Scottish director Kevin Macdonald brings an impressive filmography to this drama having won an Oscar for the documentary "One Day in September" and two BAFTA awards for Best British Film ("The Last King of Scotland" and "Touching the Void"). He is reunited with screenwriter Jeremy Brock ("The Last King of Scotland"). The script is based on the best-selling 1954 young adult novel "The Eagle of the Ninth" by Rosemary Sutcliff, which is required reading in British schools.

The movie takes place in Roman-ruled Britain after the construction of Hadrian's Wall separating the known civilized world from the Northern territories. Marcus Flavius Aquila (Channing Tatum from "Dear John," "Public Enemies" and "Step Up") arrives from Rome to take command of a remote fort badly in need of repairs and a morale boost. He demonstrates heroism while under extreme duress when the fort is attacked by bloodthirsty Britons.

After suffering battle wounds from single-handedly taking on the rebel enemy leader, he is transferred to a medical facility and undergoes several operations to remove steel from his body.

During his recuperation, he stays with Aquila (Donald Sutherland from "The Mechanic," "Lord of War" and "The Italian Job"), a patrician uncle on his father's side. He discloses to Aquila the real reason he wanted to be posted in Britain.

Twenty years ago in 120 AD, his father commanded the Ninth Legion. The emblem of this group of 5,000 men was a bronze eagle sitting atop a wooden post. The historical record discloses that the Ninth including their eagle standard vanished following an expedition north to deal with savage Caledonian tribes. Marcus wants to restore his family's honor and good name by bringing back the missing eagle.

Marcus attends a fight in a coliseum where he spares the life of Esca (Jamie Bell from "Billy Elliot," "Defiance" and "Jumper"), a slave, from a gladiator's sword. The two set off on horseback in a quest to recover the eagle mascot.

Their dangerous journey into the highlands (now Scotland) and eventual confrontation with the Seal tribe are the main thrust of the story.

This adventure tale is suited to a male audience ages 8 to 17. Besides the immeasurable benefits of a trusting friendship, they will learn survival skills that will come in handy dealing with Mother Nature. Adults will probably lose interest and stop caring about the outcome.

The acting is lame, and the characters lack depth. The movie's strengths are the authentic costuming and the breathtaking scenery of Scotland and Hungary.

The supporting cast includes: Mark Strong (""Robin Hood," "Kick-Ass" and "Sherlock Holmes") as an ex-soldier who holds crucial information about the Ninth; Denis O'Hare (True Blood," "Edge of Darkness" and "Milk") as second in command of the outpost under Marcus; and Tahar Rahim ("A Prophet") as the son of the Seal tribal chief.

The movie was originally slated for a fall 2010 release, but was delayed to avoid confusion with a similarly themed "Centurion." The title was also shortened in the interim. This attempt to create a film of epic proportions falls short of "Gladiator" and "Braveheart," but is an improvement on last year's abysmal "Clash of the Titans." Some of the dialogue is in Gaelic with English subtitles.

Review By:
Keith Cohen "The Movie Guy"