Review: Legion (2010)

By FORCH F. FORTIER

What did we do to piss off the almighty?

I’m not sure, but if the 2010 movie: Legion is any indication of things to come; I weep for the future of the human race.

Not just because of the events of the film, but because of the fact that if this is a sign of movies and the way they’re going to be made in the future, I weep for the filmgoer.

Legion stars Paul Bettany (A Knight’s Tale) as the Archangel Michael, who after disobeying God, falls to Earth and transubstantiates in order to save humanity from incurring God’s wrath.

He raids a weapons cache, and after stopping a possessed police officer, he heads off to the deserts of New Mexico to save a pregnant waitress, Charlie, played by Adrianne Palicki (TV’s Friday Night Lights) whose baby is the key to saving humanity.

After some strange goings on at the diner, including a possessed old lady who crawls up the ceiling, the patrons and staff at the diner are realizing that there is something strange afoot.

Michael arrives, and tells everyone that God has lost faith in humanity, and like the flood [Noah’s Ark] before it, God is going to wipe out humanity as a whole, and send down his army of Angels to kill everyone.

The film itself is very dark. Not just the premise, but also the picture itself is as well. Most of the movie does take place at night, which makes things quite difficult to watch at times.

The special effects are quite good when used, but they do not add to a story, which is quite weak in parts. It isn’t an unoriginal premise, but the plotline is just weak, and not very enthralling. I found my attention not being focused on the screen the whole time, and wandering off at parts.

The film was casted well, as it included a group of very good actors such as Dennis Quaid (Frequency), Tyrese Gibson (Death Race) and Charles S. Dutton (The Express). The problem the film faces is that regardless of the on screen talent, if the story is subpar, the finished product is going to appear the same. This film is no exception.

Directed by Scott Stewart, who has no other previous major film direction credits, you can see that there is a lack of experience at the helm, which really makes the film suffer as a whole.

I give Legion 2 out of 10.