The Lost Legion (2015)

Wonderful Movie

Memorable, crazy movie

Good movie but grossly overrated

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Just to make things clear, have no prejudice against low-budget films despite how my recent reviews as part of my low-budget film quest implies. There are actually good ones out there that may not be the most visually accomplished but surmount that with doing other components well. There are also really lame and often even worse ones out there.'The Lost Legion' is not one of the worst examples out there or of the ones seen recently by me. There is a huge amount wrong with it and the flaws are major, quite a lot of it is amateurish, but 'The Lost Legion' at least didn't insult my intelligence as much as other films that were part of the quest and there was a little effort put into a couple, emphasis on couple, of elements that they didn't have. Its least bad elements are that the costumes don't look as ugly fancy dress/shoe-string budget as one would fear. Also Brian Caspe's performance is fun to watch, because he not only tries but he enjoys himself too.Nothing else good going on here sadly. The acting elsewhere lacks any kind of passion or emotion, even skill or direction, with an uncharismatic central performance and a bland and charmless female lead. Only Caspe comes out unscathed.'The Lost Legion's' uncharismatic, wimpy and annoying character writing and writing that is far too excessively ridiculous to be guilty pleasure cheese and too awkward and dull to be tongue in cheek works against them. As well as non-existent direction.Direction that fails to convey any urgency, tension, fun, suspense or emotion in the numerous scenes that need them. The action-oriented scenes, the few there are any, are the complete anti-thesis of exciting, are poorly filmed and looks so awkward in the choreography. The whole story is just lifeless, completely fails to make any sense at all and on the wrong side of daft that it's insultingly ridiculous. Nothing suspenseful or fun here and the lack of attention to visual and historical detail does annoy.Visually, 'The Lost Legion' looks cheap as sin, with an overuse of truly risible effects that never gels with the setting or looks real, dizzying camera work and editing and shoe-string budget production design. The music is ill-fitting and not appealing on the ear. In summation, nothing glorious and very chaotic. 2/10 Bethany Cox

The year is 475 AD, the current Western Emperor of Rome is Julius Nepos and in the northern region of this vast empire we meet Maximus Antonius Albanis, he is married to scheming opportunist and widow - Urbina Prima. Her son has a sort of claim to the Empire but has been schooled in the ways of self interest, the use of expletives, bad acting and over dubbing and as such is not fit to rule (or act).Then we have some war lord getting attacked in some forest and he then gets double crossed in a bid to sway another war lord. All the time Urbina Prima is wandering around half dressed trying to bed anything and undermine everyone till she gets her hands on the levers of power like some obsessive disorder nympho with an allergy to the truth - and clothes, unless they are transparent.I think that covers the plot. Right the good points are that the uniforms and props are all quite good, there is some correct historical references and the make up is on the money for the most part. Also to be completely fair there is some good to OK acting hence the 2 stars, with most of the main roles being filled by competent players.Now to the bad bits; this is supposed to be about a lost legion, well I think they went AWOL before filming as there is not one here to actually lose. We do have some legionaries but don't let them near a mic as they couldn't act their way out of a paper bag or the Roman equivalent of a flimsy carrying vessel. The action scenes are filmed on such a small set that I am amazed the cameraman wasn't injured. They also use that slowed down then speeded up, CGI blood splatter filming. This can work in epic productions, but I have seen more rough and tumble down my local pub or even ASDA (Walmart) on Black Friday.The plot is all Machiavellian, but we sort of don't care. The would be spoilt brat Emperor is lamentable in his script and acting. Then we have the constant nudity - especially of the women who drop their clothes at a drop of a hat or helmet or anything to be honest. Mind you the actors should get a medal for not laughing at some of the ropey dialogue. I do have to congratulate Brian Caspe as Maximus whose imaginative insults of maternal transgressions and choice of fecal based food options were truly the most fun part of the whole thing.In summation, the cover art is from another film, yet to be made, the lost legion thing is just plucked from god knows where and the whole thing was about as compelling as an anthrax sandwich - I have seen better fridge art - just avoid completely.. IMDb says they are thinking of a sequel, I mean has no one learnt from 'Coming Home in a body bag 3' - Jeez

I happen to have spent a lot of time in present day Bohemia and was very happy to see something of the history from here that is not so well known. Very few people are aware of just how far the Roman legion established outposts in the 5th century. They had outposts in southern Bohemia and were constantly under threat from the Amal Goths and other barbarian tribes and were really cut off from their usual help. I would like to have seen more action, more fights but do think this is an interesting take on Roman legions and for that I give it extra stars instead of sticking to the same stories with same 2 characters everyone else portrays, a number of characters in this film are from history and have very interesting stories behind them I wish we could see better developed. Tom McKay's performance is great, he makes for an interesting hero, likewise the other performances are quite excellent.

Although the films starts out with an action filled forest attack on the column of a newly married bride (Michelle Lukes) and the leader (Tom McKay) of one of the bands of warring barbarian clans, it quickly descends into a series of intricate plots and counter-plots. Urbina Prima, scheming wife of Maximus (Brian Caspe) the leader of the Northern Roman Army plots with Argos Sertorius (Jim High) and others to have her son Cassius positioned to be the next Emperor of Rome. Viewer interest in this long string of plots and counter-plots is daftly maintained by the ever presence of numerous bare-chested or thinly veiled young women and the occasional nude, both male and female. Betrayals and kidnappings prevail until the sub-climatic fight between Tom McKay and a pair of prize Roman gladiators. Here the use of slow-motion and quick cuts imparts a sense of action with Tom McKay as the obvious winner against all odds. Meanwhile, Maximus over-indulges his adopted son Cassius to gain Cassius' confidence only to betray him and his mother Urbina Prima when, at the moment of Cassius' inauguration as Emperor, Maximus convinces the dim-witted Cassius to adopt Maximus as Cassius's legal son, thus allowing Maximus to immediately slay Cassius once he is made Emperor and take the title for himself. Maximus then divorces and enslaves his wife Urbina Prima as her just reward for all her scheming. Feeling magnanimous, Maximus sends Tom Mckay as a slave prize to a rival barbarian war-lord King to gain his approval and avoid future fights with the Roman Army. This war-lord King reveals to Tom McKay that his young wife was given to him as part of Urbina Prima's schemes and that she is now with-child from his nephew and wishes to remain in his kingdom. She chose life over love. The love- stricken Tom McKay is given his freedom vowing to never lose his love for her and now must begin a quest to gain his place in the world as a set-up for a part two - if this film is successful.Overall, I would have to say that the acting by Tom McKay and Brian Caspe is well done even thought they are set in a slow-motion plot with the supporting actors giving their lines like they were slowly reading them from Que cards. There really isn't enough action to call this an action film and no depth of characters to call this a drama. However, there is plenty of eye-candy with numerous window dressing half and full naked babes. The Emperor of Rome is crowned in the North, so there are no shot of Rome and it is hardly believable that only a pair of senators is needed to make a boy an Emperor. The chances of their being a sequel are slim, and if they do make one that should put in a lot more action scenes because the writers do not appear capable of making an interesting plot.