Legion
for strong bloody violence, and language.
Reviewed by: Elisa A. Walker
CONTRIBUTOR
| Moral Rating: | Extremely Offensive |
| Moviemaking Quality: |
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| Primary Audience: | Adults |
| Genre: | Fantasy Supernatural-Horror Action Suspense Thriller |
| Length: | 1 hr. 40 min. |
| Year of Release: | 2010 |
| USA Release: |
January 22, 2010 (wide—2,400+ theaters) DVD: May 11, 2010 |
What does the Bible teach about angels? Answer
More about angels in the Bible
DEMON POSSESSION and Influence—Can Christians be demon possessed? In what ways can Satan and his demons influence believers? Answer
Is Jesus Christ God? Answer
GOD’s STORY—From Creation to eternity
Birth in the Bible
PREGNANCY—Life before birth
Are you good enough to get to Heaven? Answer
| Featuring | Paul Bettany (Michael), Lucas Black (Jeep Hanson), Tyrese Gibson (Kyle Williams), Adrianne Palicki (Charlie), Charles S. Dutton (Percy Walker), Kevin Durand (Gabriel), Jon Tenney (Howard Anderson), Willa Holland (Audrey Anderson), Kate Walsh (Sandra Anderson), Dennis Quaid (Bob Hanson), See all » |
| Director |
Scott Charles Stewart |
| Producer | Bold Films, Neishaw Ali, Steve Beswick, Garrick Dion, David Lancaster, Michel Litvak, Garth Pappas, Marc Sadeghi, Peter Schink, Brad Southwick, Gary Michael Walters |
| Distributor |
 Screen Gems, a division of Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment |
“When the last angel falls, the fight for mankind begins.”
“Legion” is confusing at best, not to mention very blasphemous. God loses faith in mankind, so he sends his angels to destroy them. A battle ensues between Michael (Paul Bettany) disobeying God’s order and deciding to protect mankind and Gabriel (Kevin Durand) who is leading the war against humans.
Unbeknownst to her, Charlie (Adrianne Palicki) is carrying the child that will save all of humanity. Barricaded in a small diner in the middle of nowhere, Michael, Charlie, Jeep (Lucas Black), Kyle (Tyrese Gibson), Percy (Charles S. Dutton), Bob (Dennis Quaid) and others try to defend Charlie’s baby and save the world.
Morality Issues
Language: There are many uses of “G**D***” and “F***,” as well as others, but those were the harshest used and the most prominent.
Violence: There were several shots of blood, including people being shot, one guy exploding with boils, a child’s fingers being cut off, and people biting each other. The violence in this wasn’t extreme, compared to the most violent R-rated films, but it was still, at points, hard to swallow.
Sexuality: Charlie obviously got impregnated out of wedlock, but she is just shown pregnant, there are no sex scenes, but one girl is dressed somewhat provocatively, and her father asks if she meant to show her “A**” to the world—or something along those lines.
Miscellaneous: The movie shows that it is okay to deliberately disobey God and get away with it, and there are several spiritual issues present.
Spiritual Issues
As stated above, “Legion” is confusing at best. I didn’t understand the storyline or the actual point to the movie, only that the director felt burned by God and so decided to throw a temper tantrum and make this movie. Of course, the director could have done some research, so that he could at least get the story straight. The movie makes God out to be the bad guy. God loses faith in mankind, sends angels to destroy them, and needs angels to make decisions for Him. Michael even states that he is giving God what He needs, not what He wants.
Last time I checked, my Bible told me that God put a lot of time and effort into creating us and even sent His Son to die for us, so it doesn’t make sense that He would then turn around, and, on a whim, destroy us all—I believe the director mistook our God for Allah.
Angels, that obey God, are also seen as the bad guys in this film, even though fallen angels are the true bad guys. Also, God has only one Son, that He already sent to save the world, so there’s no need for Charlie’s baby. The one thing that this movie might have gotten right would be that God is sick of all of our “B***S***,” which, better stated, this movie reminded me—that we can’t BS God because He sees right through us, and we can’t hide anything from Him.
“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night’, even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you” (Psalms 139:7-12).
My Recommendation
I work at a movie theatre, so I get into movies for free; that is the only reason I saw this film in the first place. It’s not worth your money. It’s confusing; there’s no point to it, and it’s totally off spiritually (blasphemous). The acting is mediocre; the script is slapdash, at best. The characters didn’t even have a chance to develop, and the film, as a whole, lacked intelligence. Don’t see it; you’ll only be disappointed.
Violence: Heavy-to-Extreme / Profanity: Extreme / Sex/Nudity: Moderate
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
The movie does not condone fornication simply because it portrays a pregnant unwed waitress whose child is the key to the survival of humanity. While she has obviously been sexually active, this only makes her a sinner, just like the rest of us. The viewer has no way of knowing whether this child was conceived “in the usual way” or through Spiritual intervention. It’s a stretch, yes, but a possibility.
And I don’t recall that the Angel Michael claimed that this child was the new Savior; I thought it more likely that the child would be a great Christian leader. Like another reviewer, I felt it was a possibility that God was testing the angels in the movie, and humanity as well, rather than actually setting out to destroy us. Else why would he even need angels to do his “dirty work”? God is perfectly capable of eradicating all of humankind without using angels as the vehicles of destruction (remember Noah?).
The film’s violence was graphic at times but there was FAR less violence in this 90-minute movie than there is the Bible. I was dismayed at the foul language and upset by the repeated use of the Lord’s name in vain during the movie. …“Legion” was wonderfully thought-provoking. It will be enjoyed by faithful Christians who have moments of doubt, even as Jesus did (“My God, why have you forsaken me?”). A questioning faith is alive and actively seeking God. …
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: ½
Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 1
Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3½
I think this is taken out of context (and honestly a bit ignorant and intolerant. That was very rude and ignorant to say about Allah, whether that’s your belief or not.)
Sometimes we play a guessing game with God because we have no idea! Could it have been a test for angels? Especially Michael? Like you said they don’t need another baby, so was his plan really to destroy mankind? Like you said they need research, read Rev.
Maybe Michael had a bit more insight on what God’s plan is. Now, the possessed people really creeped me out. Cursing and mentally destroying as well as killing men and women—creepy, awesome for horror, but creepy.
Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Instead of a flood, He is sending angels. Michael is most concerned about a waitress who is pregnant with the child that will save human kind.
I wouldn’t suggest those who are really serious about their faith to watch this film. Effects wise, the movie was alright. It’s the type of special effects you’d see in most movies: lots of lights, zombies, fights, etc. Moral wise, the movie is offensive.
There’s a fight between Michael and Gabriel (the angel who told Mother Mary of Jesus Christ), which gets extreme. The movie makes it look like they are enemies. If they were enemies, they probably wouldn’t be in Heaven. Hate is not allowed in Heaven. The ending was okay.
In the end, Gabriel and Michael kind of forgive each other, tell the characters to part and have faith, then they go up to Heaven. The movie ends with the remaining two characters and the baby driving away with weapons in the back of their car.
I wouldn’t suggest this for religious people. People who love horror and like suspense, maybe.
Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
To me, this was a bad movie. Lots of cuss words and a young girl showing lots of skin. Just another movie that Hollywood has done in creating a god that does not exist: god is not all knowing, does not know the future, changes his mind, and can’t do the job himself. Rent “Terminator” instead.
From what the reviewers say, God has lost faith in mankind and thus sends angels led by Gabriel to destroy mankind. God is the villain of this film who is bent on creating utter destruction to the people of Earth and it is up to Michael, an angel who has now fallen from God, to oppose God at all costs. This movie, as this Web site’s reviewer clearly and correctly states, is inaccurate in it’s description and portrayal of God.
According to 1 John 4:7-10, love comes from God and God is love. He loved us so much that He sent His one and only son, Jesus Christ to die in our place and become a living sacrifice for our sins. Love is, according to 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, patient, kind, and is among other things, not easily angered. Love also keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
Clearly, this film is anything but love. It is an action film that gives people a false impression of who God really is, namely the creator of all things in heaven and on Earth, who deeply wants a close and loving relationship with His most cherished creation, human beings. Unlike the film, God is in reality patient and it is His desire that no one should perish, but rather come to repentance (2 Peter 3:8-9).
My recommendation is to save your money and avoid seeing this movie altogether. Instead, watch a movie that truly glorifies God and shows God in a more accurate and positive light.
REVELATIONS: the Son of Man.[h] He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. 14 ……. And his eyes were like flames of fire. …… his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. 16 ……. A sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth 16 They called out to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us! Hide us from the face of the One who sits on the throne! Hide us from the anger of the Lamb! 17 The great day of their anger has come. Who can live through it?”
HIDE US FROM WHO? “The ANGER of the LAMB”. God said it, not me! Genesis 6—The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the Earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, …, from the face of the Earth—men and animals, …… — for I am grieved that I have made them.” I will let the WORD OF GOD speak for itself, BUT remember GOD’S WHOLE TRUTH, Billy Graham, won countless souls for Jesus, not solely based on love, BUT His JUDGMENT AND HELL! Billy Graham told the whole truth, it seems we have given into society so much that most are AFRAID TO MENTION THAT JESUS WILL COME IN WRATH AND A SWORD!
As you can see in this movie Satan is trying to ridicule God and make him seem as a danger to us when in reality he, himself Satan is the real danger and enemy of human kind.
Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: none
The negative portrayals of Christianity have been increasing over the decades and the attacks by the currently dominant popular culture upon these precepts is incredible, at times. If similar attacks were waged against Judaism there would be worldwide outcries of anti-Semitism, but because it is Christianity, that is okay. It would seem that this is the time that Christians are told to “pick up your cross and follow Me…” “The Left Behind” movies are a better view than this would seem to be.
Still, there are positive messages scattered throughout the film, about living a righteous and fruitful life, keeping the faith, unconditional love, sacrifice and believe in fellow human beings. Unfortunately, most viewers get their attention focused on the words of some characters” negative remarks on faith, God, marriage, etc. Try to watch the movie as an horror-action fantasy where Prophecy meets Matrix…
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3½