The Honeycut: ‘Legion’ Takes Some Big Swings but Comes Up Short

Heaven Sent

It was my turn to pick the movie we covered on the Midnight Terrors Podcast this week. I went with 2010’s “Legion.” I saw it was on Netflix and remembered seeing it after an episode of “Monday Night Raw” about 15 years ago. I really enjoyed it back then. The question is, does it still hold up? Or was it a lot cooler in 2011, like most of us?

The Story

The Archangel Michael falls to Earth. He is on a mission to protect the unborn savior of humanity from the forces trying to kill him. Michael meets up with a group of survivors in a desert diner, including the savior’s mom, who is pregnant with him. Together, they must fend off an army of possessed people through the night. Here’s the twist, the army of possessed people are controlled, not by demons, but by angels, as God has lost faith in the human race. Who can blame him?

Honey’s Cut

“Legion” is not as good as I remember but I still liked it for what it was. Researching the movie, I saw a lot of negative critical reviews. The more I read, the more I agreed with them. One of the biggest things I didn’t remember was that this is more character-driven than action-driven. I thought it was one long battle. However, there is plenty of character development between action scenes. Whether or not that’s a good thing is another story. 

Let’s start with some of the negative criticism I agree with. The pacing is off. By that I mean every time this movie begins to get going, it stalls out. I realize that when writing action/horror, you want the build-up, the action sequence, then the come-down. But man, the breaks between action scenes felt way too long and drawn out. 

Part of the problem is the characters they focus on. Most of them are just bland or unlikeable. There are two characters with depth, but they are relegated to second fiddle and die really lame deaths. The focus is on Jeep and Charlie. Jeep is just a sad sack and all-around dopey dude with a dumb name. And he simps over Charlie, who is pregnant with some other guy’s child. Charlie casts aside Jeep even though he looks out for her, got her a job, and a place to live. She’s an all-around terrible person.

So, why do I like this movie? Michael. And the story. Paul Bettany does an awesome job at playing a badass gunslinging Michael the Archangel and steals every scene he is in. The story is also interesting. It reminds me of “Spawn” meets “Underworld.” You have the forces of Heaven acting as the antagonists, with Gabriel being their leader. The scenes between Michael and Gabriel were the highlight of this movie for me. Not only their action scenes but also their dialogue. Their argument in Heaven, which is like a futuristic military fortress, comes to mind. 

Honey’s Final Thought

“Legion” is a mixed bag. The parts that are awesome rule. But the boring characters and excessive dialogue really hinder the entire pace. I’ll say this, “Legion” is a movie I never wondered whether or not I saw before. I knew exactly what it was, and I think there’s something to that. 

This isn’t just another standard horror affair. It takes some big swings and strikes out most of the time. However, I can certainly appreciate what it was going for. There are cool ideas, but the execution isn’t great. 

What this movie does have is heart. That shows through despite its flaws. And maybe that’s the thing that makes “Legion” so memorable to me.