The much-anticipated “Immortals” excels in the visual department but fails in everything else needed to make a good movie. Viewers will be left satisfied, but a few minutes after the credits roll everyone will be scratching their heads trying to remember what movie they just saw.
Director Tarsem Singh (“The Fall”) is already known for making stunning visuals and weak story lines; “Immortals” is no exception. “Immortals” tells the story of a faithless Theseus (Henry Cavill, TV’s “The Tudors”), who is forced to step up and take leadership to protect human kind from the blood thirsty King Hyperion, (Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”). Hyperion is set on unleashing the Titans and destroying mankind. With his ruthless, brutal and brainless army, King Hyperion has slaughtered his way through the land in search of the hidden Epirus Bow. Only with this legendary bow can he release the Titans, who had been imprisoned by the gods many years ago.
Theseus is merely a peasant when Zeus, (Luke Evans, “The Three Musketeers”) himself chooses him to defeat King Hyperion and protect his people. Because of an old law that prohibits them from interfering in the problems of men the gods are unable to assist any mortal during this time. When King Hyperion murders Theseus’s mother, he embraces his future and takes charge of the upcoming war. Accompanied by the virgin oracle Phaedra (Freida Pinto, “Slumdog Millionaire”) the not-so-epic battle starts.
The testosterone-filled movie fails to make the characters relatable; it is difficult to care for any of them or to even understand their purpose. The storyline is all over the place, none of the characters are developed and the acting is lazy. Not even Rourke, portraying an evil character, could save this story. “Immortals” is ridiculously slow-paced with too many awkward pauses and unanswered questions. Where it becomes really confusing is with the characters of the gods. Athena is played by Isabel Lucas (“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”), Poseidon by Kellan Lutz (“Twillight”) and Aries by newcomer Daniel Sharman. There is a really thin line between the gods and the mortals. The gods have too many human qualities and a lack of power, which can make the audience upset and the tone confusing.
Boasting that the producers of “300” were behind it, “Immortals” does achieve cinematography nirvana, but the 3D was unnecessary. While the movie was beautiful to watch, the 3D effects did not add anything to visuals, it was like watching a regular 2D movie. They could have done much more with the 3D but it fell flat. The costumes of the characters added more to the movie than the weak 3D effects.
“Immortals” was most successful in its fighting scenes. Taken in long shots, it provided a more realistic touch. This differs from most action films that have numerous cuts trying to produce a feeling of action that can end up feeling artificial but “Immortals” had most of the fighting scenes in long shots. This resulted in the audience being wowed by Cavill’s physical performance and provided much needed excitement.
“Immortals” will not reach “300” status and if not for the mesmerizing eye candy will most likely be forgotten.
