The Eagle

Fist of, excuse my English, im trying my best. Second I doubt very much this movie have accurate historical truth in it. Third I don't know why nobody is talking about the message of this movie. In this movie the "good" guys seem to be the son of a legion leader who wants his family honor back(by recovering a stupid eagle, big EGO) and a slave whos family was killed by the father of the first good guy?!??!? The "bad" guys are the people who defend their land against their enemy(Excuse me but if you are coming into my house with a sword I will cut your head off). Of course the northen tribes have great qualities(running faster then horses) but they somehow fail?!?!?, and the good guys(an egotistical idiot and a traitor) can kill each like hercules(although they look like they eat at mcdonals all their lifes). Awful movie.

The whole plot is quite simple teenager level stuff though it's a little brutal in parts . No plot holes or bad acting and some decently scary Scots. Competently done in all aspects , a good dose of realism would've made it a great film like The Grey or The Revenant , but instead it's a bit of a cheese sandwich version of those films apparently deliberately as it's well executed

I won't watch this film for any million dollar check. I won't say it's a crap either, but what a deception!!! I was waiting for a feature in the line of Neil Marshall's CENTURION, not a masterpiece but far more interesting than this one, and I finally fought against myself not to leave the theatre during the film. I was waiting for a good ending, for my taste, I mean. We see here only good feelings and predictable situations. No real violence, no pain, no torture, no cruelty, all these things a film like this needs to be efficient. See for instance Christopher Smith's masterpiece BLACK DEATH. That's a real gem, not for the squeamish, a film that hits you in the face and you can't forget. This one, I won't recommend it even to my worst enemy. I love poignant stories that make you suffer, like a knife in your guts. Here, you feel asleep or hurry to watch the ending credits. Forget it.

The story and acting have heart even though the The Eagle is absolutely a ridiculous fantasy in so many different ways! But Donald Sutherland is one of my favorite actors and his performance is wonderful. To see him act one more time on the big screen was worth the price of admission! There's also an anti-war message clearly expressed at the end of the film. It's more enjoyable to have one true-blue friend than it is to kill or be part of the military. The soldiers may have honor, but the politicians that tell the military what to do certainly do not! There's also a lot of testosterone running through The Eagle that is delightfully homoerotic! It's a pleasure to watch so many incredibly fit men show off their bodies and prowess! It's just a shame all this libido is wasted on intense violence!