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Reviews
Nov 11, 2011 20:40:18 GMT 1
Post by Chocolover on Nov 11, 2011 20:40:18 GMT 1
Immortals Review
Superman and Whiplash go to war in Ancient Greece and it is spectacular.
Let's address one thing straight away – Immortals isn't going to win any awards for its screenplay. Luckily, anyone familiar with Tarsem's previous films The Cell and The Fall will know that the former director of commercials is remarkable at getting emotions, themes and story across with his expert use of visuals. Beware of spoilers ahead.
Immortals is the story of Theseus (Henry Cavill), a peasant who may be humanity's only hope against the mad King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke), who has declared war on not only mankind, but on the gods he detests for not intervening when he and his people needed them most. Ancient law states that the gods cannot intervene with the affairs of humans, unless the Titans have been awakened to wreak havoc on Earth. Hyperion's plan is to acquire the powerful Epirus bow, the only weapon powerful enough to break the Titans free from their prison, so that he can force the gods into a confrontation.
After having his mother and entire village slaughtered by Hyperion, Theseus makes it his sole purpose in life to kill the evil king. Unbeknownst to Theseus, he has been receiving tutelage from Zeus (Luke Evans) for his entire life in the guise of an old man (played by John Hurt) should this dark situation ever arise. He is also aided on his quest by Phaedra (Freida Pinto), a beautiful Oracle who has foreseen Theseus' importance to the outcome of this event, and wants to make sure he stays on the right path, and Stavros (Stephen Dorff), a thief who joins Theseus' cause and proves to be a loyal ally.
While the trailers and marketing for Immortals might make it resemble another 300, it's clear within the film's opening moments that it isn't much like Zack Snyder's film at all. While Snyder's vision for 300 was based on recreating the look and feel of Frank Miller's gritty, high-contrast graphic novel, Tarsem's approach to the visuals in Immortals is steeped in the grandeur of Baroque high-art, with artists such as Caravaggio and Rembrandt as his inspiration. The results are truly outstanding.
Baroque art can convey the drama and chaos of a famous historical scene in a single image, and Tarsem manages to capture that exact essence here with his and his director of photography's masterful shot composition and incredible lighting techniques. Tarsem also uses slow-motion in many of his action scenes, which further gives us the impression of witnessing a moving painting, and also lets us soak in the immensity of what is taking place on screen.
Less successful is the film's use of post-converted 3D. While the effect works well on some occasions, there are a few scenes that are rendered too dark to be truly effective in 3D. While it never plumbs the depths of the Fright Night remake's terribly murky 3D presentation, the film would've looked even more impressive with a brighter and more vibrant presentation that allowed us to clearly see all of the incredible detail.
As Henry Cavill's first big role since being announced as the next Superman, the actor proves himself a true movie star in the making (something that fans of Cavill on the show The Tudors have probably known for a while). There is an earnestness and sincerity to his performance that makes him a likable screen presence, something that could have been lost had the film regressed into typical macho epic movie grandstanding. He's physical and fierce, without resorting to steroids and catchphrases.
Mickey Rourke plays King Hyperion as a man with a vengeance-filled heart. He is able to convey a sense of sadness and anger at the same time, something he has proven very effective at in the years following his role in Sin City. He has a sense of gravitas, which gives the build up leading to Theseus' battle with Hyperion extra weight, and also makes its outcome more emotionally satisfying. Freida Pinto does well with what she has, though her character seems to disappear for much of the third act, and it's always good to see Stephen Dorff on the big screen.
The gods -- played by the aforementioned Evans as Zeus, Isabel Lucas as Athena, Kellan Lutz as Poseidon, Daniel Sharman as Ares and Steve Byers as Heracles -- all get their moment to shine, despite spending the majority of the film looking down at Earth from Mount Olympus. They definitely don't disappoint though, nearly stealing the film with an explosive, slow-motion ass-kicking that results in dozens of slow-motion exploding heads and limbs. It's to Tarsem's credit that every time the film breaks out into hardcore action like this, it still manages to keep its beautiful artistry intact.
With Immortals, Tarsem has created a beautiful and sumptuous mythological epic with visual strengths that far outweigh the weaknesses of its fairly standard script. While that kind of approach might not jibe with everyone, those who are open to this kind of visual storytelling will feel like they've stepped into a living, breathing work of art.
4 out of 5 Stars | 8/10 Source
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Reviews
Nov 11, 2011 20:43:34 GMT 1
Post by Chocolover on Nov 11, 2011 20:43:34 GMT 1
REVIEW – IMMORTALS
IMMORTALS Directed by: Tarsem Singh Written by: Charley and Vlas Parlapanides Starring: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Luke Evans, Frieda Pinto, John Hurt, Stephen Dorff, Isabel Lucas, and Kellan Lutz
There’s a very famous line from GLADIATOR that Russell Crowe’s Maximus yells to the Roman audience, thirsting for blood and death: “Are you not entertained?” I think of this phrase every time I see any movie. As a critic, it’s the key question that’s answered when composing a review. Naturally, due to the similar subject matter of a poor man becoming a fighter for the people (not to mention the sword-and-sandal milieu), it’s especially apropos with IMMORTALS. The film never takes itself too seriously. As far as inevitable comparisons go, it falls right smack in between 300 (on the higher end of the spectrum) and the CLASH OF THE TITANS remake (on the low end).
In IMMORTALS, megalomaniac King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) and his evil, bloodthirsty army are rampaging across Greece, destroying everything in their path. Village after village are conquered and decimated on his quest to unleash the sleeping Titans (the vanquished prisoners of a war with the gods) from Mt. Olympus. Once the Titans are awakened, gods and mortals be damned! It would seem no one can stop this madman, until Theseus (Henry Cavill) vows to avenge the death of his mother after she is killed in the raid on his town. When he is taken prisoner by Hyperion, he meets up with a virgin Oracle, Phaedra (Freida Pinto). She’s had visions that indicate Theseus is the key to stopping this destruction, and he answers the call to be the savior for his people. With the help of Phaedra and his right hand man Stavros (Stephen Dorff), he assembles an army just massive as Hyperion’s. Watching and waiting in the heavens above are Theseus’ trainer Zeus (Luke Evans), Athena (Isabel Lucas), Poseidon (Kellan Lutz), and Ares (Daniel Sherman). However, they are bound to not interfere until the Titans are released.
There’s no question about it. IMMORTALS has 5 star visuals. Director Tarsem (THE CELL, THE FALL) adds depth and perspective to fight sequences not applied to 3-D films thus far. Things don’t just don’t come toward the audience, but are happening all around. The final battle feels immersive and tangible in its massive scope. Tarsem suffuses his frame with movement, color, and clarity. Images remain crisp and clear, not suffering from the muddied darkening of the glasses, which helps when you’re checking out every costume detail or ab crease.
However, a movie can’t simply exist on all gloss and no substance. The script from Charley and Vlas Parlapanides pulls from all different cultural sources of mythology to create its own universe – one that’s chock full of silly hats. While the beats are very familiar (ahem, predictable), it’s fun to see how goofy the scenarios become for our heroes. They turn out more campy than clever, which works for this movie. The silver minotaur in Hyperion’s courtyard is used as a deliciously wicked dramatic device that pays off handsomely.
My only real beef with IMMORTALS is in its sexist treatment of its two main female characters. Phaedra, who is pursued and coveted by Hyperion, is virtually forgotten about after she spends the night with Theseus – indicating a woman’s uselessness after she gives her “power” to a man. And it’s not just on Earth where sexism runs rampant. Even in the heavens, Athena gets her fair share of it when Zeus chooses to not permanently extinguish her like her brother. But why not, as they both broke the exact same rule?! Oh, because she’s a girl. When war finally does rage in the spectacular last act, I couldn’t help but think Zeus was probably regretting having one less god around to help him fight the Titans.
IMMORTALS knows it’s not a Shakespearean drama, and never tries to be either. It exists as pure escapist entertainment. Yes, it’s silly – especially the headgear mortals and gods wear – but it’s also a lot of fun. If you embrace this film for the eye candy absurdity it is, you will find yourself entertained. Source
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Post by Chocolover on Nov 23, 2011 5:12:38 GMT 1
Immortals (review)
Gaudy Gods
Okay, it’s like this: If Samwise Gamgee, after returning home from the War of the Ring, had a prophetic dream about the far-in-his-future Fourth Age of Man -- including what we now know as the mythology of ancient Greece -- and decided to write some fan fiction about it, and then Vogue magazine’s most outré photographers did a huge photo spread based on that, that could begin to explain how Immortals came into existence.
Or else this is what eternal -- and eternally bored -- gods do to fill the time: they spin insane stories through luscious images of nearly naked beautiful people fighting and fucking.
Wait, there’s more: It’s not a bad thing that this happened.
Immortals is pretty much completely bonkers, and that is its secret and its glory. It’s sort of about mad King Hyperion played by a mumbling Mickey Rourke (The Expendables, Iron Man 2) who tends to go into battle wearing a spectacularly Maurice Sendak helmet, and he’s after a magical bow of the gods with which he could, dare we say it, rule the world, and which the gods have rather foolishly left lying around where mortals can get at it. So Theseus, who’s kind of a warrior Jesus -- not the actual biological son of Zeus (Luke Evans: The Three Musketeers), king of the gods, but certainly favored by him and definitely needed by Zeus in order to maintain the hold of the gods on mortals -- gets the magical bow, which almost instantly falls into Hyperion’s meaty paws. But Theseus isn’t just Jesus: he’s also Superman, because he is played by Henry Cavill (Stardust, Tristan & Isolde), who will be starring in Man of Steel in 2013. So he’s like two inhuman superheroes in one, and Hyperion better look out.
But Immortals isn’t about what it’s about. Director Tarsem Singh’s two previous films -- the brutal, magical The Fall and the reprehensible The Cell -- are lurid fantasias of the psyche... and now, here, in an attempt to go mainstream, Singh trims away the psyche stuff and just goes wild with the lurid fantasia. What’s important here isn’t what’s going on but how what is going on is presented. It’s not style over substance: the style is substantial; it is the meat of the meal here. And it is hugely intriguing.
I never got emotionally caught up the characters, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Singh’s impressionism, which is by turns twisted, as if the sweat and toil of mortals were reflected in their harsh, dim world
and blindingly elegant: you almost want to avert your gaze from his Mount Olympus, which is surely how literally dazzling a realm of gods would be.
This is a bizarre, sinister children’s picture book for grownups transposed to the big screen.
Not that there isn’t some fascinating stuff happening in the story, too. What happens to the “virgin oracle” (Freida Pinto: Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Miral) isn’t what I was dreading -- though I can think of a more subversive way her tale could have played out. In an unexpected reversal, the men are generally way more naked than the women are (and yes, there’s more than one female character!), and men’s bodies are deployed way more often as design elements and objects of aesthetic beauty than women’s are. And it’s fun to see the known bits of Greek mythology sneak up on us in unanticipated ways: all of a sudden in one scene, there’s a minotaur and a maze outta nowhere... except they’re not really outta nowhere, we just didn’t know they were there.
There’s a lot of cheek to Immortals, but what makes it weirdly captivating is how nimble it is, particularly in contrast to how leaden other recent attempts to do something similar have been. (I’m looking at you, awful Clash of the Titans remake.) It genuinely feels like the flight of dark fancy it is aiming to be.
www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/2011/11/immortals_review.html
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