but they do not detract from the experience too much. Quintus' bunch of survivors are portrayed by a group of effective actors but the movie's short length prevents much characterization. Where Marshall is more effective is in the portrayal of the Picts. In very few words, several characters stand out throughout the movie.

Everything is fairly entertaining but the movie never quite reaches classic epic status due to its short length and several incongruities. For instance, I still don't understand why two healthy and armed soldiers would run away from wolves, nor why wolves would pursue them (that simply flies in the face of anything we know about the behavior of wolves). Etain is also ordered to severe the heads of the men she is chasing but conveniently omits certain characters so that they survive their injuries, which makes no sense and is transparent bad writing. Likewise, when the Romans have a chance to steal or kill the Picts' horses, they simply ignore this opportunity. These plot holes add up pretty fast and detract from our experience, turning what could have been a classic into just a great pop corn flick.

But an entertaining pop corn flick it is, despite its faults! I wish Marshall would be slightly less ambitious, as it seems he is at his best working on smaller scale movies but he still has a knack to shoot fun films and create engaging characters. Special kudos for not glorifying the Roman empire and especially, for not portraying the Picts as clear-cut villains. Although the structure of the film firmly puts the Picts in the "baddies" slot, there are several hints and a lot of subtext that, on the contrary, showcases the Roman empire as bloodthirsty invaders, plotting backstabbers and savages themselves.

Every amateur of sword epic will want to see this one at least once, possibly several times.

One of the best in its genre

[rum2550 · 7/10 · 17 January 2011]

This movie was relatively unheard of when a friend of mine gave a copy of it. I was skeptical since it was not from Hollywood, no big stars etc. However, it proved I was wrong. This is not a masterpiece indeed; but it was able to get me a thrilling ride from beginning to end. To make it short, I would say this is a combination of "BEHIND ENEMY LINES" scenario at the pace and editing of "BOURNE ULTIMATUM" set at the backdrop of "KING ARTHUR". It's true that script does not focus much on character development but it does not cause any trouble in enjoying this action-adventure. As one reviewer has mentioned, I agree that portrayal of a female warrior by Olga Kurylenko is much more realistic and successful than the similar role played by Keira knightly in "King Arthur". It is really sad that movies like this are not given adequate publicity since this is much better than most big budget Hollywood movies that are being hyped inappropriately.

Features thrilling fighting scenes , violent battles and impressive production design

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 13 October 2014]

Ultraviolent historical/epic/action yarn with breathtaking battles including lots of blood and gore . This is a nice as well as exciting production with a big budget , great sets and thundering battles during the Roman Empire . The picture deals with historical facts about confrontation between Romans and Picts . AD 117. The Roman Empire stretches from Egypt to Spain, and East as far as the Black Sea. But in northern Britain, the relentless onslaught of conquest has ground to a halt in face of the guerrilla tactics of an elusive enemy: the savage and terrifying Picts (they were generally thought to not have worn any clothes). A Roman army commanded by General Titus Flavius Virilus (Dominic West) is besieged and deadly attacked . After that , splinter group of Roman soldiers led by Centurion Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender) fight for their lives behind enemy lines after their legion is decimated in a devastating guerrilla attack . As they attempt to destroy their leader Gorlacon (Ulrich Thomsen) and face a desperate struggle to keep his small platoon alive .

Bloody version based on historical events with overwhelming battles and great production values starred by Michael Fassbender as the fictional Centurion , leader of a motley crew of tough , battle-hardened warriors/underdogs who try to defend themselves against a patrol of bloody Picts led by a brutal warrior woman . The movie has great action sequences well staged with stylish and vitality , thrills , a little bit of romance and is pretty entertaining . Although is a little revisionist about characters , history and time when is developed the action in a dirty , gritty Roman Empire during its period in Britain . Several action scenes are outstanding with spectacular battle images and thrilling fights . Unfortunately, on small house screens much of the splendor will be lost . As the movie makes a big deal out of the supposedly deathly rivalry between Romans and the Picts . German archaeologists have found evidence of the 9th Legion on the banks of the Rhine River and carbon-dated them long after these events took place, suggesting that rather than being wiped out, the reason that there is no evidence of the 9th Legion being in Scotland after these battles is that they moved to Germany . The working title for the film was "Ninth Legion" , the story goes that the Ninth Legion marched to Scotland from York with 3000 men and were never seen of again. Historians dispute what actually happened to them. Some believe that they were disbanded, while others believe that they were massacred .

Stunning battles scenes illuminate the full-blown feats with a plethora of engaging action set pieces on the combats in which the heads and limbs are slice off here and there . Casting is frankly excellent such as Liam Cunningham , Dominic Cooper , David Morrissey , Ulrich Thomsen , Imogen Poots and Paul Freeman and Governor Julius Agricola . Special mention to treacherous , despised role played by Olga Kurylenko as sadistic , revenger Etain . There are great action sequences including the gory battle in woods and the final confrontation at the climax of the film . Impeccable and evocative cinematography by Sam McCurdy . Filmmaker and his director of photography Sam McCurdy spent about two years discussing the look of the film before making it , one thing they were adamant about was that it should be shot on location and nowhere near a green screen. Magnificent and stirring musical score by Ilan Eshkeri . The motion picture was compellingly directed by Neil Marshall (Doomsday , Descent , Dog soldiers). Neil Marshall shot the film in such hard conditions that some cast members suffered health problems . One of Neil Marshall's influences was Walter Hill's The warriors (1979) , this is why Hill is thanked in the end credits . Rating : Good, it's a nice historical extravaganza well set in ancient Rome , done in great scale and praised for its action sequences.

Fight or Die.

[Matt_Layden · 7/10 · 13 December 2010]

A small group of Roman soldiers are left alive after an attack on their legion. They must survive the elements and an expert tracker coming after them. Behind enemy lines and fighting for the lives.

With Centurion, Neil Marshall has his biggest budget to date. The film is ambitious in style and tone. Marshall, who get a cult following after two excellent small horror films (Dog Soldiers and Descent) has gone on to bigger, but not really better things. Doomsday was a nice throwback to genre films (even though it didn't really know which one it wanted to be) and now Centurion, which has Marshall tipping his hat to Gladiator and Spartacus.

I consider myself a Marshall fan, which is why I even bothered to give this film a viewing. If his name weren't attached, I wouldn't have bothered. Marshall is apart of the Splat-Pack. The horror coined group for filmmakers like Rob Zombie and Eli Roth. It's no question as to why Marshall is apart of this group, every film of his has some body part ending up some place. It's funny to me that this film might be his most gruesome one yet and it isn't even horror.

The film's most gruesome moments are during the big attack on the romans. Arrows are shot into heads, arms, legs and necks are taken out like a hot knife through butter. I had a few moments where I was actually shocked at the carnage on the screen. One of the more gruesome period pieces. During the attack, the Picts (Scottish) take prisoner the General (Dominic West). The small group of survivors, including Michael Fassbender decide to try and get him back. They fail, but they did succeed in killing the lead Pict's son. He sends a group of people to go after them, thus we have a cat and mouse chase throughout the film.

It's suspenseful in places and aggravating in others. The lead tracker, is suppose to have excellent skills, where she is always on their tail, no matter what. Yet the filmmakers seem to forget this sometimes. She can sense them across the river in one scene, but not underneath her feet in another. These inconsistencies are bothersome. Yet it happens. The characters themselves aren't too memorable either. I couldn't really tell the survivors apart from one another and neither stood out of the crowd. These shortcomings in the script are what bring Centurion down. The most interesting character is killed off too early too.

Yet, Marshall still manages to deliver an entertaining film. It's not near the level of awesome that is Dog Soldiers, or even The Descent, but it does deliver what you would expect from this genre. There are moments where the film loses its sense of direction (such as a lover subplot) and there are even moments of predictability, but as a whole, the film delivers.

A Nutshell Review: Centurion

[DICK STEEL · 6/10 · 2 April 2010]

I'd admit that the films of Neil Marshall's have been quite right up my alley, with a mishmash of genres all done with an excessively violent treatment, but it does go to show that relying too much on the usual will bring forth a stale feeling, that Marshall may not have anything more to offer other than to pepper his films with plenty of hacked limbs in a straight forward action adventure

Set in 117AD, Neil Marshall's story pits the Roman empire against the guerrilla Picts, who have halted the Roman invasion so much so that Rome decides on a last push. To the organized troops of Roman centurions, the Picts with their unorthodox techniques have the upper hand in a David and Goliath pattern, that it's up to Dominic West's General Virilus to lead an army, and with the help of Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender) who has escaped from the Picts, to show them the way. That sets the premise of an otherwise ordinary film that's focused on its battle sequences, and has a very simple, two phase narrative to waltz through.

One of the draws here is of course Michael Fassbender's presence. Of 300 and Eden Lake fame, he brings forth a sense of vulnerability to a warrior's role, bent on trying to keep alive than to go all out to kill. He leads Virilus' surviving men of 6 to a rescue mission, before turning tails and having the next half of the film centered on their escape back to safe haven, all the while being tracked by Olga Kurylenko's Etain, a mute Pict scout who's an excellent tracker.

In some ways, the story had resembled like a distant cousin of the magnificent seven, where a rag tag team of surviving Roman centurions get cobbled together for a mission to rescue their beloved General. And I mean really rag tag since they have a cook amongst their ranks. It's an offensive maneuver first, before going all defensive because of the lack of skills, and numerical advantage and savagery that the Picts pose. Olga Kurylenko chews up her scenes even as she's more clothed than her previous films, and gets plenty of physical action (with weapons that is) to show she's no pushover for action sequences.

Strangely enough, a last minute romantic subplot gets thrown in which sort of spoils the film because it firmly roots itself as a finale plot development point, leaving little surprise for its hurried ending since you know just where and how the film would end. Like a typical Marshall film, there are tons of carefully crafted scenes that are bloody violent, such as smashing someone's head to a pulp against a tree or a full on ugly beheading. There's only one sequence that will stand out in the entire film, and that's a massive ambush against a full battalion of Roman soldiers, which is one-off and the only one done on grand scale, setting the scene for plenty of screen violence with unflinching decapitations of miscellaneous body parts.

Fans will find this an enjoyable action adventure, but it doesn't offer anything much nor new to win over new fans.

It could be a good movie but it's rather disappointing

[alikims · 6/10 · 30 July 2010]

I never thought about it before, and actually this movie helped me to understand something. When you go to see a movie you want to have some satisfaction, and mostly you get it when you sympathize with the hero, you get emotionally involved in their problems and you worry about them.

Here, you have two sides and I personally can not empathize with any of them.

The Picts, while they have a right to protect their land and families, are shown in quite cruel way and Olga Kirylenko's character is far from being attractive.

On the other side the Centurion and his soldiers are nothing but invaders killing and enslaving the locals just for the sake of glory of the Roman Empire. All in all, it's fair for them to be killed by the people they are oppressing and I can't really worry about the Centurion trying to survive because I feel more like he deserves to die for what he's done. If you are a professional soldier and came to a foreign land to ravage it... well, you get what you get.

This movie looks like a historical documentary, which shows you some facts and reasons/motives of both sides to do what they do or have to.

It's done fairly well, but for me it defeats the main purpose of movie - it's not entertaining. There is no point of attraction in it, there is no one to feel for, and I expect quite the opposite when I'm paying for the ticket.

Great film, badly reviewed.

[hoopyfrude-1 · 10/10 · 13 February 2011]

This is in direct response to davidfurlotte's fairly asinine 'review'.....

First of all, if you're going to claim to be an authority on these things, do some research. In practically every interview, Marshall made it very clear that the film was based on a myth, a legend, nothing more. He never once tried to claim that this was in any way a true story.

Also, where did you get that his Dad is a history professor?! He said his Dad loved history, and that's all. Again, do your research.

Finally, did you actually watch the battle? The Romans were stretched out in a long column for miles, surrounded on both sides. How do you move out of the way of fireballs when you've got men on both sides of you who are also trying to get out of the way of fireballs? You just end up with men piling into each other, utter chaos, and still achieving what the Picts intended in the first place, which was to break the Roman line. And since the Romans where back to back, if you did get out of the way, you're just allowing the fireballs to rolls into the backs of the troops defending the opposite flank. With that many fireballs coming in from both sides, into a densely packed column of Romans, there simply wasn't anywhere for them to go. The Romans were trained to hold the line. That's where their strength lay, in discipline and formation, and this is how the Picts (and the Germanic tribes) used their biggest strength against them.

The reason I defend this film is because I worked on it myself. And if it made a few mistakes along the way, like using the wrong kind of spears, I know it's because the budget was so tight they couldn't afford enough Pilum's for the number of troops they had. I know this sounds unbelievable, but it's absolutely true. This films entire budget was about the size of the costume department budget on Gladiator!

To make another simple comparison, on Braveheart they had 7 weeks to shoot just the Battle of Stirling. On Centurion we had 7 weeks to shoot the entire film, battles included. For the scene involving the fireballs, we had 3 days. So it's to be expected that through the almost constant barrage of compromise, a few factual mistakes may slip through the net. As filmmakers we do take exceptional pride in our work, and we'd love to have the time and the money to get everything absolutely perfect, but that's just not the reality of low budget filming in the UK. In the end, we do our best with what we've got.

Hidden Gem

[moviesareawayoflife · 7/10 · 17 April 2023]

I recently picked this movie up cheap after watching the Spartacus TV show. I guess i am going through a Roman phase! This movie although not what i was expecting was actually very good.

If you are expecting large scale battles then look elsewhere as ultimately this becomes a chase movie as a small band of surviving Romans are being chased across Scotland by the savage Pict led by Olga Kurylenko.

Kurylenko is fantastic in this, frightening without saying a word. Fassbender is ok, seeming to grow into the role as the movie progresses. He is supported by a band of mainly British actors including David Morrissey. Dominic West steals every scene he is in, in an all too brief appearance.

I was pleasantly surprised with this movie and it just goes to show you don't have to have a huge budget or mammoth running time to create a good movie.

Are you not entertained?

[hitchcockthelegend · 5/10 · 26 September 2010]

Centurion is directed by Neil Marshall who also wrote the screenplay. It stars Dominic West, Michael Fassbender, Olga Kurylenko, Liam Cunningham, Noel Clarke, Riz Ahmed & Imogen Poots.

Britain, 117 AD and the Romans are struggling to contain the Picts in Caledonia. The Roman Governor sends in their best army, the Ninth Legion. But they are victims of a trap and are forced to flee on foot across the mountainous terrain with the vengeful Picts in hot pursuit. Can they stay alive and make it to the border?

One thing you know you are going to get with a Neil Marshall film is blood and guts. Be it squadies facing off against werewolves, pot-holing babes grappling with hungry Gollum types, or a secret unit sent in to quarantined Scotland to fend off cannibal punk rockers; Marshall likes to pile on the grue. With his latest, Centurion, he continues in this vein. Sadly that's about all there is as the talented director appears to be getting a little carried away with himself and forgetting to put some substance into his characters. What promises to be a telling historical epic anti-war movie ends up being one long chase movie. Only pausing for breath for intermittent blood letting and the now obligatory love interest sub-plot. Oh it's fun, very much so, and the visuals coupled with the excellently constructed fight sequences don't waste a penny spent. But as a whole it just doesn't work, it's more a collection of set pieces linked together by visceral pleasures under the guise of being a take on a folklore story.

However, there is no denying the commitment to the genre from Marshall. Centurion is often thrilling and brutal into the bargain, so as long as you don't require any semblance of depth then it will surely entertain you. While he has assembled a very admirable cast of British & Irish thesps and put them thru a very tough shoot up in the Scottish hills. The craft is there, from director and stars, just no decent script to flesh it out. Oh and do we really need Roman soldiers saying the F word to show us how hard they are? Coming after Doomsday flopped (personally I think it's a whole bunch of fun), Marshall is at the crossroads of his career. Once the indie darling of Britain he's been courted by Hollywood and needs to make big decisions. You can only homage so much in your favoured genres (here he nods to Gladiator, The Warriors and even Zulu) before it gets to be boring. So is it time to let someone else write now? Also if he must stay mainstream then he has to get the budget to do the job properly; witness the digital blood used for the first fight sequences, laughably bad and able to take you right out of the film.

At times ridiculous and over the top, Centurion only works well as a pure action flick. Which of course will find an audience. But director and cast are better than this, as an effective story is bogged down by lack of narrative heart that in turn is most likely hidden by arterial blood. Lots of it. 5/10

Surprisingly good tale

[dave-ranck · 9/10 · 6 August 2010]

I'm a fan of the culture and history of early Britain, so my opinion may be tainted a bit, but I really enjoyed this flick. It had a surprisingly good story and was not just a blood and guts war fest. It appears that the movie may be based on Rosemary Sutcliff's Book 'The Eagle of the Ninth', in which the Ninth Legion is wiped out in Scotland in AD 117. In any case, there is controversy and mystery as to what really happened to the 9th, and that makes a setting for a good tale. There is just enough history to make the story plausible, for example the creation of Hadrian's wall is depicted.

Neither side is portrayed as the "good guys" or the "bad guys", and to me, that brought a sense of realism with it. This is a bloody film, with heads rolling and a plethora of fighting, so don't bring the kiddies. I watched it On Demand, but I might go see it again in the theater.

blood and guts

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 27 December 2015]

In 117 A.D., the Romans in Britania is stretched to the limit by the Picts in the north. After 20 years of stalemate, the Romans aim to finish the resistance. Centurion Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender) is half naked running in the snow. The movie moves back two weeks to see Dias and his garrison outpost under attack. He is captured and taken to the Pict leader Gorlacon. General Titus Flavius Virilus (Dominic West) in York is ordered to destroy the Picts with his men. He is given mute Pict scout Etain (Olga Kurylenko) to guide him.

This is a straight forward bloody violent sword and sandal war movie. The actors are solid led by West and Fassbender. It doesn't have many big story elements. The action is brutal and chaotic. The mood is dark and brood. I also love tracking in the wilderness. I like the cat-and-mouse game of the escape.

beautiful to look at, weak clichéd story

[thefox12 · 2/10 · 6 September 2010]

I give Centurion 2 points for the beauty of the landscapes. The rest of the movie is rubbish. It's not as bad as "King Arthur" - which was dire, but...where was the story? Where was the characterization? Where was anything at all? So much great material and nothing satisfying done with it. The Picts. I mean, the Picts! What a great source for a movie, but what was done with it? Cliché, cliché and more cliché; the number one rule of story telling: avoid cliché, but this we are given in bucket loads. Could have been a great historical movie of the clash of cultures; but all we got was clichéd crap. Ridiculous warrior women who slaughter well-trained Roman generals and their soldiers: patronizing and stupid, so PC and so clichéd these days. And the beautiful bint who lives alone in a hut; so beautiful she should be on the cover of Vogue, living alone in 117AD as a 'witch'? Oh, please, when will movie-makers ever do anything different, original and true to history? I've lost it when it comes to truth in historical movies...do movie makers truly believe their audiences want to be layered with cliché and corny love stories that go nowhere, and come from nowhere, and are just not needed? DO they think we're all so shallow that all we really want in a movie is pap and the token tart to scrub up the filthy men? I LOVE filthy men and I don't need the token tart with the batting eyelids to make it good for me. It's good for me when the token tart isn't there at all, or if she is, she's more true to life than the scrubbed-up flossy babe who doesn't even have any dirt on her face or on her hands.

But still, as everyone else has posted about "Centurion" in plot summaries, I will here just say a few historical things about it instead: Firstly, The Picts were NOT SCOTS, OK guy who made this movie? The Picts were British Celts who spoke a dialect of Brythonic; British P-Celtic, related to Welsh. Didn't you do any historical research before you made this film, film-maker guy? What, you didn't! You make a movie and didn't even bother to check out who these people were in real life? You just went along with everyone else and played them as downtrodden Scots to raise the emotional level in the same way that Mel Gibson did in that hideous mess of a movie, Braveheart? (The Scots of William Wallace's time did not run around in kilts with blue painted faces, Gibbo, they wore armour just like their English enemies...sheesh...)

Agricola was NOT governor of Britain in those days; he had died long before 117AD. It was some other dude whose name I cannot now remember. Hadrian's Wall wasn't there then, or even being built. Hadrian's Wall was begun in 122AD, not 117AD. And one last thing, the Ninth legion did not disappear in mysterious circumstances or get wiped out by Celtic Picts or other Celtic peoples; that is a MYTH. Legio IX Hispana was reported alive and well in Europe, the Netherlands, I think it was, in following years after 117AD.

Just enjoy this movie's scenery. It is NOT Gladiator. It just looks nice.

A good attempt which could have been great!

[saadgkhan · 12 August 2010]

CENTURION – CATCH IT ( B ) Centurion is one of those movies which try to cover its flaws with heavy violent action sequences. The best part of the movie is its locations and cinematography, I was amazed by each and single frame of the movie, they have shot at some of the most beautiful unseen locations and it makes the movie a treat to watch. I hoped that if the screen play would have been as strong as the cinematography of the movie is. Michael Fassbender is the hottest star right now after Hunger, Fish Tank, Inglorious Bastards, Eden Lake, 3OO and now Centurion he surely has made a Big place in my heart as an actor. Though this movie didn't justice to his acting abilities but he surly did cover it with great sword action sequences. Olga Kurylenko did a fine job though she played a Mute Character still with her looks and fighting sequences she proved yet again why she is been most favorite for action roles. Imogen Poots looked really pretty though she comes in last 30 minutes still she leaves a good impact. All the other men were good and supported the movie really well. Overall a good attempt which could have been great!

Gory Historical Adventure

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 2 December 2012]

Neil Marshall seems an odd choice for this type of movie . An established horror director isn't the first person you'd think of when choosing a director to make a historical adventure featuring ancient Rome in their battle to tame the Picts . That said he knows Scotland very well since his previous films DOG SOLDIERS and DOOMSDAY were both set there even if they were filmed in Luxumberg and South Africa respectively . At least the Scotland here resembles the gloomy bleak landscape seen in Winter

From the outset Marshall shows his genre roots by making CENTURION as violent as possible . I saw this on the same day as I saw the last RAMBO movie and there's not a world of difference between the two movies where violence is concerned , people are decapitated and disemboweled and rivers run red with blood . If there's a problem it's as in his other films Marshall shows a slight problem with pacing . When characters sit down and talk you find yourself hoping for a bit more character interaction but this rug is pulled from under the audiences feet and we're back to a bloody set-piece regardless if it's needed or not . I had hoped for a little bit more conversation and a little bit less action please . If someone makes a bio-pic on Elvis then Neil Marshall will not be that director. That said films such as THE NAKED PREY and APOCALYPTO don't have much in the way of conversation either

I'll say one thing in favour of the director and that is he's able to make a film where the British Isles have been invaded and the modern day British audience are still able to empathise with the invaders to an extent . Neither side is painted in black and white and the Romans are helped by the fact that they're played by a likable cast . One possibly might suggest that there's a subtext on Afghanistan going on here somewhere . By this I mean an all conquering super power finding itself unable to decisively beat an indigenous population . In fact the infamous line about Afghanistan being " The grave yard of empires " is almost spoken in relation to the Picts

And that's perhaps the underlying fundamental problem with CENTURION . It's a film that could be somewhat more cerebral and character driven but has sacrificed this in order to be a violent historical action adventure that doesn't let up . It's a good film but perhaps should have been an even better one regardless of the budget

Actually pretty enjoyable

[Caps Fan · 7/10 · 28 April 2010]

Despite a rather corny ending, negligible music and gore that is, at times, gratuitous rather than helpful or horrifying, Neil Marshall has reason to feel well pleased with this effort.

Its main strengths lie in the performances, characters, and script. Michael Fassbender has really come into his own the last couple of years and he turns in another strong performance as Quintus Dias, the eponymous centurion left to pick up the pieces after the IX Legion is decimated in what is now Scotland and its general is captured.

Among those "pieces" are the strong, earthy Bothos (great performance from David Morrissey), the Numidian Macros (Noel Clarke) and the villainous Thax (JJ Feild). The interaction between them and others is never less than gripping. Meanwhile, the plot moves along briskly, leaving us little time to draw breath. I don't think I looked at my watch once.

Much as I'd love to quote from the better-than-average script, the examples that struck me are, let's say, rather basic. Hear that script for yourself - it's well worth it.

Rating: 7/10 (if IMDb allowed halves, it would be 7.5 out of ten)

Carves out its own gory slice of guilty pleasure pie

[Simon_Says_Movies · 7/10 · 26 August 2010]

Neil Marshall's bloody medieval chase flick could very easily be dubbed "King Arthur: the prequel." The 2004 Clive Owen-feautring King Arthur origin tale essentially picks up where this film ends with the building of Hadrian's Wall, the ancient Roman fortification that stretched across what is now Northern England. Both films follow a small band of Roman centurion soldiers battling against the native warriors. Though similar in setting and tone, Centurion carves out its own gory slice of guilty pleasure.

Despite what is still a giddy action romp, Centurion continues to highlight Neil Marshall's slide from his one-two punch horror debut with Dog Soldiers and The Descent. His very latest effort was the deliciously over-the-top apocalyptic throwback Doomsday, but I still hold hope that he can break free of this B-movie mold and recapture the spark that made him somewhat of an icon amongst horror fans. What continues to shine through in Marshall's films is his prowess. The man knows how to shoot an action sequence and mounts the proceedings against stunning cinematography. He seems to understand that just because your movie employs schlocky subject matter doesn't mean it has to look cheap.

Centurion is not your typical Gladiator-style epic offering, but is more or less a chase film in the vein of a traditional slasher film with an unrelenting force stalking its frantic prey. The threat exists in the form of The Picts, a Scottish tribe bent on repelling their Roman invaders. After a Pict attack on a remote Roman outpost, Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender) finds himself in captivity as the lone survivor. Escaping, he meets up with the Ninth Legion lead by the brash but beloved General Virilus (Dominic West). The Legion is immediately deployed into action and it is déjà vu for Dias as the legion is devastated in a guerrilla attack set up by the mute double agent Etain (Olga Kurylenko). It is then up to a small band of survivors including the general and Dias to make it back to the Roman lines.

Apart from the glossy production values, the biggest assets in Centurion are the performances by West and Fassbender. They ground the film amongst the gushing blood and dangling limbs, simultaneously propelling themselves further as ever-rising stars. Kurylenko has somewhat of a thankless role as the fierce warrior-woman but she makes the most of her lineless screen time. What I find odd about films set in this time and place, is the Roman's are always portrayed as the heroes when in fact they are the ones invading the Celtic homeland. It would be refreshing to see a similar style film from the point of view of the native inhabitants.

Centurion has a lot going for it in terms of pure fun, but is certainly lacking in substance and an even tone. Marshall has also opted to shoehorn in a love story involving Dias and an exiled Pict which stands as a stark contrast to the gritty mayhem that perforates most of the narrative. Qualms aside, you could do worse than this straightforward but manic ancient action flick and looking at the movie year at large, Centurion looks better at every crimson-soaked visit.

HK Neo Reviews: Centurion

[webmaster-3017 · 6/10 · 15 August 2010]

A brutal ancient actioner...

The film pans out exactly as the trailer, offers nothing new, done to death story, but somehow, this brutal portrayal of the Romans battling for survival against the tribes of forestry is exciting enough for the entire duration. Save for a letdown in the formula romantic subplot, the film serves the audience well, with an efficient actioner that offers nothing special, nothing new and nothing memorable.

Michael Fassbender leads a cast of non-Hollywood heavy weights. Fassbender makes a charismatic hero to follow, while offering nothing ingenious in terms of acting; he is suitably capable as a leader of the magnificent seven. The highlight and eye candy comes in the form of former Bond girl, Olga Kurylenko, who displays some meaty acting chops by being outright nasty. Perhaps aided by being a mute, Olga is great and if she shed a few more of those cloths on her, it will be even greater. Shame it didn't happen, but she is certainly one very hot heroine.

All in all, Centurion delivers action, action, blood, blood, violence, violence and absolute brutality. For that it entertained me from start to finish. Yes, I am a casual ancient historian, but if you discount the factor of any historical accuracy and embrace the film as a fiction or even a fantasy. Centurion can be a joy ride and not unlike the Zth time of going on the same roller-coaster, Centurion offers the thrill and entertainment, if not for long after the duration. A decent film for what it is worth...(Neo 2010)

I rate it 6.5/10

• www.thehkneo.com

A grubby, gory delight.

[Troy_Campbell · 8/10 · 30 July 2010]

When the final credits were rolling my regular cinema-going counterpart observed "that was one of the most outwardly violent films I've seen since Kill Bill". That's not far from the truth. Limbs are hacked clean off, stomachs are regularly impaled and the claret fluid sprays endlessly. Though the major difference is where Tarantino's homage to the old chop-socky movies from Eastern cinema is cartoonish in its bloody visuals, Centurion is anything but tongue-in-cheek; here the blood, sweat and tears seep into the muddy vistas and bucolic rivers of Great Britain to intensify the atmosphere.

Director Neil Marshall (The Descent) has crafted a gritty movie that at its core is a simple 'cat and mouse' tale – and a highly entertaining one at that – but becomes much more thanks to the efficacious work from all the cast and crew. Marshall himself executes a few impressive sequences, the most outstanding being the initial ambush on the Ninth Legion, showing once again he knows how to stretch a small budget with minimalistic techniques and a passionate approach. Director of photography Sam McCurdy provides a suitably grimy and grainy look that, although at times is too dim, sets the ideal tone for the film. Perhaps Marshall should have monitored the editing closer though, Chris Gill's frenetic cutting very nearly ruins a couple of the fight scenes.

Major Hollywood star in the waiting Michael Fassbender (played the German-impersonating British Lieutentant in Inglourious Basterds) is undoubtedly the standout among the acting contingent. As the titular soldier, Fassbender makes for a charismatic leading man that convinces in both the physical and dramatic elements of the role. I eagerly wait to see what he does as the young Magneto in the upcoming X-Men prequel. Elsewhere The Wire alumni Dominic West is rough around the edges as the gruff General Virilus, Olga Kurylenko is positively bad-ass as the mute, monomaniacal warrior hell-bent on revenge and BBC favourite David Morrisey adds clout in his supporting role of Bothos.

A grubby, gory delight.

4 out of 5 (1 - Rubbish, 2 - Ordinary, 3 - Good, 4 - Excellent, 5 - Classic)

Just to elaborate on the elaboration.

[rogerjsmith49 · 6/10 · 14 February 2011]

First the elaboration, westenicho did some fine historical correction in his review I just want raise one point. The word decimate which features strongly in the blurbs for this movie is, as usual, used wrongly normally I would ignore it but not in this context. Decimate comes from Latin meaning "removal of a tenth", if the ninth had been decimated there would be 2,700 survivors not 7. Decimatio was a Roman punishment for troops/units guilty of cowardice where one in ten was executed.

The film itself was better than I expected with fewer errors in terrain than some others, though the mountains at the start looked more impressive than I was expecting.

Historical fiction doesn't get more exciting than this

[c-kelsall · 10/10 · 27 April 2010]

Centurion is a great film, and I suspect it's going to be totally underrated by the cinema-going public. I saw it at my local Odeon last night, the only cinema in town showing it, and I strongly suspect it won't be on next week. This is an example of a really good British film from a director with a strong pedigree not getting the kind of publicity and public interest that is frequently given to the most heinous rubbish that Hollywood can produce. Granted, many people don't share my director-centric view of forthcoming features; I'm prepared to risk getting my fingers burned occasionally in avidly chasing any films made by a select bunch of my favourite directors, but my approach is usually rewarded with excellence, like Centurion. In structure it is a very simple story, beautifully shot and honestly told. The bloody battles are very realistic - you get a good feel for what it might actually have been like to fight hand-to-hand in ancient times, frantic and deadly. The characters are simply drawn, and develop through their actions rather than words (quite literally in the case of Olga Kurylenko's "Etain"). There is good and bad on both sides of the conflict, which is true to every war in human history. Ultimately, it offers a quite believable scenario to explain the mysterious historical disappearance of the 9th Legion in Hibernia.

Mostly believable, gritty Romans vs. Barbarians movie

[rudolf-819-21042 · 7/10 · 16 August 2010]

If you're into the kind of movie where mud smeared people fight with swords, spears and other ancient weaponry, ride horses across beautiful scenery while wearing animal skins, you should enjoy this movie, I definitely did.

I gave it 7 out of ten for being a well made gritty movie with a plot line that made sense and believable fight scenes, all the while managing not to be over the top. All of which I found surprising for this genre and so may have earned it a slightly higher rating.

That said, at times the fight scenes failed to convince and I felt they could have been a more raw and visceral. There was a mêlée scene which reminded me of the opening of Gladiator, without copying it out right.

I also had a few plot points where I thought: "why would they ...", or "why didn't they ...", but for the most part the plot made sense and I found the characters motivations and actions believable.

The beautiful scenery should also be mentioned and the movie did a great job of placing the action in the scenery instead of just showing it to us.

Nit-picking: I didn't think much of the title sequence with it's floating 3d text, other than using an old looking font - I didn't get the connection. Also some things didn't sit well with what I know about the period, but after I got over myself I enjoyed it.

Too much flaws make this movie not that good

[mitchel_vaneeden · 4/10 · 14 August 2010]

This is my first review on IMDb. I normally read IMDb movie reviews with great interest, but for this movie I felt that I needed to wright one myself. Although this review contains spoilers and is intended for people who already saw this movie, for those of you who haven't seen this one yet, you might consider reading some of the more critical reviews like this one before making your decision.

I'm a fan of most historical adventure/action movies, and I've seen quite a few. This one tries to be different, but not in a good way. Some things bothered my and did not make sense to me at all, and i'd like to share some of them with you.

First, the action scenes really show the influence of director Neil Marshall (The Descent) with way too much blood and gore relative to the story. I know it might be realistic for battles these days, but it doesn't really add anything to the story.

Second, some plot developments really doesn't make any sense. The first scene in which the Romans are attacked by the Picts, why the hell do they leave Quintus Dias (Fassbender) alive? Because he speaks their language? It did not and does not make sense to me at all.

Third, the introduction of Etain (Kurylenko) is way too short. Who is she? Why is she in the Roman camp? Why can we trust her? We don't know, although the more intelligent viewer might conclude after one minute screen time that she might betray our Roman friends. Surprise! She does...

Fourth, it might be a minor bug but it sure is one for me! When the small group of Romans is attacked by the Picts after being chased 90% of the movie (see next point), they kill the junior scout (don't know actors name) with a spear through his mouth. Then they decapitate him, following the orders of Gorlacon who demanded the heads of our Roman friends after one of them killed his son. While the junior scout is decapitated, Brick is shot in the leg with an arrow. Instead of killing and decapitating him (which would make sense!!) one of the Picts says: ''let him bleed to death''. What the *****. You chase these guys for miles and hours, finally catch them and...one arrow in the leg and bleeding to death is suddenly good enough???

Fifht, the biggest fail in this movie for me is actually the whole plot. Why, after a small war against the Picts which the Picts won by killing a thousand Romans and capturing the general, would you think, would you assume, that a battered group of Romans can infiltrate the Pict camp and release the general. OK, something to do with loyalty, whatever. So they go to the camp, somehow manage to get to the general which, in theory, is impossible, but they can't release him??? OK, must have been some very well constructed metal chain. So they decide to go back (Picts are coming back to camp) but not before one of them kills Gorlacons son. This results in Gorlacon wanting the heads of these Romans. That's not good, not only for the Romans but for the viewers as well. Why? Because the movie transforms into one big chase (of which you know the outcome already at the beginning) in which Etain is some supernatural creature who can track people down in area's of hundreds of square miles. Whatever...After this boring as hell part, the most misplaced subplot I've seen in a long time makes this movie even weaker. One beautiful woman, who happens to live on her own, falls in love with our brave protagonist. Why does she live there? Who is she? Why isn't she dead? Why do these scenes take so ******* long?? And the big question: will our brave Roman see her again (seriously? I mean....oh common!!!!)

So, these things really ruined this movie for me. A weak movie, which tries to be something it fails to be. I hope people who read this review might agree with some elements in my review (although I respect everyones opinion, even the ones who make this movie an oscarwinner). And I specifically hope that those of you who did not see this movie yet, choose a different one. This one will bore you, makes you frustrated and finally makes you bored again.

A billion times better than Pathfinder crap.

[searchanddestroy-1 · 10 July 2010]

Of course, we can't put this film on the same scale as GLADIATOR. But I was amazingly surprised by this brutal, fierce, bloody tale of a bunch of roman soldiers on rampage.

We find here very interesting characters with no real lead. Many surprises too in this story. No silly good guys vs bad guys scheme either, as we could expect. Even with those we could see at first as the "evil" ones, we can feel empathy for them. Take for instance Etain, the woman character, the hunter and killer woman, we know here that she was raped when she was a child and saw her parents wiped out just before her eyes. I love this character. We should see more like this one in the movies.

This feature reminds me John Mc Tiernan's THIRTEENTH WARRIOR or I don't remember his name's VALHALLAH RISING.

Only the very ending disappointed me. The final sequence. For sissies only.

Full of joy and good cheer - not really

[neil-476 · 7/10 · 5 May 2010]

If you like your films to be dirty, cold, bleached out, full of violence and misery, then you're going to have a ball with this one.

It's the fag end of the Roman occupation of Britain, and a small group of Romans is trying to escape from the irate Picts on the wrong side of Hadrian's Wall. The problem is that the mute tracker Etain (Olga Kurylenko) isn't working for the Romans after all.

That's it really - one long chase across some of the bleakest landscapes ever put on film, with intermittent slaughter. The script is functional and occasionally witty. The performances are mostly OK, insofar as you can tell underneath the layers of furs and grime.

The action sequences tend to suffer from both hand-held camera syndrome and quick cutting syndrome - it isn't always easy to follow what's going on.

I do wish Imogen Poots would change her surname, she sounds like a character out of Monty Python.

But, of its sort, it is entertaining enough.