Set in 140 AD, young centurion Marcus Aquila (Tatum) and his slave Esca (Bell) attempt to solve the long-unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion in Caledonia. Marcus seeks to mend his commander father's reputation and recover the legion's gold eagle emblem by confronting savage tribes and exploring uncharted highlands. A ho-hum adventure saga that sets out to be a true historical drama gets bogged down in obligatory sword fights, though steers clear of CGI overload. Tatum sufficiently fakes through the emotional stuff and director MacDonald thankfully avoids unnecessary romantic traps. Adapted from Rosemary Sutcliff's 1954 novel "The Eagle of the Ninth."