Legion is a loser

Editor’s note: Peter Lewis has agreed to use whatever it is you call his writing style to provide some measure of analysis to those folks who still go to a theater to see a movie. Enjoy.

review by Peter Lewis

For those that are possessed of that ephemeral fortifier known as faith, there are generally two alternate ideas about the world and the creation of man. There are those who believe in the inner majesty of this creation and those who do not. Invariably, these opposed ideas find themselves in works of artistic endeavor.

While it is far more heartening to experience the prior, often people find themselves drawn toward the latter. From Flannery O’Connor to Park Chan-Wook, there are those who find themselves at odds with sunnier depictions of the world.  In the Magnolia Electric Co song, “The Dark Don’t Hide It,” Jason Molina, gives voice to the later opinion in unflinching terms:
“The world was empty on the day when they made it,
but heaven needed some place to throw all the shit.”

What is lost among a debate about the essence of humanity and this world, is the frightening prospect that God could become disenchanted with his creation. Legion, directed by Scott Charles Stewart, is built upon this exact supposition. God, driven to bitterness and disappointment by his once adored creation, orders the destruction of humanity.

Michael, played rather capably by Paul Bettany, casts himself down from heaven in direct violation of the word of the Lord. Although God has lost faith, Michael still has hope because there is an unsuspecting gal down on earth who, stop me if you’ve heard this before, is carrying the savior of the world in her belly.

While there is a multitude of arguments for and against monotheism, most all of the monotheistic traditions agree on the omnipotence of the Lord. So, if this supposition of a disobedient angel saving humanity were indeed true, I imagine it would require quite a bit more theological side-stepping than some of the other dogmatic misdirections of the past. And, if the movie were supported with stronger cast or dialogue, the endless theological implications of such a scenario would have been something worthy of exploration. However, in the face of such cinematic inanity, it is sadly irrelevant.

Beyond Mr. Bettany, the film is populated with a litany of pedestrian acting. From Adrianne Palicki’s affected jadedness as the young pregnant mother to Lucas Black’s sniveling simpleton, the performances were lackluster at best. Part of this could be blamed on the make-up of the film, which seemed to be built solely around the action (though this may befit a director that found their way to the chair through special effects work, it is an unfortunate development for all but the most pugilistic of audience goers).

Between moments of violence, the audience is treated with short vignettes of coloring book dialogue that are meant to reveal a quiet humanity within the characters. Instead, the audience is left with slapdash caricatures. Watching the scenes unfold, you can almost envision the director staring at a stopwatch and screaming, “Okay! That’s it! Back to the gunfire, people!”

All told, there are perhaps two scenes of genuine worth within the entirety of the movie. What should have been a coordinated orchestration of parts, with each section supporting the weight of the others like pillars, is instead a piece of shoddy construction that collapses on itself. I suggest avoiding it at all costs. It’s not worth your time or your money.

• Legion is playing at the Carmike 14 and the Malco Cinema 12 in Fort Smith, and the Malco Van Buren Cinema. Link here for time and ticket info.

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