Legion

When Jesus encountered a demon possessed man he asked him what his name was. The man replied, my name is Legion, for we are many. And that is about all the theology you are going to get in this film. Legion stars Paul Bettany as the archangel Michael, one of God’s mightiest generals. Apparently, God is fed up with mankind and is ready to send his army of angels down to earth to do a little spiritual housecleaning. But Michael still has faith in man and he risks the wrath of God to prove his point. He gives up his wings and proceeds to earth in order to protect the unborn child of a desert cafe waitress. What she doesn’t know is that her baby has the potential to save the world and lead it’s people back to God. But there are dark angels and demons who are sent to keep this from happening.

The plot of Legion is no more complicated than that. Basically the whole premiss is an excuse to have some really cool fight scenes between two angels. The other angel, Gabriel (Kevin Durand), is determined to stop Michael. He wants the baby dead, and for everyone on earth to receive their consequences. He insists that the wages of sin is death.

What I liked the most about this movie was the cinematography by John Lindley. The film had a really unique look and I liked how the shots were tight and angled. The lighting was also very well done. It almost had the quality of a graphic novel. Light, or the absence of it was like an additional character. It really added to the tone of the film and made some parts even scarier.

But Legion is less of a horror movie and more of an action flick. It is full of fights, explosions, gun-power and the creepiest demons who possess the unpredictability of a spider. You never knew which way they were going to move. The newly appointed warriors of the desert cafe, Dennis Quaid, Lucas Black, Tyrese Gibson, and Charles S. Dutton, were forced to repress their horror in order to fight back. The women, Adrianne Palicki, Kate Walsh and Willa Holland had to toughen up real fast.

The other danger with these demon angels is that they prey on your weakness. Like Satan himself, they’ll take your deepest insecurities, twist them and use them against you. Only the strongest can resist the lies and manipulations. This is a mental fight as well as a physical one.

Legion is a pure popcorn movie with better than average acting and high production values. But I pity the young child who sneaks in and encounters these demons for the first time. Like flying monkeys, walking dead and blood-sucking vampires, some little kid is going to be scarred for life. They may not be so affectionate the next time they see Grandma.

Rating: First Run Scary things come in sweet packages