The Last Legion

Take a bit of Arthurian myth, Caesar’s Rome, and marauding Goths from Britain, toss in odd casting and sprinkle in an improbable plot and you have “The Last Legion.” It’s not as bad as it sounds, however. Set in 630 B.C., Rome is teetering on the brink of ruin and a ten-year-old boy has just been crowned Caesar. Enter the Goths who sack Rome, set up rule, and imprison the boy. The movie starts out in Rome and ends up in Britannia, searching for the legendary Ninth Legion. A bit improbable, but if you’re not a history buff or an Arthur scholar, it’s an interesting adventure. And interesting might be the operable word for the cast. While I liked Colin Firth in “Love Actually,” he’s an odd choice for a Roman commander. Aishwarya Rai, a well-known Indian actress, is a beautiful Eastern warrior who can hold her own against Roman and Goth alike, but her beauty tends to be distracting. And Ben Kingsley, as good as he always is, often makes strange movie role choices and this is a good example. In spite of this movie’s flaws, it’s engaging and certainly a better movie than “The Invasion.” (8/18/07)