Immortals

     
I've only seen one Tarsem Singh film and that was the Cell, an okay thriller with standout visuals, I havent seen the Fall only images. So going into this film was a gamble, I knew to expect a return to 300 action territory from the trailers. Any fears going into this film that I might have had such as expecting an overly stylistic film were eased once the film got underway.
    I didn't love this film but it did entertain, my reasons are simple this film treats  is very simplistic with its characters  to the point that they are mere sketches and almost pantomime in their simplicity.    
      Henry Cavill as Thesesus delivers a solid everyman hero, Mickey Rourke a blood thirsty villain as King Hyperion.
      The story like the characters is simple too. Hyperion feels slighted by the gods and wishes to bring about their downfall. To do so he must obtain the Epirus bow created by Ares. Once it is in his possesion he can use it to unleash the Titans from Mount Tarturus. The gods cannot intervene but Zeus as played by both Luke Evans and in his older guise by John Hurt has been secretly preparing Theseus for the conflict ahead.
   Rourkes Hyperion is seriously bad ass but in a very black and white way, the back story is relayed in a few lines of exposition, he has lost his family, nearest and dearest. This has brought him to a very dark place. His treatment of his own troops, borders on the tyranical and his punishments on his own men are swift and bloody. His character is sketched out by actions rather than backstory.
   My main critisim would be the lack of scale to events, this is almost small scale in scope. Much like watching Spartacus, with its reliance on digital backgrounds and sets. it is almost like watching a theatre production than a big screen adventure. Battles take place in confined corridors.
   But they are visually  diverting, and the 3D is well utilised though a lot of scenes are very dark which diminishes the effect.
   If you enjoyed 300 you a will be entertained, for me well I will not be adding it to my blu ray shelf.  But I am looking forward to Mr Cavell's next big screen adventure as the Man of Steel.