Review: Immortals

Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of "300," "Gladiator," the original "Clash of the Titans," and most other films (not named "Troy") in this genre that are loosely based on Greek and Roman history/mythology.   With that being said, after watching “Immortals” I have to say that I am incredibly lukewarm about this film.  It has taken me a while to put my finger on why this narrative failed to entertain me, but at the end of the day I think the reasons are three-fold: the visuals, the scope, and the cast (in other words – everything).

It is always a delicate visual balance when a film crosses over between heaven and earth but there are films that have pulled this off – most recently Thor.  However, in “Immortals” things immediately go awry by outfitting the Olympians and Titans in garb that can best be described as a mashup of a Calvin Klein commercial (circa 1990) and J-Lo's The Cell.  Needless to say, this look does not exactly lend itself to the strength and majesty one typically associate with the Greek pantheon.  My disappoint is not confined to Mount Olympus as I found Mickey Rourke’s helmet of choice to be the spitting image of a giant lobster claw.  I half expected to see an all-you-can-shrimp Red Lobster commercial in the credits.  My guess here is that this film will not be up for the Best Costume Design.

Another major flaw in the film was its scope.  On the one hand, the story of Theseus' story is probably not the richest of those in the cannon, but there is enough there to piece together a compelling plot.  After all, most films in this genre (and the myths themselves) are loosely based on their respective source materials.  Still, for a plot that features the Olympians, the Titans, as well as Hyperion and his army, the action of the film seems terribly confined to a few sets that are meager in their spacing.  Sorely lacking is the sense of space and grandeur that have existed to keep these principles apart until the moment the plot unfolds. 

As for the cast, I was particularly interested in watching Henry Cavill’s performance as Theseus to see if it might lend some insight as to how he will perform in Zack Snyder’s The Man of Steel.  My assessment is that he was just good enough not to stink and may have performed better had he been surrounded by a different cast.  One of the major problems with the cast is Mickey Rourke as Hyperion.  He brings very little depth to the character and as Rourke continues his post-Wrestler cash grab, he is venturing dangerously close to caricature-ville (a place currently inhabited by Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro).  As for the rest of the culprits, Stephen Dorff – an actor whose best work was when he was Punk’d by Ashton Kutcher - is completely miscast and utterly useless as Stavros and Freida Pinto delivers her second non-descript performance (see Rise of the Planet of the Apes).

So with all these problems, I would say that this movie is a rental all the way.  There are graphic action sequences reminiscent of 300 and visually appealing people trying to save the world from peril, which should give you just enough to leave you marginally entertained - so long as it is at the right price.

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Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

The first time I saw the trailer for “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” the crowd at the L.A. Live AMC cinema erupted into laughter. I have to admit, that amidst the mass chortling, I myself let out a semi-audible groan. I could not fathom why 20^th Century Fox would want to revisit the franchise when this latest entry into the series would star James Franco – who is plenty competent as an actor, but incredibly difficult to take seriously after some of his well-publicized shenanigans; and because the film would inevitably evoke memories of the disaster that was Tim Burton’s foray starring Mark Wahlberg back when people were still (for good reason) referring to him as Marky Mark.

My expectations for the film were low and perhaps this was a mitigating factor in my reaction to the movie, but I found it entertaining. The first plaudit I have to lay upon the film is that the digital effects are seamless. We know that great CG can make a movie (Avatar) and bad CG can cripple one (Green Lantern), but I think CG is most effective when you are not even aware that you are watching it. And such is the case here and what makes this fete even more impressive is that the protagonist is all-digital. And this leads into my second accolade for the movie.

The next best thing I can say about the film is that James Franco is not the star. Instead he plays a supporting character, albeit an important one because the star of the film – Caesar – is a silent one. To me, this is the kind of role where Franco excels – as key figure to plot advancement without the weight of the entire film on his shoulders. As for the rest of the cast, Lithgow and Cox are solid in limited role; Tom Felton plays a cheap man’s Malfoy without the accent; and Freida Pinto serves as little more than a pretty face.

I would recommend seeing this movie at the cinema, because there are some magnificently framed shots that deserve a proper viewing and as I mentioned before, the digital effects are great. Director Rupert Wyatt does a nice job of inserting a few cookies in the prequel to place it within the “Planet of the Apes” timeline, but I suspect that it was done so with a trilogy in mind – especially so since the film has spent its first two weeks in release atop the box office.

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