Given its title, I figured that the movie would have something to do with demons — a whole, well, legion of them… in full-on “possession” mode. After all, “Legion” is the name of a biblical demoniac, according to the stories in Mark and Luke, because many demons were involved. But in the movie, Michael (our hero-angel gone rogue) actually goes to some trouble to explain explicitly that the troops of zombie-like murderers are not possessed by demons but rather are angels fulfilling the command of God. And yet. Here the movie suggests that the line between angels and demons frays as God’s patience wears thin. That’s just one thing among many that I found intriguing about this movie. Another (and I admit I loved this) is the paradox of obedience. [spoiler alert!] Michael is finally deemed a better servant of God than the hyper-obedient Gabriel, set on fulfilling God’s command to kill off the human race. Precisely by disobeying, Michael satisfies the “need” (vs. “want” hmmm) of God. That part’s a little silly (God as some adolescent to the angels’ maturity?!). But hope for a future unwritten (no theological fatalism, here), and mercy at the hint of goodness… I like that.
