Tarsem Singh has only directed a few films to date, and all have shown impeccably artistic visual flair. After the grim, surreal dreamscapes of “The Cell” and the exotic fable of “The Fall,” he would seem to be the perfect choice to direct a Grecian-themed fantasy film.
As expected, the man delivered on a visual level. The art design behind “Immortals” is itself worth a look, given the elaborate costumes, the intricate setpieces, and the imaginative special effects. It also helps that this film has a decent amount of action. It is about as bloody and grisly as “300,” and perhaps a grade darker in tone. As well-choreographed as the fights are, I found the film fairly satisfying. The only problem is, the film tends to drag in certain areas.
Unfortunately, this film does get panned for being all style and no substance. There’s certainly no historic, cultural, or even mythic accuracy; it’s a Greek-themed fantasy in name only. Even the art direction appears more far-east than Mediterranean. Following it as a fantasy world of its own kind, it comes off as a finely-blended rehash of various other fantasy stories; imagine the fights of “300” mixed with the theological concepts of the “Clash of the Titans” remake, combined with the oracle stuff from “The Scorpion King,” and the revenge theme of “Conan,” and the character archetypes of…well, “Clash of the Titans” yet again. In this day and age, “Immortals” feels like just more of the same.
That is not to say that it is completely without merit. Even if it isn’t original, the film does a fine job of establishing its own concepts here and there, and overall establishing itself as its own universe. Within this universe, the characters receive just enough treatment to keep the story going. By the end, it reaches a fairly satisfying climax. If you’re seeking something truly original, it may disappoint; for a mere piece of entertainment, it’s satisfying enough.
The film looks really slick, with quality photography and editing, and gracious amounts of top-notch special effects. Parts of the film look quite darkly lit, I believe as part of the film’s artistic intention. I felt that the acting was decent; Mickey Rourke played an extremely menacing villain, Henry Cavill was quite macho and commanding as the hero, and I enjoyed watching Freida Pinto in her role. The film’s writing shows a few good strengths in the dialogue. No expense is spared on the film’s elaborate sets, props, or costumes. The music score is generally not bad, and has a few strong crescendos.
I was fairly pleased with this film, but it has received mixed reviews. I can only recommend it as a rental.
3.5/5 (entertainment: 3.5/5, story: 2.5/5, film: 4.5/5)
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