Legion Bluray

Posted In: Legion

Karena Rester says...

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.

Posted on October 30, 2011

Rex Kasinger says...

Enjoyed the movie very much. Love the script. The big guy up there is feed up with

humans again, so he sends his angels to destroy....

Movie starts with actions...slows down a bit for character development and has

a decent ending.Enjoyed the movie and the acting...big bonus having Denis Quaid

in this one...gives the movie more quality. Sure the movie does not have a billion

dollar budget...but looks good anyway....

Watch out for the Ice Cream Man.

A keeper.

Posted on November 1, 2011

Terese Steelmon says...

LEGION is one of those movies you should probably hate, but I found myself liking it anyway.Paul Bettany plays a heaven-weary archangel Michael who disobeys God's orders to wipeout mankind.When archangel Gabriel steps in to punish him and carry out the order, all heaven breaks loose!

The film's setting in a desert cafe is the battleground and a small gathering joins in the battle.

Aforementioned plot holes aside, the movie uses its premise effectively with a good cast and visuals.Maybe hokey but fun!

Posted on November 1, 2011

Wally Virgile says...

First off, I don't think I'm totally insane yet, so let me defend my three star review (actually 2 and 1/2 if I was allowed it). Legion is as close to bad as a movie can be, yet I found enough little things to enjoy along the way. If you go in expecting a bigger than usual budget B movie, you will probably feel the same way I did leaving the theater. It is so silly and poorly written at times, but it is done with so much seriousness and belief in itself, you can't help but roll your eyes and go along. The cast is filled with a few more recognizable faces than one would expect, but I felt that Paul Bettany was easily the best of the bunch. Like everyone else, he isn't given great dialogue or much character depth, but he is a good enough actor to pull this part off. He has a sort of conviction in his voice that elevates his believability factor. Plus, it is cool seeing him an action role for a change. Dennis Quaid just seems to be just cashing in another check like he did with G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra and Pandorum (a slightly better film). The CGI isn't too bad, but the action is lacking anything worth remembering. The story is thin and easy to follow, though it seems to combine elements from too many movies.



Legion is good enough at being bad that I wouldn't mind watching it again on DVD some rainy day. Oh, let's not forget the most memorable character. A grandma looking like a Golden Girls casting reject who cusses out a woman, bites half of a dude's neck off, crawls all over the ceiling, gets her neck broken by a frying pan thrown through the air and still comes back for more. Who writes this stuff?



2 and 1/2 out of 5 stars

Posted on November 1, 2011

Conchita Trojecki says...

LEGION begins with a young girl explaining how her mother's belief in God evolved over time.Before her divorce, the mother believed in a loving and forgiving God (we can assume the one who gave the world Jesus).After her husband left, though, the mother spent more time talking about the God of the Old Testament, the fire-and-brimstone, flood the earth, look-at-me-the-wrong-way-and-I'll-turn-you-to-a-pillar-of-salt God.The mom couldn't explain the change, other than to guess that maybe God just got tired of all the ... um ... cow feces.I smiled when I heard this, because it sounded like a joke to me, but the resulting movie actually takes it pretty seriously.



Because God is angry again.Humanity has let him down for the last time, and he's not only turned his back on everyone, he's also unleashed the hordes of heaven to possess the weak who will then prey on the strong, mad cow-style.Oh, wait, not only that, but he's ordered his best gun -- the archangel Michael, played with thundering quietude by Paul Bettany -- to personally kill the unborn child of Charlie, a beautiful short order cook at a diner called Paradise Falls (a play on words that continued to assure me that the film was half-kidding).This diner is stuck way out in the middle of Nevada, nowhere near any falls, and the forces of evil -- wait, I mean, misapplied good -- begin to converge there and terrorize the diner's employees and its handful of customers.



Lucky them, Michael thinks God has burned one too many bushes, and he decides to protect the child.Thus we have our movie.A showdown between someone defying the very embodiment of morality in an act of ... morality.Depending on what you think of the concept of God, you might find this movie baffling or highly insulting.They say God works in mysterious ways, but this movie adds a horrendous petulance to God's mystery.He has thousands of angels surround the diner, but they mostly run around and get shot, and then everyone rests for about fifteen minutes.Michael hints at some vague rules, but they are as clear as the unborn child's status as Man's Last Hope.What's clear?It only takes about four people with automatic weapons to hold off the hordes of heaven.Turns out the Bible might have exagerrated all that.



The only time the movie has any juice is when Gabriel -- God's Golden Boy -- comes down to personally take care of the child.He does a very poor job, as you can imagine, but it does provide the opportunity to watch some much needed action as the two do battle and discuss what's best for God."You're giving God what he wants," Michael says (chin kick! wing slice!)."But I'm giving him what he needs!"Close your eyes, and you can almost imagine that it's a well-exercised gay couple arguing about how to raise their child.Or maybe I've been watching too much MODERN FAMILY these days.



The point being: this movie is not just silly, it's also weirdly dull.Say what you will about the acting (not bad at all), the dialogue (hammy, but sincere), or the directing (rote).What's ultimately the fatal flaw in this film is the plot.This, folks, is what happens when God throws an Apocalypse, and Satan doesn't show up.

Posted on November 2, 2011

Kanisha Gallaher says...

Legion is an apocalyptic horror/action movie that centers around the birth of a child and the legions of angels sent by God trying to kill it.The movie begins with the archangel, Michael, leaving God's army and traveling to protect the unborn child at a diner/ gas station in the desert.



This movie has decent special effects, casting, and cinematography, but lacks substance.The focus seems to have been on visual stimulation and not a well detailed plot.All of the bits and pieces are there, but the story was not developed enough to give this movie real substance.It is a wax apple compared to a real apple, it looks good and nice to eat, but it doesn't have a real matter to it.



I wouldn't waste my time watching this movie; you'll end up not hating it, but not caring about it either.Oh, the movie was really predictable too.I don't like watching movies when I think I could have written it better.

Posted on November 3, 2011

Tereasa Vanroekel says...

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."

Posted on November 4, 2011

Assunta Rosenbarger says...

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.

Posted on November 7, 2011

Andreas Stockhoff says...

I really enjoyed the movie, although it had a fair amount of gore.I thought it had a decent storyline and decent CGI.The acting byPaul Bettany was strong and is what actually held the movie together.He portrayed Archangel Michael.Dennis Quaid was really just a "name" filler.While Dennis had a part through most of the picture, it was only as background.



This was an apocalyptic film.The basic premise is that God is tired of the Earth humans trashing the Earth and each other with wars, killing, etc.God calls his army of angels together, led by Archangels Gabriel and Michael, and tells them to go down to Earth and kill us all.Gabriel orders Michael to kill the unborn baby of a certain girl, because this baby represents hope to mankind.Michael is torn between God's order and Michael's own love for mankind.Although many humans are not behaving as God wants, Michael still sees a few good and loving people who will not give up.So Michael decides he will give God what He NEEDS, not what He says He WANTS.Michael descends to protect the pregnant girl and ensure the baby is born.



The story begins with Michael leaping down to earth on December 23 at about 1 a.m..Shortly after that, he cuts off his wings, grabs a whole bunch of guns and ammo.Confronted by 2 police officers, he tells them, "It's starting.There isn't much time."After a brief negative encounter, Michael heads off in the police car, which the officers no longer need. (What the heck???)



We switch to a scene in the California desert.There is nothing around for miles except a very simplistic diner, called "Paradise Falls" owned and operated by Dennis Quaid. His son works there too, as a handyman.A young girl also works there and lives in a small trailer on the premises.She is 8 months pregnant by someone who is gone from the picture.The son is a good and simple soul who is crazy about the girl and wants to take care of her and the baby.



Slowly, a small diverse collection of people begin to make their way to the diner.As another reviewer said, it would have been nice if the movie had taken a little time to background the people.No sooner do people get in place than the sky begins to darken.Then sweet little Granny Packer comes in and turns into the terror from Hell.She tells the pregnant girl her baby will burn, sinks her pointed teeth into a customer's neck, and climbs up the wall.You cannot help but cheer as the cook bounces a frying pan off her head!



As a couple of people try to get help for the injured customer, they see thousands of flies everywhere (yuk) and cannot drive.Everyone is stuck at the diner when Michael arrives and tells them that we are "running out of time" (as if Granny Packer wasn't a clue.)He explains that the last time God lost faith in man, he sent a flood.Shortly after that, the group has to begin fighting zombie creatures that were once human, but ain't no more!



This movie is NOT for children, because of the gore and because of the message that God would send his angels to destroy humanity.Although I do not believe that my God is vengeful and I do not see my favorite angels, Gabriel and Michael, ever in this kind of role, I enjoyed the movie as pure FICTION, although I would never have written the story line this way. I guess it is an attempt to tell people to wake up and act right before you lose it all.Regardless of what you believe about God, I think almost everyone will agree that the human race is not acting in a way that ensures its continued existence.



I enjoyed the first time but would I watch it a second time?Probably not.Note: I did buy the DVD for my 37 year old son and he has watched it several times already.

Posted on November 8, 2011

Clelia Towler says...

I am surprised by all of the bad reviews. I believe many were expecting a larger scope production. This is a barricade yourself into a dwelling and fight for your life picture. Good acting and an enjoyable story rounds of Legion as well worth the view.



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Posted on November 9, 2011