Review: The Eagle

My wife and I made the best of an errand-centric trip to Toronto to sneak some "away time" from the kids to catch a matinee showing of "The Eagle".  Living close to Owen Sound means that our local Galaxy focuses more on the movies that appeal to the Grey-Bruce clientele, and as such, movies with a historical-basis are usually passed over for more popular drivel like "Yogi-Bear 3D" and "Beastly".
This is one time I wished we  hadn't tried so hard to see a movie (I also really wanted to see "The Adjustment Bureau" this weekend).  Once again, the glory and horror of Rome is poorly brought to the big screen.  While TV shows like Rome and Spartacus weave complex tales that have you both loving and hating the main characters, "The Eagle" left me bored and apathetic to the plight of any one in the film.  This movie fits into my basic axiom that if "Donald Sutherland is in it, it will be a colossal waste of time and money".  This movie did not disappoint in that regard.
Tatum and Bell are good in their roles but the movie just plods along even in its battle sequences.  It was a movie that should have been edited for at least an AA rating, but was watered down to a PG, and as such, the action scenes looked like they were filmed for a Hallmark TV special.
Luckily for most, this movie should be making it's exit from theatres this week.  I would even resist the temptation to rent it on DVD.  For those who do such things, it's not even worth the wasted electrons needed to download the torrent.

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