The Last Legion - Preview

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Length: 102 min

Rated: PG-13

Distributor: MGM, The Weinstein Company

Release Date: 2007-08-17

Starring: Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, Aishwarya Rai, Peter Mullan, Kevin McKidd, John Hannah, Thomas Sangster

Directed by Doug Lefler

Produced by Martha De Laurentiis, Raffaella De Laurentiis, Tarak Ben Ammar

Written by Jez Butterworth, Tom Butterworth, story by Carlo Carlei, Peter Rader, Valerio Manfredi

Previewed by Rafe Telsch : 2007-08-02 02:11:51

Rome, 476 AD. The Roman Empire is being threatened. A mighty force for almost 500 years, (at its height, Rome’s power spread from Mesopotamia in the east to the Iberian peninsula in the west, from the Rhine and Danube in the north to Egypt in the south), this story follows the gripping capture of young Romulus Augustus (THOMAS SANGSTER).

On the eve of twelve-year-old Romulus Augustus’ crowning ceremony to become the new emperor, Barbarian general Odoacer (PETER MULLAN) arrives in Rome to make a deal with Orestes (IAIN GLEN). Odoacer makes demands of the Roman Empire in fair exchange for his decade-long support of the Roman legions in the east. But Orestes refuses.

On Coronation day, as all of Rome gathers to watch the proceedings, Ambrosinus (SIR BEN KINGSLEY), the shaman who is a mentor and tutor to Romulus, predicts danger. Orestes is worried about his son’s safety and appoints Aurelius (COLIN FIRTH) of the fourth legion to be his personal guard. That night, Aurelius and his legionnaires confront danger—Odoacer and his army have returned to Rome.

With a deafening roar, the Barbarian army storms the city. A battle ensues, the brutal invaders show no mercy and blood flows through the streets. With Orestes slaughtered, Romulus is captured along with Ambrosinus and taken to the island fortress of Capri. There, Romulus finds the mythical sword of Caesar that holds the prophecy, “One edge to defend, one to defeat; …to fit the hand of he...who is destined to rule.”

But, not all the Roman legionnaires are dead. Aurelius is alive and when he learns that the Byzantine Empire will give Romulus sanctuary, he embarks on a journey to the coast accompanied by a small group of his men and a mysterious, black-clad Byzantine warrior. Later, Aurelius discovers what lies behind the black clothing—a beautiful, young woman named Mira (AISHWARYA RAI).

Thanks to the strategic cunning of Ambrosinus and the fighting skill of Aurelius and Mira, Romulus is freed. But, when the group arrives on shore, they learn that the Byzantines have joined forces with Odoacer’s army of Goths. Faced with such betrayal, they must find the one legion still loyal to Rome—the ninth legion in Britannia.

As they set off in search of the last legion, Romulus and Aurelius together embark on a new beginning.

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