Jason KingIMMORTALS: A Review
December 8th 2011 07:03
:
Visually splendid but plot short
Category: Reviews
I am all about visuals in film, this is why I love movies with incredibly beautiful guys and girls, mouth agape costumes, superb cinematography, stunning action sequences and things that push the boundaries of the visual medium.
This is why I have been so eager to watch Immortals. A film about Greek mythology that is more a pastiche of biblical tales mixed with six packed heroes taking on the evil Mickey Rourke and directed by Tarsem Singh. A director with superb visual talent but unfortunately he is so brilliant on the visuals that a lot of the time he forgoes a lot of the plot.
I first fell for Singh's directing upon seeing The Cell, a film made back in 2000 and starring Jennifer Lopez, this was a visual splendour and bordering on the sadistically evil. His ability and imagination with the visual medium is unmatched and so it is again with Immortals.
But a BIG mistake I made was taking my mum to see this
. It is horrendously violent and takes its inspiration from Greek tragedy and oceans of bloodshed. Mum kept closing her eyes and asking if it was over yet. My stepdad and I were lapping it up - this is a pure male film and I have to say, OMG the gay male will be in heaven hahahaha.
The brutal and bloodthirsty King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) and his murderous Heraklion army are rampaging across Greece in search of the long lost Bow of Epirus. With the invincible Bow, the king will be able to overthrow the Gods of Olympus and become the undisputed master of his world. With ruthless efficiency, Hyperion and his legions destroy everything in their wake, and it seems nothing will stop the evil king's mission. As village after village is obliterated, a stonemason named Theseus (Henry Cavill) vows to avenge the death of his mother in one of Hyperion's raids. When Theseus meets the Sybelline Oracle, Phaedra (Freida Pinto), her disturbing visions of the young man's future convince her that he is the key to stopping the destruction. With her help, Theseus assembles a small band of followers and embraces his destiny in a final desperate battle for the future of humanity.
To get his plot for this film it would appear Singh just stole parts of Greek history he really liked and glued them together, set them in the time he chose, and using the art and equipment from the times he thought would look the best on screen. Visually it is without compare for his style and for an action film it's pretty damn good but do not read too much into or sprout something like "this was not the way it happens in the bible". It is PURE fiction. (As some may say................is the bible).
The acting is mediocre but more than passable. I was most keen to see Henry Cavill in action. Good to see he is very buff because pretty soon we will see him in Zack Snyder's blue and red lycra clad SUPERMAN. And I was impressed - he can pull off Superman (I still wanted Brandon Routh back but can live with this).
Mickey Rourke is playing angry drunk and violent Mickey Rourke and his character is well suited to him. Great to see Stephen Dorff back onscreen - he just fell off the face of the "cinematic release" world and has been swimming in B grade trash for years. Freido Pinto is ok and just stunning to watch but when she decides to have sex to lose her visions of the future and disrobes to a half screen ass shot the entire audience laughed at this cheap way to have a naked lady scene. Luke Evans is great as Zeus and Kellan Lutz is beyond hunky as Poseidon.
But I am sorry to say this but Isabel Lucas is just embarrassing and appears to be incapable of day time soap opera - why on earth she keeps getting roles where she has to read lines and pretend to be someone else is beyond me. Oh, I know, it's because she is so beautiful that remote bits of intelligence or skill are inconsequential. Kind of a bit like Taylor Lautner but I can't take my eyes off him. Hahahaha
Do not take your mum to this one, do not go to see this for an amazing plot or award winner, go to see it for it's spectacular visual sequences. It shits all over Clash of the Titans but it's no 300. Worth 6/10.
This is why I have been so eager to watch Immortals. A film about Greek mythology that is more a pastiche of biblical tales mixed with six packed heroes taking on the evil Mickey Rourke and directed by Tarsem Singh. A director with superb visual talent but unfortunately he is so brilliant on the visuals that a lot of the time he forgoes a lot of the plot.
I first fell for Singh's directing upon seeing The Cell, a film made back in 2000 and starring Jennifer Lopez, this was a visual splendour and bordering on the sadistically evil. His ability and imagination with the visual medium is unmatched and so it is again with Immortals.
But a BIG mistake I made was taking my mum to see this
. It is horrendously violent and takes its inspiration from Greek tragedy and oceans of bloodshed. Mum kept closing her eyes and asking if it was over yet. My stepdad and I were lapping it up - this is a pure male film and I have to say, OMG the gay male will be in heaven hahahaha.
The brutal and bloodthirsty King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) and his murderous Heraklion army are rampaging across Greece in search of the long lost Bow of Epirus. With the invincible Bow, the king will be able to overthrow the Gods of Olympus and become the undisputed master of his world. With ruthless efficiency, Hyperion and his legions destroy everything in their wake, and it seems nothing will stop the evil king's mission. As village after village is obliterated, a stonemason named Theseus (Henry Cavill) vows to avenge the death of his mother in one of Hyperion's raids. When Theseus meets the Sybelline Oracle, Phaedra (Freida Pinto), her disturbing visions of the young man's future convince her that he is the key to stopping the destruction. With her help, Theseus assembles a small band of followers and embraces his destiny in a final desperate battle for the future of humanity.
To get his plot for this film it would appear Singh just stole parts of Greek history he really liked and glued them together, set them in the time he chose, and using the art and equipment from the times he thought would look the best on screen. Visually it is without compare for his style and for an action film it's pretty damn good but do not read too much into or sprout something like "this was not the way it happens in the bible". It is PURE fiction. (As some may say................is the bible).
The acting is mediocre but more than passable. I was most keen to see Henry Cavill in action. Good to see he is very buff because pretty soon we will see him in Zack Snyder's blue and red lycra clad SUPERMAN. And I was impressed - he can pull off Superman (I still wanted Brandon Routh back but can live with this).
Mickey Rourke is playing angry drunk and violent Mickey Rourke and his character is well suited to him. Great to see Stephen Dorff back onscreen - he just fell off the face of the "cinematic release" world and has been swimming in B grade trash for years. Freido Pinto is ok and just stunning to watch but when she decides to have sex to lose her visions of the future and disrobes to a half screen ass shot the entire audience laughed at this cheap way to have a naked lady scene. Luke Evans is great as Zeus and Kellan Lutz is beyond hunky as Poseidon.
But I am sorry to say this but Isabel Lucas is just embarrassing and appears to be incapable of day time soap opera - why on earth she keeps getting roles where she has to read lines and pretend to be someone else is beyond me. Oh, I know, it's because she is so beautiful that remote bits of intelligence or skill are inconsequential. Kind of a bit like Taylor Lautner but I can't take my eyes off him. Hahahaha
Do not take your mum to this one, do not go to see this for an amazing plot or award winner, go to see it for it's spectacular visual sequences. It shits all over Clash of the Titans but it's no 300. Worth 6/10.
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