Immortals will be remembered more for its slick, breathtaking visuals than its slow and, at times, boring storytelling. Director Tarsem Singh (The Fall, The Cell) has a distinct style that everyone recognizes, and it is perfect for a movie that deals with Greek mythology. This movie is definitely a sight to see and will be more appreciated if it is seen on the big screen. And you cannot help but think of movies like Clash of the Titans and 300 when you see the previews for Immortals and it is even more on your mind when you actually see the movie. Is it better than Clash of the Titans? You bet. But is it better than 300? Not a chance.
Theseus (Henry Cavill) lives the life of a peasant in a small village and is full of pride and confidence no matter what his status is. More importantly, he stands up for those he loves and he does not love anyone more than his mother. But when the brutal, ruthless King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) attacks the village, he murders Theseus’s mother right in front of him. That is something Hyperion should not have done because Theseus has been chosen to change the world and save it from Hyperion.
Theseus has a destiny to fulfill, but the only problem is he doesn’t know that yet. Hyperion has been raging a war against Zeus (Luke Evans) and the other Olympians while in search of the legendary Epirus Bow. In his hands, he can release the Titans so to overthrow the Gods and take over the world. But Theseus wants revenge and stands in Hyperion’s way, and with the help of an Oracle (Freida Pinto) who can see the future and Stavros (Stephen Dorff), a thief who can battle with the best of them, he becomes a legend who obtains immortality.
Immortals isn’t here to be accurate or complex, and it has no interest in trying to make the audience think about what they are viewing. This movie wants to amaze you by using grand set pieces and CGI, and it does a nice job achieving that. The action sequences are terrific and if you like blood and severed heads then you have come to the right place. Cavill fills the role of the muscle-bound hero who defies the odds. This is just a little taste of what you will get once he appears as Superman in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel coming out in 2013. And Rourke is so damn good at playing a villain. There is just something about him that oozes bad and I mean that as a compliment. He was cool as Whiplash and gave that character some depth, but that doesn’t happen here as Hyperion. He is a sick bastard who shows no mercy and will get what he wants by any means necessary. It is that simple.
Immortals has it’s fair share of awesomeness. There is action and violence for any fan to enjoy, and if you are a fan of 300 then you will no doubt find this movie entertaining. But that isn’t to say it doesn’t have its issues, and there are times when you wish things would hurry up and get going again. It could have had a shorter running time for sure. In the end, Immortals is fun and it reaches its epic status every now and then. Yet it will forever live in the shadow of the Spartans.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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