"Today, we are
offered something we would never have. Today, we fight for honor!"
Tarsem Singh's films may be a narrative mess, but they pack
a visual wallop. Singh melds his unique style to the legends of Greek mythology
for Immortals. He cites influences as
varied as Caravaggio and Baz Luhrmann though most movie-goers will see it as 300 meets Clash of the Titans.
The evil King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) seeks vengeance
against the gods for ignoring his prayers and allowing his family to die. His
armies lay waste to all of Greece in search of the Epirus Bow, a weapon of mass
destruction that has the power to free the Titans imprisoned under Mount
Tartarus. The only mortal who can stop them is Theseus (Henry Cavill), the son
of a peasant woman murdered by King Hyperion. Theseus escapes and finds allies
with fellow slave Stavros (Stephen Dorff) and the virgin oracle Phaedra (Freida
Pinto).
Immortals is a
feast for the eyes if you find its brown, earthy tones to be appetizing. There's
a definite Zack Snyder feel with action sequences punctuated by slow motion. At
times, the film is grimy and grisly, particularly a fight scene between Theseus
and the Minotaur (played by former pro wrestler Robert Maillet aka Kurrgan),
re-imagined as a massive soldier wearing a helmet shaped like a bull's head. At
other times, it's downright garish, particularly when it comes to the realm of
the gods. Working under the assumption that omnipotent beings wouldn't want to
look like old bearded guys, the Greek pantheon are portrayed as vain Calvin
Klein models. Each one is dressed as a golden gladiator on their way to the
discotheque. Casting towards youth means you lack the gravitas possessed by
veteran actors such as Sir Laurence Olivier or Liam Neeson. Luke Evans (who appeared briefly in Clash as Apollo) is solid
as Zeus, but the others (Isabel Lucas as Athena, Kellan Lutz as Poseidon) don't
do much, except stand around and look pretty.
Zeus has decreed the gods shall not directly intervene with
the affairs of the mortals. In the end, that's exactly what they do, providing
a deus ex machina for the climactic battle against the Titans. The Titans
themselves hardly live up to the moniker. They're more like zombies with really
ashy skin and finned helmets.
This is Henry Cavill's first leading role in a major blockbuster.
He has the good looks and the size to be an action hero, but we may have to
wait until Man of Steel to get a
better feel for his skills as a thespian. Mickey Rourke makes the
one-dimensional villain entertaining simply by being Mickey Rourke. Of all the
characters, Hyperion has the most ludicrous costume, horned headgear as if he
were the kid from Where the Wild Things Are fully grown and in a permanent roid rage.
Immortals should
only be enjoyed as a campy throwback to the sword and sandals pictures that
dotted the B-movie landscape of 1960's Italy.
Rating: * ½ (*****)
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