"The Eagle" has surprisingly landed successfully

What was thought to be just the same old action film modeled after films like Gladiator and King Arthur was actually more than expected, for The Eagle not only surprises but entertains as well.

            Set in 140 AD, twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion in the mountains of Scotland, young centurion Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) arrives from Rome to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father, the commander of the Ninth. Accompanied only by his British slave Esca (Jamie Bell), Marcus sets out across Hadrian's Wall into the uncharted highlands of Caledonia - to confront its savage tribes, make peace with his father's memory, and retrieve the lost legion's golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth.

            When first viewing the trailer for this film, it is interesting how it tells very little about what the movie is about. One gets the impression that it's an action flick that's set during Roman times, and it's stars big-time action guy and object of girls' crushes, Channing Tatum. However, this film is the most surprising and unexpectedly entertaining to be released this year. The story is interesting, the plot is suspenseful, the acting by the principal characters is actually very good, and the action is not overdone.

            Out of everything that was good about this film, the best part of it was the mysterious and inspiring storyline. Throughout the film, the plot seems pretty easy to figure out: entire legion disappears in unexplored lands, son goes to solve the mystery and restore his family's honor, and then finds his father has survived within the natives' community with the Eagle safe and sound. However, anyone who thinks this is what happens would be very wrong. Every moment of the film is so suspenseful that it's hard to really know what will happen. One minute, something's happening and you think that you can see what direction the scene will go, and then the next minute, something totally unpredicted happens. This is not a bad thing, because the whole film is made better by the great storytelling.

            For anyone who didn't really have any intention to go see this movie, don't be deterred, because it's actually better than you think. This film is a truly entertaining thing to behold, with a great balance of good acting, skillful storytelling, and not too many fight scenes.