Publisher's Synopsis
Triple bill of historical adventures. In 'The Eagle' (2010) Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum), a young soldier in 140 AD Roman-occupied England, sets out to honour his father's memory by tracking down the long-missing Roman Ninth Legion in which his father once served. Accompanied by his British slave, Esca (Jamie Bell), Marcus travels beyond Hadrian's Wall into the uncharted highlands of Caledonia to confront its savage tribes and retrieve the lost legion's golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth. In 'Gladiator' (2000) Russell Crowe stars as Maximus, a general beloved of the Emperor, Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), but feared by the Emperor's son and heir, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). When Aurelius dies and Commodus accedes to the throne, Maximus returns home to find his wife and son killed and only just survives the murderous dictates of the new Emperor himself. Sold into slavery then trained as a gladiator, only thoughts of revenge keep Maximus going as he prepares for a showdown at the Colosseum, presided over by Commodus. In 'Robin Hood' (2010), Sir Robin of Loxley (Crowe) returns from the Crusades to his home in the north of England. There he comes up against the oppressive regime imposed by the tyrannical new Sheriff of Nottingham (Matthew Macfadyen). Outraged by the Sheriff's behaviour and the general state of the region, Robin summons up a group of supporters and puts his formidable archery skills to use in an effort to free the people from corruption and political injustice.
