Legion (www.the-usher.com)

"I knew He'd send you, Gabriel. You were always so eager to please Him."

God has lost faith with mankind and is about to unleash the apocalypse to wipe their existence from the Earth. The Archangel Michael (Bettany) does not agree with his decision however, seeing hope in somewhere no one would have expected, an out-of-the-way diner in the middle of the desert. As the black clouds roll in and the angels descend from the heavens, Michael arrives, armed to the teeth to defend Charlie (Palicki), a pregnant mother-to-be who might just happen to be carrying the saviour of the human race.

The end of the world has always been a stalwart plot device for many a horror/action game but can ‘Legion’ bring something new to the well-trodden plot?

Destroying the human race is a plot device that has been used many a time in Hollywood blockbusters and B-Movie classics. Whether it be a virus, an asteroid, nuclear war, an alien invasion, plants, solar flares, other planets, volcanoes, storms, earthquakes, a new ice age or global warming melting the ice caps, directors and writers love trying to wipe out the human race but for ‘Legion’ it is God’s turn.

After sending the great flood to teach humans a lesson, the Almighty has had enough with the way we treat the planet and each other and decided to remove mankind from the planet he created. This time he is going to seen angels unleash his wrath, with his Archangels leading the extermination but not all of them agree with God’s decision. Falling to Earth and removing his wings, the Archangel Michael heads to a lonely diner in the desert surrounding Los Angeles, armed to the teeth. Here he plans to save Charlie, a young pregnant woman who might just be carrying the only hope for mankind. While Michael has arrived to save her, this has also attracted the attention of the attacking angels and their possessed army of humans, under the leadership of Archangel Gabriel. The battle for survival begins as Michael and the patrons of the diner fight to keep Charlie and her unborn child safe. This is a decent premise but it is executed in a very average way.

While the execution of the story is just used to move onto the next action sequence, these sequences are one of the saving graces of the movie. The possessed horde, the old lady attack and the arrival of Gabriel are well executed. The other saving grace is the presence of British actor Paul Bettany as Michael. While some my question why he is appearing in a film like this but, as he does with all his appearances, he gives his all for the production and has the making of an exceptional action star. The supporting cast is also fine, with Lucas Black continuing to show the potential he has as Jeep, an up and coming star in Adrianne Palicki as Charlie and more seasoned support coming from Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Durand, Kate Walsh and Charlie S. Dutton.

‘Legion’ is a premise with potential that is averagely executed. While the action sequences are good, the story does not live up to its potential, meaning that even divine intervention can’t make this anymore than an average film.

Designing Paradise Falls: Discover the creative process behind designing the apocalyptic vision of Paradise Falls.
Blueprint of a Scene: An immersive, in-depth breakdown of a key battle sequence against the possessed.
movieIQ+sync and BD-Live connect you to real-time information on the cast, music, trivia and more while watching the movie!
BD Exclusive: Bringing Angels To Earth: Picture-in-Picture
Creating the Apocalypse - Behind the Physical Effects
Humanity's Last Line of Defense - The Cast and Characters
From Pixels to Picture - A Look at the Visual Effects

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2010