Legion ReviewsLegion
AT A REMOTE DESERT TRUCK STOP, THE FATE OF THE WORLD WILL BE DECIDED. EVIL’S ARMIES ARE AMASSING. ARMED & UNITED BY THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL, A GROUP OF STRANGERS BECOME UNITTING SOLDIERS ON THE FRONTLINES OF THE APOCALYPSE. THEIR MISSION: TO PROTECT A WAITRESS & HER UNBORN CHILD FROM THE DEMONIC LEGION.As pure check-your-head-at-the-door popcorn entertainment, the apocalyptic action-horror hybrid Legion delivers in nearly every frame–its story of a band of strangers fighting an army of angels and
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(out of 83 reviews)
Review by Chris Pandolfi for Legion
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God has lost faith in humanity, something that hasn’t happened since the days of Noah. But instead of a flood, He has sent down a legion of angels, who possess the bodies of weak-minded people, turning them into … certainly not demons, but then again, there’s nothing angelic about these people, so maybe there’s no other way to describe them. Anyway, it seems the only one who has kept the faith is the archangel Michael (Paul Bettany), who directly disobeys God by protecting what he was sent to destroy: A pregnant young waitress named Charlie (Adrianne Palicki), whose child was prophesized to be humanity’s salvation. Upon finding her in a middle-of-nowhere New Mexico diner – named, appropriately, Paradise Falls – Michael leads a stranded group of strangers in an apocalyptic battle against the angels, who descend in droves.
What I find fascinating is that, for a film that comes across as nothing more than a violent, gory supernatural thriller, “Legion” tells a thoroughly absorbing story, one that, oddly enough, sends a message more hopeful and satisfying than the one sent by the duplicitous “The Book of Eli.” I suspect few will latch onto this, since more time is spent on bloody shootouts and cornball dialogue; a basic shot consists of Bettany toting heavy artillery while someone over his shoulder swears loudly. Another basic shot shows a possessed person transforming hideously, and yes, this includes the overhyped scene of the old woman in the diner. And yet, in spite of all this, the subtexts are there, and there are moments of compelling character development.
Consider the relationship between Charlie and her boyfriend, a simple but decent mechanic named Jeep (Lucas Black); he wants to provide for her despite not being the father of her child, which she finds difficult to understand since she doesn’t believe herself to be all that good of a person. She has no plans for the future. She contemplated an abortion, and even in her eighth month of pregnancy, she smokes. “Why do you have so much faith in me?” she asks Jeep, as if to suggest that it’s wrong to care for someone who doesn’t have it together. “Am I another one of your lost causes?” Jeep then leaves, refusing to indulge a woman who spends every moment feeling sorry for herself.
Another important relationship is examined. Jeep and his father, Bob (Dennis Quaid), haven’t been getting along too well lately, although we quickly learn that Bob is really not a bad guy – he just doesn’t want his son making the same mistakes he made, mistakes that left him without a wife in a poor desert town working a dead-end job. Although he has difficulty showing it, he sees the good in Jeep and wants him to put it to better use than fixing cars in a rusty garage.
From Michael’s point of view, Jeep is a sign that, in spite of wars, injustice, bigotry, greed, and waste, humanity is indeed worth saving. But it won’t be an easy fight; even if Charlie’s child manages to be born, it will still be vulnerable to the archangel Gabriel (Kevin Durand), leader of the angel army on Earth. Unlike Michael, he believes that if God gives an order, it should never, ever be questioned. Needless to say, he and Michael are now enemies, although one gets the sense that, deep down, Gabriel wants to side with Michael.
I’m probably in the minority here, but I think that there are deeper aspects to “Legion.” I also think that they redeem the disappointing screenplay, parts of which seem to have been written by a potty-mouthed sixteen-year-old. Some of the worst dialogue is given to Quaid, who at times portrays his character as nothing more than a country/western stereotype. And then there’s Charles S. Dutton as a God-fearing veteran with a hook for a hand, who at one point recalls his father’s words of wisdom about dying before waking up. It wasn’t profound by any means, but the fact that he tried to make it seem like it was caught my attention.
“Legion” is not a great movie, and will never be seen as one. But I do think it’s better than some have suggested. It tells a Christ-inspired fable that consistently kept me interested, and in spite of some bad dialogue, ridiculous action sequences, and overly gory special effects, it had surprisingly good depth of character. Its greatest accomplishment was its ability to tell a hopeful story without having to cheat at the last second, which is more than I can say for Denzel Washington’s latest movie. Keep in mind, however, that this is coming from the guy who loved the critical flop “Knowing” and hated the much praised “Babel,” so maybe my priorities aren’t yet straight when it comes to spiritual parables.
Review by Scott Wilke for Legion
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I went into this movie knowing that it was going to be cheesy and over the top…I mean, the preview alone clues you in that this movie doesn’t completely take itself seriously. Gun-wielding angels? Spider-like ice cream truck driver? Come on. That being said, I left the theater both pleased and a bit surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie.
The fact is, if you hold this movie up to classic films, obviously it’s going to fall short. If you hold it up to other campy films of it’s kind, it’s going to fit perfectly. The acting is sub-par, the plot is obviously pretty ridiculous, and the ending is predictable (for the most part.) Okay, well name me another campy film that doesn’t have those qualities?
I, myself, am personally not interested in going to the theaters to see movies that are so called “works of art.” If I wanted to see a work of art, I’d go to the museum. I go to the movies to see big explosions, elaborate fight scenes, and crazy and unbelievable storylines. So, if you’re like me, ignore all the negative feedback on this movie and check this one out, I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
To all you hoity toity reviewers out there that think if you use big words and “sophisticated” jokes you’ll be the next Roger Ebert…don’t quit your day job. And if you think you could make a better film…why don’t you? Go write up a screenplay and pitch it…let the world see what wonderous things your imagination can muster up. I guess it all comes back to that old saying though, “Those who can’t do…criticize.”
Review by Derik G. Wilson for Legion
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This movie was watchable, but not very entertaining. Why did angels need to posses people when Micheal and Gabriel were clearly corporeal in the movie? Since when does God ever change His mind? What did the baby have to do with anything? They were all after the baby, yet Michael said that God was exterminating the human race. He said the baby was the last hope, yet the baby played really no part at all in the end-game. This movie didn’t seam like a good what-if plot at all because it wasn’t well thought out or even well written. With that cast, the writer and director could have made a block buster movie, but instead, the writer chose to release nonsense.
Review by Grady Harp for Legion
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LEGION attracts the viewer because of the cover of the DVD: would Paul Bettany, looking very buff as a cross between evil dark gear under the glow of divine light, betray his fans by making a bad picture? Well, yes. And so is the case for Dennis Quaid, Charles S. Dutton, Tyrese Gibson, etc. perhaps there just aren’t many scripts form which to choose that draws actors of this quality into a unintentionally comical dud. But here we are with over two hours of nonsense that may have at its core a good idea but escaped the borders of good taste and character/story development. Scott Stewart wrote (with Peter Schwink – neither with impressive credentials except for ‘unlisted special effects’ work in prior works) and directed this plodding CGI mess and even Paul Bettany can’t save it.
Going on the prediction that ‘when the last angel falls, the fight for mankind begins’, Paul Bettany as Michael falls to the earth in Los Angeles, cuts off his black wings, kills a couple of sadistic cops, and steals their vehicle to drive to the desert (apparently in Arizona) where dwells a grumpy Dad (Dennis Quaid) and his son Jeep (Lucas Black) in a little trailer hut cum diner/truck stop. The reason for the destination is that here lives the very pregnant tacky unmarried young girl Charlie (Adrianne Palicki), cared for by Jeep, who is apparently carrying the infant that will save the world after Armageddon: Percy the cook (Charles S. Dutton) just looks on. Michael arrives, a lost man (Tyrese Gibson) with a past seeks information about his destination, a cranky couple with daughter (Willa Holland, Jon Tenney, Kate Walsh) complains about everything and the delay in their car repair by Jeep, and Jeep yearns (it’s hard to tell his emotions since his acting ability is minimal) to care for the reluctant Charlie. Out of a flock of flies and other insects come a crazy possessed old lady (Jeanette Miller) who climbs the ceiling, an ice cream man (Doug Jones) who morphs into a silly CGI creation, and a whole flock of displaced persons who are driven by the need to kill the baby in Charlie’s womb. The rest of the ‘story’ is pure CGI stuff which becomes almost intolerably boring.
With all of the fascination with the approaching prediction of the end of the world in 2012 it is understandable that everyone wants to jump on board a popular topic. Hopefully a sensitive version will come along, one that makes us think instead of cringe. Grady Harp, May 10
Review by M for Legion
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The commercials made this movie look so good, and it had loads of promise. It started off very well, and though I can’t say that the ending was BAD, it was definitely lacking and could have been much more. It’s a movie about an angel saving some unborn baby (which has a mom that keeps smoking through her pregnancy, WTF), which was disappointing because I was hoping it would be about the end of the world. Overall it’s not a bad flick and has its good points, but in the end, it’s not THAT good.