After declaring war on humanity when the Gods leave his family to die from illness, King Hyperion (Micky Rouke) searches all of Greece for the Epirus Bow, a powerful weapon forged by the God Ares. His plan is to advance on Mount Tartarus and use the bow to destroy a long hidden prison containing the Titans, a powerful race of God like beings who were imprisoned there after being defeated by the Gods themselves. Meanwhile a young man named Theseus (Henry Cavill), who has been unknowingly trained by a disguised Zeus to become a leader of men, is pushed towards his destiny when King Hyperion ransacks his village and kills his mother. Joining forces with a run away Oracle and a convicted theif, Theseus follows Hyperion to Mount Tartarus where he plans to gain his revenge and meet his destiny head on.
Review:
The recent fad of filming things on green screen and adding all the background detail in post-production has had conflicting results. On the one hand it can make a film look stylish and deep, like 300 and Sin City. On the other hand it can make things look overly complicated and just plain boring to look at, like The Spirit and dare I say it Attack Of The Clones (don’t hate me!).Thankfully Immortals manages to be more in the stylish category, and sometimes it is a joy to behold. From the extravagant costume designs to the glorious backgrounds it is a treat for the eyes. The Gods balcony in the sky and their gold costumes help them look distinct yet alien and separate from the dark colours of the mortal world.
The acting can be a bit hit and miss, with some characters not having much to do and being a bit hard to watch (like Theseus’ mother and StephenDorff as a very corny thief) to other characters who really relish and seem comfortable in their parts (The Oracle, the Gods and even a sometimes bored looking John Hurt is enjoyable). Henry Cavill as Theseus is humble yet deeply passionate when he or people close to him are threatened. He is really easy to and manages to drive the story and action forward with each and every scene. He has a slight blip when he somehow slips into a Leonidas impression from 300 whilst trying to rally his troops, but otherwise he is fantastic. In fact it is after seeing him in this film that makes me think Zack Synder definitely made the right choice in casting him as the the new Superman/Clark Kent. You can’t help but want to follow his story and character right to the very end. His fight scenes are brutal and sometimes shocking in their complexity (a favourite part of mine was where he manages to kill three people by breaking s spear down into smaller pieces as he goes).
In fact all of the fighting scenes of the film are, for me, immensely enjoyable and the best part. All the mortals who we see fight are visceral and very brutal in their fighting styles. Sometimes the moves they pull off seem fantastical but you can actually imagine people being able to do it with enough training. Compare that with the Gods, who fight with such speed and precision that time seems to slow down and death is dealt swiftly and without remorse. They are so different that you actually feel the Gods are just that, powerful and immortal Gods who are above us in everyway, but maybe not in morals.
Overall the film is enjoyable and runs along at a speedy pace. The 3D, which has been bigged up with the advertising of this film, isn’t as amazing as you would have been lead to believe. The depth and field and colours look gorgeous with some effects seeming to lift off of the screen but you cant help but feel it would look just as good on the big screen without 3D. If you have any interest in Greek Mythology or enjoyed 300 or the original Clash Of The Titans, you can’t go far wrong with Immortals. If you have no interest in films of this type or films with swords and sorcery then this film won’t change your mind!
3 out of 5
