Today’s quick review: Immortals. To take his revenge on the gods, King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) marches his armies across Greece in search of the Bow of Epirus, a powerful artifact that will allow him to free the Titans from their prison beneath Mount Tartarus. The only one who can stop him is Theseus (Henry Cavill), a courageous young warrior chosen by Zeus (Luke Evans) and guided by the oracle Phaedra (Freida Pinto).
Immortals is an action fantasy movie based on Greek mythology. The movie pits Theseus, a peasant of lowly birth, against the conquerer Hyperion, whose bid for the Bow of Epirus threatens to topple the gods themselves. Immortals features stylized, violent action; a capable lead in Henry Cavill; and a streamlined take on Greek myth. However, issues with its writing, cast, and stylistic choices keep Immortals from having the impact it intends to.
Immortals is at its best during its action scenes. The fights between mortals are well-choreographed and weighty. Though not the best the genre has to offer, they give the movie a solid foundation to build on. The fights involving the gods are both more spectacular and less engaging. The gods are forces to be reckoned with, boasting superhuman speed and strength, but the movie overdoes the gods’ slowdown effects, resulting in strange physics.
Immortals makes a few key missteps that keep it from building on its foundation of action and mythology. The story aims to be gritty yet heroic, but the writing isn’t quite up to the task. Scenes that are meant to be dramatic, tragic, or inspiring fall just short of the mark, and because the movie takes itself so seriously, it has little room for error. The lack of memorable lines puts to rest Immortals’ last hope of clicking as a story.
Other issues burden the movie. The visual design is ambitious, making heavy use of masks, helmets, and the color gold. But the gamble doesn’t pay off: the film ends up with an overly limited color palette and Olympian gods that are hard to tell apart. The cast is another missed opportunity. Henry Cavill is the best fit, walking the fine line between man and legend, but his companions are merely decent, while the Olympian gods skew too young.
For all that, Immortals is still a serviceable watch with ample action and a certain amount of charm. Its flaws keep it from reaching the heights of drama that it aims for, while its heavy tone keeps it from being the kind of feel-good adventure where minor issues don’t matter. But what’s there should be enough to please action fans with the right kind of taste. Skip it if you’re looking for a lighter action flick or a more successful drama.
For a more memorable action movie with a similar style of action and better execution, check out 300. For a more adventurous take on Greek mythology, check out Clash of the Titans or Wrath of the Titans.
6.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for solid action and good ideas, with execution that falls short in a few important ways.