Today's review is Immortals.
Directed by Tarsem Singh.
Written by Charley Parlapanides & Vlas Parlapanides
MPAA Rating: R for sequences of strong bloody violence, and a scene of sexuality.
Runtime: 110 min
Cast
Henry Cavill ... Theseus
Mickey Rourke ... King Hyperion
Stephen Dorff ... Stavros
Freida Pinto ... Phaedra
Luke Evans ... Zeus
John Hurt ... Old Man
Joseph Morgan ... Lysander
Anne Day-Jones ... Aethra
Alan Van Sprang ... Dareios
Corey Sevier ... Apollo
Peter Stebbings ... Helios
Daniel Sharman ... Aries
Isabel Lucas ... Athena
Kellan Lutz ... Poseidon
Steve Byers ... Heracles
Stephen McHattie ... Cassander
Matthew G. Taylor ... Mondragon
Romano Orzari ... Icarus
Being a professional geek isn't easy. You have to find time to dedicate to many different pleasures. Comic Books, Videogames, Cartoons, (Yes I still watch them. The new Thundercats RULE!) T.V. Shows and of course Movies. Sticking to just movies. There are so many geek genres to choose from but one that holds a VERY special place in my heart is Greek Mythology. I can't get enough of it. The stories of the Gods of Olympus and the countless journeys of it's mortal warriors fascinate me to no end.
Two of my ALL TIME favorite movies are Clash of The Titans (1981) not that putrid ADHD fueled remake and Troy.
Those 2 films couldn't be more opposite in style and story but dealt with the greek mythology and history. And were entertaining as hell. Tell me you didn't smile when Achilles stood in front of the entire Thessaly army and challenged them after he defeated Boagrius. That was pure badass. Clash of the Titans was a special effects marvel led by stop motion wizard Ray Harryhausen. He found a way to bring all of mythologies greatest creatures to life.
Both films captured the imagination of a time filled with fantasy and reality, and did so masterfully. Then a few years ago we were treated to a pretty good blending of Greek history and comic books with the presentation of 300. Another captivating tale that tickles your imagination while educating you on the fight and ingenuity of a once proud and exceptional race of warriors.
With the lackluster response to the new Titans film we have now been treated to a different Greek mythology legend. The story of Theseus and King Hyperion presented in the visual style of both Singh and 300.
Does it work?
Plot
Theseus is a mortal man chosen by Zeus to lead the fight against the ruthless King Hyperion, who is on a rampage across Greece to obtain a weapon that can destroy humanity.
This film falls into the always dreaded S.O.S category. But then something happened. It was actually pretty good. Visually, Immortals is STUNNING! This was never going to be a problem for Singh whose directorial efforts include The Cell. The horrible J Lo film. It wasn't a good movie but was very stylish which pulls you away from the absurdity of the film as a whole. Singh excelled presenting a "new" Greece. There was an asian/indian touch and flare to the architecture and costume design that was both captivating and pleasing to the eyes.
Now most of you who see this film will think that most of this film was made just like 300. Behind a green screen with the environment digitally inserted in post. You would be right in that line of thinking with 1 major exception. Singh doesn't make it look obvious. The set pieces are majestic and contain many actual structures that carry a unique component to the overall look of the area. It was in short a beautiful film to watch.
This helped Immortals negotiate through a thinning story as the film progressed. Somewhere in the middle the film loses it's mojo due to a lack of character development. Particularly Theseus. He's the hero but Cavill plays him as a yelling, brooding muscleman hell bent on retribution. That all worked later on but in the beginning he had some heart that was stripped away and replaced by an overdeveloped sense of vengeance.
Cavill's performance was not as strong as it could have and should have been. He did however quell any fears of playing Superman in the upcoming Man of Steel. Another issue with his character was the high interest Zeus had with him. It was vaguely explained. He watched over him like Zeus did in Clash of The Titans but here never indicated a real reason why. The Gods don't look over someone without a purpose. It was lack of depth here that weakens an otherwise very well told tale.
Of course this is a re-imagination of the Theseus legend. Many of the events in Immortals are greatly exaggerated or fabricated altogether. Then again when dealing with Greek Mythology it's impossible to believe otherwise. What made this re-telling so cool was the subtle touches. For example and this is not a spoiler. When Theseus fights the minotaur, the beast is shown in a way that I promise you have never seen.
It was brilliant and very original.
This goes back to Singh's incredible imagination and visual sense. He found a way to somehow ground mythological creatures and deities into reality. Even the titans were scary despite being the same size as the gods and mortals. Singh's mastery of style finally shines when the film turns up the action. The fights are very well choreographed and shot. Singh uses high speed cameras to their absolute limit creating a power amongst the warriors paralleled by no none. Especially the gods. When they fight it's brutal, unforgiving and graceful at the same time. The action is blocked and edited well. You get the full experience.
Blood included.
This was another hallmark for a Greek Mythology film. The new Clash of the Titans film chickened out and went the PG-13 route. Immortals said to hell with that and made a balls out R rated film. A film of this genre can't be made any other way and the difference is staggering. Keep the kids away from this one. The blood count here is high and hyper.
It wasn't however gratuitous. Was it over the top? Yes. Stylized? Yes.
I only have 2 gripes with this film. The first being Mickey Rourke's performance. He did a decent job and his character was meant to have an emotionless quality and demeanor. It unfortunately gave off the impression that he was just running through his lines. His lack of an accent hurt too. The 2nd gripe was the 3D. This film was converted to 3D in post and that NEVER translates well on screen. Stepping aside the fact that my disdain for 3D knows no bounds. Showing Immortals in 3D robs the audience from the richness that the film offers through it's visual presentation.
Can we stop with the bloody 3D please? It doesn't make movies any better and more importantly IT JUST SUCKS! Damn you James Cameron!
Overall, Immortals was a very good entry into the Greek Mythology universe that Hollywood has now made popular once again. The problem is that I don't think his visual style can be equaled. Which means the stock for the sequel to Clash of The Titans, Wrath of the Titans has already dropped. And they're still filming it now.
On the 5 star scale. Immortals gets 4 stars with a "Go See It!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is Puss in Boots.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
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