Immortals (B or 3/4 stars)
'Immortals' (directed by visual master Tarsem Singh, The Cell, The Fall) epitomizes style over substance. But when the style is as glorious as it is here - then it gets a mild pass from me. Following a bloody war in which the Greek Gods triumphed, their foes - the malevolent Titans - were imprisoned deep beneath Mount Tartarus. Now, Eons later, mortal King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) hopes to wage war against the Gods; as he has lost faith in them when they allowed his wife & child to die. He's mad at them, mad for power, & wants to conquer Greece (all while taking down the Gods). To do so, Hyperion amasses a bloodthirsty army. But more importantly, he must find the legendary Epirus Bow, a powerful weapon which fires magical arrows.
He's also hell bent on finding the virgin oracle Phaedra (Freida Pinto); thinking that she can 'see' the Bow's hidden location. Only he who possesses said Bow can unleash the devilish Titans & rain destruction upon mankind & the Gods. Meanwhile, Phaedra gains the protection of a mortal warrior named Theseus (Henry Cavill, of The Tudors) who seeks revenge against Hyperion for slaying his own mother. Accompanied by the rogue Stavros (Stephen Dorff), Theseus & Phaedra search for the Bow to prevent Hyperion from getting it & releasing the animalistic Titans to wreak havoc. All this while, Zeus (played by James McAvoy/Dominic Cooper hybrid, Luke Evans) & his fellow Olympians can only look on from above, as ancient law dictates that they mustn't intervene and/or aid mankind.
'Immortals' plays fast & loose with Greek Mythology. But then, who doesn't stay accurate nowadays? Zac Snyder's 300 certainly didn't -- and that film was well-received by critics & public alike. In fact, you can't watch 'Immortals' and not think some of the inspiration behind it came from 300. One can also watch 'Immortals' & be reminded of last year's weak Clash of the Titans reboot. 'Immortals' is far better than the latter film, but not quite up to par with the former (it's not as audacious). That said, I had a good time watching this movie. As is typical of films by Tarsem Singh, a weaker story is overshadowed by amazing visuals.
Tarsem strikes us with a wickedly strange visual assault. Right off the bat, the first image we see is of an odd, boxlike prison cell thick of granite. Held inside are a host of heavy-breathing Titans (resembling pit bulls who are ready to break free to tear apart the nearest cat they can find). We see them from above; chained; standing erect; muddied; with their mangled teeth clamped onto iron rods. Other images include Greek villages carved from the sides of cliffs. The weaponry looks cool. The temples are spectacular. The depiction of heaven is familiar, yet slightly 'off' (in a good way). And the costumes (by Oscar winner Eiko Ishioka) are out. of. this. world. The Gods stand in gold-plated majesty. King Hyperion's crowns are both barbaric & avant garde. And the oracle's towering red outfits (set against the white salt lands) are shocking in their inventiveness. There is not one moment in this film that doesn't look interesting.
Henry Cavill is solid in the Gerard Butler-like (a la 300) lead role of Theseus. He even gives a rousing speech before a major battle that recalls Butler (yet pales in comparison). If Cavill lacks anything, it's gusto. But what he does have is likeability onscreen. And his physique - well - let's just say it's Super {wink wink}. Mickey Rourke's role calls for absolutely nothing but pure evil & malice. But he makes for a fun, if vile King. Freida Pinto is fine in the underwritten role of the oracle, Phaedra. But she's gorgeous. Ditto that for Isabel Lucas' Athena. Stephen Dorff provides some much needed comic relief; as portions of the film strain under silly self-importance. And both Luke Evans & John Hurt (disguised as a kindly old man) fare well as Zeus.
Going into 'Immortals', I knew not to expect some narrative masterpiece. The script is on the flimsy side. Not awful, just insubstantial (especially when it concerns gods, kings & epic battles). Characterizations are thin. But from the 1st second to the last, my eyes were fixated on the screen. A beefy hero, GQ-looking Gods, sexy women, female nudity, thunderous battles, all forms of carnage (well-choreographed & filmed in scintillating slo-mo) ... the visual wonders never cease. And there is a show-stopping final battle btwn. the Gods & the Titans that nearly raised me out of my seat (don't know the last time that happened to me in a theater). 'Immortals' may only be for certain audiences. But for the core fans, I'm sure they won't be disappointed.
He's also hell bent on finding the virgin oracle Phaedra (Freida Pinto); thinking that she can 'see' the Bow's hidden location. Only he who possesses said Bow can unleash the devilish Titans & rain destruction upon mankind & the Gods. Meanwhile, Phaedra gains the protection of a mortal warrior named Theseus (Henry Cavill, of The Tudors) who seeks revenge against Hyperion for slaying his own mother. Accompanied by the rogue Stavros (Stephen Dorff), Theseus & Phaedra search for the Bow to prevent Hyperion from getting it & releasing the animalistic Titans to wreak havoc. All this while, Zeus (played by James McAvoy/Dominic Cooper hybrid, Luke Evans) & his fellow Olympians can only look on from above, as ancient law dictates that they mustn't intervene and/or aid mankind.
'Immortals' plays fast & loose with Greek Mythology. But then, who doesn't stay accurate nowadays? Zac Snyder's 300 certainly didn't -- and that film was well-received by critics & public alike. In fact, you can't watch 'Immortals' and not think some of the inspiration behind it came from 300. One can also watch 'Immortals' & be reminded of last year's weak Clash of the Titans reboot. 'Immortals' is far better than the latter film, but not quite up to par with the former (it's not as audacious). That said, I had a good time watching this movie. As is typical of films by Tarsem Singh, a weaker story is overshadowed by amazing visuals.
Tarsem strikes us with a wickedly strange visual assault. Right off the bat, the first image we see is of an odd, boxlike prison cell thick of granite. Held inside are a host of heavy-breathing Titans (resembling pit bulls who are ready to break free to tear apart the nearest cat they can find). We see them from above; chained; standing erect; muddied; with their mangled teeth clamped onto iron rods. Other images include Greek villages carved from the sides of cliffs. The weaponry looks cool. The temples are spectacular. The depiction of heaven is familiar, yet slightly 'off' (in a good way). And the costumes (by Oscar winner Eiko Ishioka) are out. of. this. world. The Gods stand in gold-plated majesty. King Hyperion's crowns are both barbaric & avant garde. And the oracle's towering red outfits (set against the white salt lands) are shocking in their inventiveness. There is not one moment in this film that doesn't look interesting.
Henry Cavill is solid in the Gerard Butler-like (a la 300) lead role of Theseus. He even gives a rousing speech before a major battle that recalls Butler (yet pales in comparison). If Cavill lacks anything, it's gusto. But what he does have is likeability onscreen. And his physique - well - let's just say it's Super {wink wink}. Mickey Rourke's role calls for absolutely nothing but pure evil & malice. But he makes for a fun, if vile King. Freida Pinto is fine in the underwritten role of the oracle, Phaedra. But she's gorgeous. Ditto that for Isabel Lucas' Athena. Stephen Dorff provides some much needed comic relief; as portions of the film strain under silly self-importance. And both Luke Evans & John Hurt (disguised as a kindly old man) fare well as Zeus.
Going into 'Immortals', I knew not to expect some narrative masterpiece. The script is on the flimsy side. Not awful, just insubstantial (especially when it concerns gods, kings & epic battles). Characterizations are thin. But from the 1st second to the last, my eyes were fixated on the screen. A beefy hero, GQ-looking Gods, sexy women, female nudity, thunderous battles, all forms of carnage (well-choreographed & filmed in scintillating slo-mo) ... the visual wonders never cease. And there is a show-stopping final battle btwn. the Gods & the Titans that nearly raised me out of my seat (don't know the last time that happened to me in a theater). 'Immortals' may only be for certain audiences. But for the core fans, I'm sure they won't be disappointed.