Immortals

There have been plenty of films and media based on classic Greek mythology, of gods and humans clashing in battle. Few though, have taken the genre to the level that Immortals adheres to.  Can the film stand the test of time, or is this one that is easily forgotten?

Theseus (Henry Cavill) is just an average peasant when his life is changed forever after the death of his mother at the hands of the murderous King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke). Bent on ruling all of humanity, Hyperion aims to find the legendary Epirus Bow and release the Titans in an effort to overthrow Zeus and the other Olympians.

What Theseus does not know is that he has been prophesized to change the fate of the world and fight against Hyperion and his army. With the help of his thieving friend, Stavros (Stephen Dorff), and occasionally the gods themselves, he stands tall against the odds and becomes the immortal legend his is destined to be.

The story itself is nothing to write home about, though. It loosely covers some of the well-known tales of Theseus and how he battled the Minotaur, but for the most part it’s only there to keep the action going. It never successfully drives its immortality theme forward, but puts in a good effort. As an aside, it also features some of the most ridiculous head pieces of any film ever. All the gods have their strangely elaborate helmets that really serve no purpose, other than to look weird. Hyperion also sports a helmet that looks like it was stolen off a crab’s claw.

Immortals is from the same producers who brought us 300, which is apparent if you’ve seen any of the trailers. The film features much of the same stylistic combat, complete with fluid slow motion sequences that highlight the brutality of battle. Buckets of blood splatter on all surfaces as limbs fly in every direction. Still, this is nothing compared to what the gods can do.

Quite possibly the best aspect of the film are the gods themselves. Depicted as heavenly beings shrouded in a golden glow, they live up to every aspect of their title plus more. In battle is where they really shine, however. Ares (Daniel Sharman) provides the first glimpse of the power of a god, and boy is it magnificent. In a matter of moments, he reduces an entire squad of soldiers to nothing but a pile of bloodied corpses with his massive hammer. In typical 300 fashion, we see every critical impact, as gods as undoubtedly faster than humans. It is scenes like these that make Immortals worth seeing.

If you’re looking for nothing but pure action and some of the most epic battles you’ll see on screen, Immortals is a fine choice. The gods are some of the most entertaining depictions I’ve seen in a long time and it’s sure to get your adrenaline pumping.

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