Movie Review: ‘IMMORTALS’

It’s going to happen, so lets get out of the way up front.  As much as you should judge each and every film on their own merits and qualities, sometimes you can’t help but compare films to one another.  In the case of Tarsem Singh’s new film, Immortals, the immediate comparisons to 300 will be made.  Hell, these comparisons were made even before the film was even released.  The trailers, posters, and marketing campaign left many feeling that this is just a rehash of what was done by Zack Snyder in 2006.  It even says “From the producers of 300” on the poster! So you can imagine my surprise when I came out of the theater pleasantly surprised.  If I had to compare the two (which I kind of feel I have to at this point), I actually feel that Immortals tops 300 in many ways. I will get into some of these reasons later.  Although there are some similarities (time period, underdog story, stylized look, shirtless muscular guys), I can honestly say that they are two very different films.  That is what’s important here.  Forget what you think you know about the film and just go into it with a blank slate . . . if you can.  I felt the need to get this out first and foremost with this review since so many others are going to make a big deal about this as well.  With that being said, let’s look beyond the hype and really take a look at Immortals.

Theseus (Henry Cavill) is the fatherless peasant who looks over his spiritual mother when he’s not receiving guidance from the town’s wise old man.  His mother believes in the Gods and looks to them for advice, as opposed to her skeptical son.  The evil King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) is on a mission to find a long lost magical bow that not only has God-like powers, but it would be able to destroy the lock holding the dangerous but caged Titans.  In order to help track down the bow, Hyperion captures four oracles (one of which played by Freida Pinto) to foresee the future. Almost all of the soldiers and villagers of Theseus’s small town have gone to a more secured fortress by the time Hyperion and his barbaric men come looking for the bow.  Theseus’s mother and the remaining peasants are left for the slaughter by the evil King when his search for the bow ends fruitlessly.  Utilizing the skills taught to him by the wise old man, Theseus and a small band of men quickly set upon a dangerous journey to find the bow, enact revenge on Hyperion, and confront, face to face, the Gods from above.

With all these ideas being pushed together, you would be surprised how effortlessly this script moves thanks to these fresh new writers Vlas and Charles Parlapanides.  Their use of original dialogue needs to be refined though.  Typically known for his striking imagery, director Tarsem balances his attention on both the pretty pictures and the story here.  This is one of many positive things working for this highly ambitious film.  Unlike the previously mentioned “sword and sandal” film, Immortals throws in an entertaining story that is accented by the action; not the other way around.  In fact, I couldn’t help but recall such classic films like Jason and the Argonauts and The 7^th Voyage of Sinbad while watching this film.  The subtle but poignant performance by Henry Cavill mixed with the classic narrative structure seems to hark back to the golden days of simple “good vs. evil” classic mythos.  Cavill is a caring hero with a big chest and broad shoulders, and Mickey Rourke is a merciless brute complete with a distinct facial scar.  Not to mention a knack for slitting throats and pummeling men’s private parts.  Immortals lets these classic archetypes be the center of the story. The only actor of the bunch who seems like the odd one out, is Stephen Dorf.  Granted, the man has a penchant for creating memorable characters.  It’s just that the character created here doesn’t seem to fit in with the time period.

The main reason why people will go (and should go) to see this film on the big screen is the ocular wonders put forth on the screen.  Anyone who has seen The Cell or the criminally under-seen The Fall, knows that the man loves to visually amaze audiences.  Between the intricate costume designs, art direction, and lush colored sets, Immortals makes 300 look like a made for TV movie.  I’m sorry  . . . I’m comparing the two again.  Many of the shots are composed to reflect the style of classic baroque paintings.  Every detail in the frame seems to have been taken into account by Tarsem and his production team.  Another visual characteristic worth noting is the CGI.  We are treated to CGI landscapes and blood.  Sometimes it looks good and sometimes bad; so it goes.  Yet, what surprised me was how they handled the CGI violence. The blood and gore have a much more visceral and meatier look to it to go along with the detailed production design.  The finale will surely be a test for those not accustomed to gore.  One fight sequence is shown juxtaposed with another: One being a “slow-motion” assault of guts and blood, while the other one has a more realistic brutal feel to it.  The sequence shows the beauty of “slow-motion” action even if we’ve seen this all before.  Thankfully, there’s no “Enya-esque” female chanting during these sequences to really make them feel contrived.

Aside from Stephen Dorf creating a half-Boston/half –Greek douchebag for a character, my only major complaint is the length of the film.  It feels a little long at 110 minutes with the last third losing some steam before regaining it in the finale.  It should also be noted to avoid this film being shown in 3D.  It was post-converted and it clearly shows through the flat and non-existent use of the technology during most of the film.  This is really a shame because I honestly feel some of these sequences would have been a real treat if they were shot using the newest 3D cameras.  Like the exposed chests of the men in the film, Immortals can easily be picked apart by anyone looking to dissect aspects of its plot.  What do you expect from a modern day “sword and sandals” picture?  Yet, I have to hand it to the writers for giving us some engaging scenes while we wait to be blown away by the imagery.  Immortals is light on action in the first half and may seem a little long in parts for some.  However, it has an almost nostalgic feel as it carries the heart and heroics of films like Jason and the Argonauts on its armor like a badge of honor.