The Last Legion

Paying scant attention to either historical accuracy or character complexity, the Xena: Warrior Princess director Lefler goes for a straightforward good versus evil plot with a predictable climactic battle.

There are, after all, aimed at young audiences plenty of movies more mean-spirited, indiscriminate and obnoxious than The Last Legion. But at the same time there are plenty that are, alas, less frustrating.

No twist is too farfetched for this Dino De Laurentiis epic.

A good cast wallow about in a story you can't believe for a moment.

Colin Firth is not an actor who projects sparkling joie de vivre at the best of times, and The Last Legion, a cod-Roman reimagining of Arthurian myth, is very much not the best of times.

Tosh, but disarmingly sincere.

As the Roman Empire crumbles, undemanding escapist entertainment with wonderful production design and a cast.

A novel hybrid of swords, sandals, horned helmets and furs, this really is a load of old rubbish, but there's some fun to be had, especially for boys who like to have mock sword fights with wooden sticks.

The action sequences are handled well enough but the CGI isn't up to snuff in a tale that barely merits the retelling.