Summary
Channing Tatum’s 2011 epicThe Eagle, which received poor reviews upon release, received a near-perfect score from a historian. Directed by Scottish filmmaker Kevin Macdonald, the historical drama, which was set in 140 AD, followed the chief protagonist Marcus Aquila, a young Roman officer who ventures into ancient Britain in hopes of recovering the lost Roman Ninth Legion’s golden emblem.Tatum played the roleof Marcus Aquila and was joined by other popular names, including Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong, and Tahar Rahim. The movie was a critical failure, but one historian has found something positive to praise.
In a recent video byInsider,historian Michael Taylor analyzed one of the battle scenes inThe Eagle, particularly viewing the movie’s historical accuracy. The historian broke down two distinctive formations that Channing Tatum’s Marcus and his soldiers form in this battle scene, noting that they are both very real, while also praising a particular sequence where a chariot is outright taken out. He offeredEaglenothing but immense praise and even brandished it with a 9 out of 10 accuracy rating. Check out some of his comments below:
So we do hear of a formation that we use when you are, unfortunately, like these Romans, surrounded by enemies and it is called an orbis. Basically, a circle as a formation if you need to form a perimeter on all sides. So whether or not it looked exactly like that, obviously we can’t say, but that is actually a real formation.
When we hear of chariots being taken out, the advice is send someone with a missile weapon, an archer or a slinger or, in this instance, a guy with a pilum and kill the driver, that disables the chariot. That’s probably one reason why chariots do go away. You kill one guy and the whole system is broken, whereas with the calvary men, you might kill one cavalryman, but there’s others on those horses. Overall, this clip is really good,I’m tempted to give it a nine.
Why Was The Eagle Poorly Received Upon Release?
The Eagle Failed Critically And Commercially.
Overall, while the movie might have a few downfalls, it’s hugely commendable that it manages to accurately depict battle scenes and formations from several years ago.
Upon release in 2011,The Eaglestruggled to succeed at the box office, grossing around $8 million in its opening weekend andultimately earning $38 millionagainst its $25 million budget. That might seem ultimately profitable, but most movies require 2.5x their budget to succeed in theaters, given that theaters and marketing budgets generally take a cut. It likely would have required around $60 million, so it failed to reach profitability. The movie was not a critical success either, receiving mostly poor reviews from different outlets and audiences. Check out the table below, which showcasesEagle’s poor critical performance:
39%
41%
While there were several issues that themajority ofEagle’s reviewsraised with the movie, two of the most prominent issues concerned Macdonald’s directing and Tatum’s uninspired performance. While Macdonald has previously received praise for his older works, and even once received an Academy Award for his Olympics-focused 1999 documentaryOne Day In September, his work onThe Eaglewas largely tagged placid and unimaginative, similar to reviews of Tatum’s performance in the movie. The predictable plot, unattentive acting, and mixed accents confused and exhausted many viewers, who took to Rotten Tomatoes to share their disappointment.
The True Story Of The Eagle’s Ninth Legion & How Much Of The Movie Is Real
Channing Tatum’s 2011 film about the Roman Legion, The Eagle, was based on a book, but not everything about it is historically accurate.
Even thoughEaglereceived mostly negative reviews post-release, afew critics praised the movie’s battle scenes and sequences, just as Taylor did, noting that they evoke traditional sword-and-shield movies.The movie’s limited use of CGI also received praiseamong mostly negative reviews. The cinematography also drew overall acclaim, though the direction got less positive attention. Overall, while the movie might have a few downfalls, it’s hugely commendable that it manages to accurately depict battle scenes and formations from several years ago.The Eaglewas extremely accurate, even despite its inability to draw any box office or critical success.
How The Eagle Impacted Channing Tatum’s Career
Tatum Turned His Career Around AfterThe Eagle’s Failure
The Eaglecould have ended Tatum’s chances of being a leading actor, but he recovered by slowing his output and increasing quality.
Channing Tatum is an incredibly prolific actor, who has starred in a wide variety of movies. He has starred in comedies, dramas, and action flicks, and most of his appearances came afterEagle’s failure. The movie came during a relatively disappointing period for Tatum.Of the 13 movies beforeEagle, only four were rated Freshby Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer.Eagledid not represent the final mark of that streak, asThe Son of No Onecontinued it with a 16% rating. Both were box office failures, and no movie Tatum released that year earned more than a 40% score.
Given the movie’s failure and so many critics bashing his performance,Tatum’s time with the Ninth Spanish Legion easily could have represented the end of his career as a leading man. He did eventually manage to recover from his struggles, however. AfterHaywirebroke his Rotten streak with an 80% score, he starred in the breakthrough hit21 Jump Street, followed byMagic Mike, which was another hit. In the years since,his box office performances and Rotten Tomatoes scores have profoundly improved, and he has had 23 Fresh movies out of the 33 sinceEagle.
Channing Tatum’s 10 Best Movies, Ranked
Channing Tatum is a dynamic actor who frequently appears in action, comedy and romance movies. These are some of his best films ranked.
There is a practical reason for the increased quality of his movies. Tatum’s disappointing performance inEaglecould be related to his decision to star in five films in 2011. In the following years,he decreased his output considerably. After 2011, 2013 was the actor’s most prolific year, wherein he starred in another five movies. The total is similar, but the expectations were much lower. Two of those roles were mere cameo appearances, requiring much less attention.The Eaglecould have ended Tatum’s chances of being a leading actor, but he recovered by slowing his output and increasing quality.
The Eagle
Cast
The Eagle, directed by Kevin Macdonald, is an epic historical adventure set in 140 AD. The film follows a young Roman officer, Marcus Aquila, played by Channing Tatum, as he ventures into the perilous terrain of ancient Britain to recover the lost Roman Ninth Legion’s golden emblem. Accompanied by his British slave Esca, portrayed by Jamie Bell, Marcus confronts tribal chieftains and treacherous landscapes in his quest to restore his father’s honor.
