Centurion

Name: Centurion
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History, Thriller
Released: August 27, 2010
Duration: 97 min
Rating: 62
Cast: Dominic West, Michael Fassbender, Olga Kurylenko

2010

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 21 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 119 Ratings

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6.0	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 119 Ratings

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Centurion

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Movie Details & Credits

Magnet Releasing | Release Date: August 27, 2010 | R

Starring: Dominic West, Michael Fassbender, Olga Kurylenko

Summary: Centurion is set during the war between Roman soldiers and Pict tribesmen during the 2nd century Roman conquest of Britain. Quintus Dias is a Roman centurion and son of a legendary gladiator who leads a group of soldiers on a raid of a Pict camp to rescue a captured general. The son of the Pict leader is murdered during the raid, and theCenturion is set during the war between Roman soldiers and Pict tribesmen during the 2nd century Roman conquest of Britain. Quintus Dias is a Roman centurion and son of a legendary gladiator who leads a group of soldiers on a raid of a Pict camp to rescue a captured general. The son of the Pict leader is murdered during the raid, and the Romans find themselves hunted by a seemingly unstoppable group of the Pict’s most vicious and skilled warriors, led by a beautiful and deadly tracker, and hell bent on revenge. (Magnolia Pictures)… Expand

Director: Neil Marshall

Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Drama, History, Thriller, War

Rating: R

Runtime: 97 min

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Critic Reviews

F. X. Feeney

Up to now, writer-director Neil Marshall has specialized in horror movies (Dog Soldiers, The Descent), but here, he imagines and communicates a remote world with terrific energy and a passion for detail. Read full review

Betsy Sharkey

Fast-moving, epic-on-a-shoestring tale of one Roman soldier's fight that is by turns heroic, fearsome, funny, fateful and, oh, so brutal, with swords hacking off heads at every turn. Read full review

James Berardinelli

Marshall, who helmed the underrated horror film, "The Descent," has a flair for the visual. Some of the mountainscapes, captured by use of a helicopter, are nothing short of spectacular. Read full review

M. E. Russell

If I believed in the concept of "guilty pleasures," I'd classify "Centurion" as one, but I think I maybe just kind of enjoyed it. Read full review

Empire Dan Jolin

A gritty, brutal chase movie that's more about swords (and spears, and axes) than sandals - although it could have done with a lot more character-meat on those bones. Read full review

Peter Rainer

Compared with, say, Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto," which featured this sort of stuff in practically every frame, Marshall's film is downright Disneyish. Read full review

Boxoffice Magazine Wade Major

To say that Marshall's technique is so low-brow it may as well be a moustache is being kind--at best this is the sort of lazy, ambitionless hackery that can lead both filmmakers and audiences to write off a genre for dead--or at least until a more skilled storyteller is able to do it right. Read full review

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User Reviews

MrCreativename

Nov 12, 2010

Loved it. The story played out well and the acting was great. Overall it was a very enjoyable movie and I see no major issues with it except for maybe a few cliches.

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

KellyGaudreau

Dec 29, 2019

I disagree with the critics on this one. Although bloody and ruthless it holds historical significance and a plausible theory as to the fate of the Roman Ninth Legion.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

bradleybossard

Nov 14, 2010

Enjoyed this movie for the action and the scenery, the highlands of northern England. While not quite as polished as Gladiator, it projects the same barbarity of medieval life and warfare. The villain could have been a big more vile and the hero more heroic, but for those looking forEnjoyed this movie for the action and the scenery, the highlands of northern England. While not quite as polished as Gladiator, it projects the same barbarity of medieval life and warfare. The villain could have been a big more vile and the hero more heroic, but for those looking for strong violence and epic landscapes, this film will not disappoint.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

tay2

Jul 23, 2021

Neil Marshall seems an odd choice for this type of movie . An established horror director isn't the first person you'd think of when choosing a director to make a historical adventure featuring ancient Rome in their battle to tame the Picts . That said he knows Scotland very well since hisNeil Marshall seems an odd choice for this type of movie . An established horror director isn't the first person you'd think of when choosing a director to make a historical adventure featuring ancient Rome in their battle to tame the Picts . That said he knows Scotland very well since his previous films DOG SOLDIERS and DOOMSDAY were both set there even if they were filmed in Luxumberg and South Africa respectively . At least the Scotland here resembles the gloomy bleak landscape seen in Winter

From the outset Marshall shows his genre roots by making CENTURION as violent as possible . I saw this on the same day as I saw the last RAMBO movie and there's not a world of difference between the two movies where violence is concerned , people are decapitated and disemboweled and rivers run red with blood . If there's a problem it's as in his other films Marshall shows a slight problem with pacing . When characters sit down and talk you find yourself hoping for a bit more character interaction but this rug is pulled from under the audiences feet and we're back to a bloody set-piece regardless if it's needed or not . I had hoped for a little bit more conversation and a little bit less action please . If someone makes a bio-pic on Elvis then Neil Marshall will not be that director. That said films such as THE NAKED PREY and APOCALYPTO don't have much in the way of conversation either

I'll say one thing in favour of the director and that is he's able to make a film where the British Isles have been invaded and the modern day British audience are still able to empathise with the invaders to an extent . Neither side is painted in black and white and the Romans are helped by the fact that they're played by a likable cast . One possibly might suggest that there's a subtext on Afghanistan going on here somewhere . By this I mean an all conquering super power finding itself unable to decisively beat an indigenous population . In fact the infamous line about Afghanistan being " The grave yard of empires " is almost spoken in relation to the Picts

And that's perhaps the underlying fundamental problem with CENTURION . It's a film that could be somewhat more cerebral and character driven but has sacrificed this in order to be a violent historical action adventure that doesn't let up . It's a good film but perhaps should have been an even better one regardless of the budget… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

glomman

Dec 31, 2020

Centurion is a very cheaply produced movie, which I didn't see, because it starred Michael Fassbender. It tries to shock with overt depictions of gore and arcane, murdering tribesmen (and women), which just makes it look like some 1€ direct to DVD movie, which wouldn't shock me, if that wereCenturion is a very cheaply produced movie, which I didn't see, because it starred Michael Fassbender. It tries to shock with overt depictions of gore and arcane, murdering tribesmen (and women), which just makes it look like some 1€ direct to DVD movie, which wouldn't shock me, if that were the case. I didn't look it up, because I can't be bothered to spend any more time with this movie.
If you're some Roman cosplayer and you like a desperate fight for survival with bad gore and blood effects, this is a movie for you.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JennetP

Jan 14, 2011

This film inserts itself into a couple of historical gaps: first, what happened to the soldiers of the Ninth Legion; second, what were the Picts really like? "Centurion" comes up with much more sinister answers than historians venture, but, hey, it's a movie, right? Problem is, the filmThis film inserts itself into a couple of historical gaps: first, what happened to the soldiers of the Ninth Legion; second, what were the Picts really like? "Centurion" comes up with much more sinister answers than historians venture, but, hey, it's a movie, right? Problem is, the film can't decide whether it wants to be a kind of anti-epic or a simple chase film. As one who steps out for popcorn when a film "cuts to the chase," I'm much more interested in the former, so I enjoyed those scenes in which the Romans betray the "civilizing" values they claimed to be taking to "the barbarians." Fight scenes, too, were pretty engaging, though I was a little surprised that the giant fireballs from "Troy" managed to roll all the way to the Scottish highlands. Moreover, I genuinely didn't see the ending coming, which was a treat. But the vast stretches of film in which pursuer followed pursued I found eye-rollingly dull, despite some novel characters and gorgeous scenery.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Bigio

Jun 7, 2020

Romans have the stirrups. That's enough...........................................................................................................

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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