The Eagle

Roman soldier Marcus Aquila (played with stoic determination by Channing Tatum) goes on a quest to bring back a treasured golden eagle emblem lost, along with a squad of men, 20 years ago. Based on the 1954 novel The Eagle of the Ninth, this shortened-title movie adaptation has more in common with 300 and other crimson-colored epics set in the time of tunics and leather lappets. Marcus also has daddy issues, so there’s plenty of soul-searching in the laborious script. Director Kevin Macdonald lays on everything superthick: the battle scenes, Marcus’ quest, the dialogue, and especially the sense of honor at the center of the story. The Eagle wants to go deeper than its predecessors but ends up a shallow reflection of them. Of course Marcus learns a thing or two about life along the way. But all you’re left with is the long, tedious journey.