It's the apocalypse...again. Instead of taking the man-made route, however, the new film Legion creates a biblical apocalypse in order to mix things up a bit. I have been looking forward to this film for quite some time so it's a bit upsetting to see it pushed under the rug. Though it may not have as much action or plot as I would have liked, the film is still quite good all things considered.

God is mad. This time, however, there won't be a flood. Instead he has sent his angels to earth to carry out the extermination of mankind. The one hope for the human race is a baby that is one month from being born. God sends Michael (Paul Bettany, The Da Vinci Code) to kill the baby, but Michael has not yet lost faith in humanity. He disobeys his order and goes out not to kill the baby, but to protect it and the mother until it is born. A task that God and his angels do not want to see completed.

The plot for this film may be a bit much to handle if over examined. Yes, a flood probably would be quicker and more effective than having angels possessing humans in a zombie-like fashion, but you can't really romanticize a flood. Going this route allows for prophecy, angel on angel combat, and lots of guns. A couple of the old plagues of Egypt even make an appearance. This film is meant to be a visual thriller that keeps you guessing, not one that gets you thinking. This can all be forgiven, however, since Legion appears to be the first act in a series of films cataloging this apocalypse. The film is meant to hook you and it succeeded in doing just that, for me at least.

There are a few problems with this film. None of the characters are really likeable with the exception of Michael and Jeep (Lucas Black, Jarhead), the action is limited to about 20 or 30 minutes of a 100 minute film, and the film really skimps on the supernatural which is the whole reason to see the film in the first place. Considering Legion went up against The Tooth Fairy on its opening weekend, however, I feel that it may still pull in the majority of viewers who have already seen Avatar enough times to commit it to memory. What the film does well, however, it does really well and, as I said earlier, I am excited to see where the story goes from here.

The good and bad of Legion even out to create a decent film and a pretty good start to a series of sequels that I fear may never come if the film does not put up the right numbers. It's very disappointing to see a film I had such high hopes for stumble out of the gate, but hopefully this film will find its audience and get back on track. My guess is that most viewers will enjoy this film, even though they may leave having no idea why. If you have nothing better to do this weekend, I implore you to see Legion if only to help green light the sequel for which I am so desperately praying.