There are films that you go to see because you just know that it’s going to be great.  There are films you go to see expecting greatness, and getting disappointment instead.  Then there are those films you go see because you expect it to be so bad that it’s good.  Everyone I’ve talked to has their “so bad it’s good” films.  I know I do.

Going into Legion, I just knew that it was going to be awful.  But it was one of those movies I just HAD to see.  When you go see movies with that mind set, one of two things can happen: 1) It’ll be great. Or 2) It’s just going to be so bad, it’s bad. I’m happy to report that Legion did not fall into category #2. While it didn’t quite make it into category 1, it was, never the less, a surprise.

To bring you up to speed, Legion tells the story of a fallen angel, Michael (Paul Bettany) who comes to Earth to ensure the survival of mankind from annihilation after the Man upstairs sends out the order to end it all.

Going against the wishes of his boss, he falls to Earth and makes his way to a desert diner to ensure that the diner’s waitress lives to bring her unborn baby to term, and is able to deliver.  With only the owner, employees and a few unlikely patrons, they all must work together to fend off the impending doom that is coming for them.

If you’re familiar with my reviews you know how I hate to give anything away, so I’ll say once again, I’m stopping there as far as the storyline goes.  So let’s talk about it in other terms.

The Film:
With a run time of 1:40, it doesn’t feel too long or too short.  The pacing seemed to be a bit slow in parts but overall, I’d say it was paced properly.  I didn’t feel bored and I didn’t feel the need to check my watch.  There were some cringe worthy scenes, especially the one involving the old lady.  If you’ve seen the trailer, you know what I’m talking about.  But really you should see the scene in it’s entirety to really appreciate it.

The effects were decent, but nothing really to write home about.  Same goes for the scenery.  At times you could really tell they shot on a lot, and some of the CG shots weren’t quite up to par, but it didn’t really bother me like it does in other films.  Perhaps it was due to my mindset.  I didn’t expect a lot so I wasn’t disappointed.

The showdown between Michael and the angel sent to finish the job he refused, Gabriel (played by Kevin Durand) was intense, but a bit choppy.  There were parts where it was difficult to see exactly what was happening.  You got the jist of the battle, but I would have liked to have been able to actually see more.  It was a combination of editing as well as lighting.

The Cast:
Angels:
The main reason I was interested in this film was because of Paul Bettany.  I just couldn’t visualize him in this type of role.  I have, up to this point, only been able to visualize him as he was in either Wimbledon or The Da Vinci Code.  I didn’t think he’d be able to pull of playing an ass kicking angel that packs a lot, and I mean A LOT of heat.  He executed his role very well and at no time did I think that he didn’t fit.

Kevin Durand was also a good choice for Gabriel.  He’s got the stature and menacing presence to pull it off.  While the character was a chunk of the story, his role was mainly confined to the second half of the film. 

Humans:
The rest of the cast includes Dennis Quaid, Charles S. Dutton, Kate Walsh, Tyrese Gibson, Lucas Black, and Adrianne Palicki.  While they may not have been stand out performances, they were effective.  Quaid’s character, Bob Hanson, is the owner of the diner, along with his son Jeep (Black), his cook (Dutton) and the pregnant waitress (Palicki).  Walsh and Gibson are both unsuspecting patrons.

Not all of the characters stories are told thoroughly, but they really didn’t need to be.  The film didn’t spend too much time focusing on each character, which can be both good and bad.  You don’t feel too attached, but at the same time you do have a basic idea of what brought them to the diner.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised and ended up liking Legion.  It’s got it’s flaws, but none of them were enough to ruin the film for me.  It’s not a movie that will change the world, but it was entertaining.  And really, isn’t that what going to movies is all about?

Could this be the way that online retail is going? With Zavii and Woolworthes going down the toilet, HMV is one of the only high street shops that specialise in music and DVD sales. BBC Newsbeat have today reported that HMV have opened a three-screen digital cinema above its Wimbledon branch in collaboration with cinema chain, Curzon. There total capacity will be around 200 seats.

Newbeat:

HMV Chief Executive Simon Fox explained: “Our mix of sales now is about a quarter music, a quarter is computer games and half is DVD. Music has declined, as you’d expect. One of the reasons why we are putting cinemas into our stores is because we know the brand has to stretch, it has to stretch beyond the traditional music store into new areas. We are described as the last man standing on the high street and indeed we are, in terms of being the last entertainment specialist.”

I happen to live just down the road from Wimbledon and I believe the HMV is about 5 shops positions away from a huge Odeon cinema with 12 screens. This is the Odeon that has recently converted one of their screens to IMAX which will surely be a large blow to HMV. That said, HMV say this will not threaten their cinemas as they’ll be focusing on showing classic movies, independent and international films – but then they’re opening the cinema with Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus – which aren’t in the criteria?

I guess we might see HMV doing this elsewhere in the UK, especially if the Wimbledon branch does well. What do you think on the matter? Is this a good thing or are HMV clutching at straws? Let us know in the comments.

You can find out more on the HMV Curzon website here.