If you fancy a night in watching a DVD, then take a look at the selection available at Island Libraries. At just £1.50 per night, they’re a great bargain. Ed
From the producers of ‘300’ hails a reworking of Greek history, or Theseus and The Minotaur as you may have heard it all before.
To extend the rather short story over 90 minutes may have seemed as a rather illogical development, but considering that the movie ‘300’, was, if anything, a financial success, then the direction of ‘Immortals’ is pretty much more of the same fodder.
Love the sepia but that’s about it
The cinematography and style of this venture is truly stunning. Much like the sheen cast throughout ‘The Matrix’, ‘Immortals’ opts for shades of earthy sepia, to cast an effect of ancient setting of one of the more recognised stories from Greece.
Er, and that’s about it really.
A tiresome affair
If anything, the film starts impressively enough, with a hint that it is a decent attempt to tell a story with some real meaning, yet instead the depth is fleeting and reveals instead rather a tiresome affair to pay that much attention throughout.
The dialogue is good for a laugh however. Although whether the comical angle is intent I’m unsure and granted there aren’t necessary subtitles and there is an almost worthy performance from John Hurt and Mickey Rourke.
More suited to the big screen
Yet the release of the film to the accessible DVD format seems to have been a mistake compared to its obvious impressiveness of a cinema intended affair.
The scale of Gods appearing smaller than a tub of ice-cream, or sounding strangely American, may confuse the issue that Greece is the setting for the film’s story at all.
Yet, it may give some hint as to how seriously the film of ‘Immortals’ is after all. Although the actual screenplay makes for a fascinating piece of work, with some interesting ideas with regards to Gods not becoming anything other than at war against mortals on Earth.
Reworking lame films disappointing
Sadly, it would seem that Matrix-style action and movie violence is about all there is when the film of ‘Immortals’ is held up against the light.
Who would have considered that the films using Ray Harryhausen animations would appear as classics compared to such fodder?
Obviously reworking lame films is the motive and if anything seems to demonstrate that special effects are sorted now thanks. What about a decent script to add to the action? Patience for a decent American film is waning.
As David Byrne once noted; “They say that compassion is a virtue, but I don’t have the time”¦”
