November 11, 2011 by Vinnie Leduc
Immortals tries really, really, really hard to impress. It’s more than occasionally off target and will sometimes make you wonder whether you’re watching a production that suffered massive budget cuts. Fortunately, Immortals shines brightly enough to capture and divert your attention to its strengths, such as the resplendent setpieces and masterful costume design, especially for the gods. King Hyperion’s pincher-topped, Venus-flytrap-masked helmet should be an unlockable in every video game.
Immortal combat is divine and incredibly violent. One particular action sequence alone, perhaps the best of the year and at least in the top three of 2011, cemented my decision to add this movie to my future 3D library. I’d contest that like the best ones from Sucker Punch and the latest Transformers, it easily kills any action sequence in 300. A big reason why is its satisfying use of the increasingly ubiquitous third dimension. Immortals probably has the best overall live-action 3D of any film, and you’ll be noticing it constantly, not just during the action. It’s so polished that it’s almost distracting, but that’s all right because it’ll keep your eyes from rolling back in response to the strained plot and cheesy dialogue, the film’s most glaring weaknesses.
I doubt Immortals will do for Henry Cavill’s career what 300 did for Gerard Butler’s, but as the titular superhero in 2013’s Man of Steel, Cavill may already be on the right track regardless. Mickey Rourke seems miscast at first, but he pulls off one of the most ruthless villains of the year. It’s nice to see Freida Pinto in a supporting performance more critical than her last, but Stephen Dorff and Academy Award nominee John Hurt just don’t fit in their roles.
It’s got plenty of flaws, but Immortals survives and prevails with enough eye candy that’s so eternally captivating that the otherwise okay film scores extra points. The final product is significantly better than what Clash of the Titans would have been with proper 3D. If you have the option, catching it in 3D is an absolute MUST because I definitely would not have liked the film as much in 2D. Immortals gets 3.0 out of 5 stars or B- or Good.
