[7.50/10] Immortals [3D] (2011)

Immortals [3D] (2011)

Full review: One of this year's most anticipated movies has finally arrived, and even though Tarsem's latest does not exceed expectations, it certainly meets them. Loosely based on the Greek myths of Theseus and the Minotaur and the Titanomachy, "Immortals" tells the story of Theseus, a mortal man who's chosen by Zeus to lead the fight against the merciless King Hyperion, who wants to destroy humanity. Singh's interpretation of these myths is hardly groundbreaking in terms of storytelling, but he compensates the lack of strong script with creativity, skillful execution and his signature impressionist style. The astounding visuals are undeniably the film's main strength. Tarsem is widely known for his trademark visual style, and with "Immortals" he proved to the world yet again what an amazing visionary he truly is. Although shot mostly against green screen, nothing about "Immortals"' visuals feels fake. The CGI scenery, which mostly consists of monolithic seaside cliffs and ancient Greek fortresses, is absolutely stunning, and the 'real' settings are just as impressive and superbly crafted. The golden tint of the cinematography reminds the one in "300", though here the golden-brown caramel-ish colors are more muted and washed out. Most of the costumes are authentic and beautifully-designed, though some of Gods' armors look a bit ridiculous. The 3D is subtle and hardly noticeable, but it still adds depth to certain scenes, and makes the more eye-catching. The true highlight of "Immortals" is without a doubt the 'Gods vs Titans' action sequence at the end of the movie, which is nothing short of mind-blowing! You'll witness one of the coolest, most spectacular and unique slow motion fight scenes ever shot. During the battle, the camera angles are incredibly creative, the fast camera movements are razor-sharp, and the slow-mo itself is used in an effective and very stylish way, which makes this culmination scene absolutely jaw-dropping, and a true feast for the eyes. Sadly though, apart from this amazing scene, "Immortals" lacks enough action. There are some good, gory and extremely graphic fight scenes throughout, but obviously, Tarsem have saved the spectacle for last. One one hand, the climax is definitely worth the wait, but one the other hand, "Immortals" could have been so much more thrilling if there was more great action in it. The performances range from strong to forgettable. The future Superman, Henry Cavill, has the right look and the skills to play Theseus. He has great screen presence and does a great job in portraying his tough character. Stephen Dorff delivers as Stavros, Luke Evans is just okay as Zeus and John Hurt is gives a solid performance as the Old Man. Freida Pinto is beautiful head-to-toe, but she barely possesses any acting skills whatsoever, hence she gives a poor performance as Phaedra. Mickey Rourke is absolutely brilliant as the ruthless King Hyperion, and steals every scene he appears in.

Overall summary: Neither as spectacular, nor as visually-striking as Zack Snyder's similar-by-style "300", but still one of the best-looking movies of the year, Tarsem's "Immortals", while hardly phenomenal, is constantly engrossing, and offers a solid story, plenty of gorgeous visuals and some breathtakingly-shot action sequences.