The Last Legion (2007)

As the Roman empire crumbles, young Romulus Augustus flees the city and embarks on a perilous voyage to Britain to track down a legion of supporters.

Director:

Doug Lefler

Writers:

Jez Butterworth (screenplay), Tom Butterworth (screenplay)

Stars:

Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Colin Firth	...	Aurelius
Ben Kingsley	...	Ambrosinus / Merlin
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan	...	Mira (as Aishwarya Rai)
Peter Mullan	...	Odoacer
Kevin McKidd	...	Wulfila
John Hannah	...	Nestor
Iain Glen	...	Orestes
Thomas Brodie-Sangster	...	Romulus Augustus (as Thomas Sangster)
Rupert Friend	...	Demetrius
Nonso Anozie	...	Batiatus
Owen Teale	...	Vatrenus
Alexander Siddig	...	Theodorus Andronikos
Robert Pugh	...	Kustennin
James Cosmo	...	Hrothgar
Harry Van Gorkum	...	Vortgyn

Storyline

Circa 460 A.D. Mira was born in a warrior-family in Kerala, India, was well versed in martial arts and self-defense, so much so that she was recruited by the Spanish royalty and re-located to Constantinople. From there she was instructed to assist Roman Commander Aurelius to plan the escape of 12-year old Romulus Augustus Caesar from a prison in Capri after his parents had been killed by the leader of the Alliance in turmoil-stricken Rome that has seen the deaths of five emperors in five years. Mira, Aurelius, and a Priest, Ambrosinius, along with a handful of loyal soldiers were successful in the escape plan and deliver Romulus to Roman Senator Nestor. What the crew do not realize is that their task is not over yet, for Nestor is all set to betray Romulus, leaving them with no alternative but to flee to Britannia, where they will be forced to confront a seemingly invincible Vortygn, whose main aim is to obtain a powerful sword that was meant for defense and defeat, and also ensure ...

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Plot Keywords:

roman legion | 5th century | caligula character | merlin character | king hrothgar character | 

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Taglines:

The end of an empire...the beginning of a legend.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Germany]

Country:

UK France Slovakia Tunisia Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 August 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Última Legião

Filming Locations:

Cerveny Castle, Pezinok, Slovakia

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£125,540 (United Kingdom), 21 October 2007, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,746,312, 19 August 2007, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$5,932,060, 26 October 2007

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$25,303,038, 26 August 2012

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dino De Laurentiis Company, Quinta Communications, Ingenious Film Partners

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The statue of Gaio Giulio Cesare (at around 37 mins) was not the primary statue used in Tunisia; rather, it was a special effects statue with a large gaping hole in its back and which was intended to be rigged to blow up. When production moved from Tunisia to Slovakia the primary statue was lost.

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Goofs

As Romulus passes Caesar's guard in the coronation procession (at around 9 mins), Demetrius mouths the words "We're dead." (In the DVD commentary it is explained that "we took it out just because it was too soft to be heard over the noise of the procession and the music.")

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Quotes

Aurelius: [sees Mira behind him] I told you to stay on the boat.
Mira: You will need my help.
[She climbs up closer, and freezes when he puts his sword to her throat]
Aurelius: You know what happens to a soldier of mine who disobeys an order?
Mira: [pushes the blade aside] Your men are too slow.

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Connections

References Love Actually (2003)

User Reviews

fun light-hearted legend

I can understand why some people may be disappointed watching this movie, especially if they were expecting a CGI laden gore-fest. If you do not expect this then you should not be too disappointed.

I think the negative comments go too far. It never pretended to be anything other than an action/adventure movie from the beginning (so why compare it to hardcore historical stuff), it was funny, mixed up a few legends, and had a very simple but nevertheless entertaining story.

This light hearted and enjoyable movie provides well-paced entertainment that would be suitable for a teenage audience (perhaps 10+) but can also be enjoyed by adults.

There is no gore, sex, or swearing, and whilst the fine cast will not win any Oscars for their performance, they did a fine job in fulfilling their roles, given the movies objectives.

This movie does what it says on the tin and does it well. A fine example of how a movie can be enjoyable without every scene being covered in blood (although I enjoy those movies too).