MOVIE REVIEW: IMMORTALS

IN THEATERS

IMMORTALS




A brave young stonemason assembles a fierce band of warriors to prevent an evil king from acquiring the artifact that will permit him to rule the world in this epic mythological fantasy from visionary filmmaker Tarsem Singh. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Tarsem Singh

Cast: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Freida Pinto, Stephen Dorff, Kellan Lutz

Release Date: Nov 11, 2011

Rated R for sequences of strong bloody violence and a scene of sexuality

Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure,Fantasy, Mythology

Review:

Those looking for that singular Greek Mythology film will probably have to keep looking. Immortals is a visually impressive film that never bores the eyes but never matches its visual intensity with narrative punch. Loosely based from Greek Myths, i.e. they’ve used the time period and some names; the story is an overly complex and occasionally incoherent jumble that doesn’t ever really find any sort of rhythm. Tarsem Singh visual flair is enough to make the film watchable and enjoyable for the better part of its runtime. Singh paints incredible cinematic images that your eyes and mind are occupied for the better part of the run time. Unfortunately with the threadbare script, the dead zones are noticeable and drawn out. The cast isn’t much help as they aren’t asked to do much but show off impressively toned and oiled bodies only occasionally whispering some dialogue. Mickey Rourke chews scenery like he’s angry at it, while Henry Cavill and Freida Pinto are incredibly stiff. The secondary and tertiary, sadly the Gods included, have maybe one or two lines to dialogue to define them. It’s not unexpected and Singh’s films share a lot in common with Julie Taymor and both are far more enjoyable as impressive visual feast for the eyes if not the brain.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

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RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

The Escapist director Rupert Wyatt takes the helm for this Planet of the Apes prequel centering on genetically engineered chimp Caesar (Andy Serkis), who was created in a San Francisco lab by an ambitious scientist (James Franco), and who uses his powerful intellect to lead an ape uprising against all of humankind. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Cast: James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Andy Serkis, Brian Cox, David Oyelowo, Tom Felton

Release Date: Aug 05, 2011

Rated: Violence and intense/frightening sequences

Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

The original Planet of the Apes is such an iconic film that it leaves a legacy that still rings through this most recent reboot. Winks and nods to the original pop up here and there throughout Rise of the Planet of the Apes, some subtle and others more obvious and forced. It’s a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things, especially when so much care and effort was put into making this more than just another money grabbing reboot. Rise has something missing from most reboots; it’s got plenty of heart and a strong sense of itself. The story feels authentic with a set up and follow through that flows nicely. Director Rupert Wyatt shoots his film with a steady hand, moving his film at a steady pace rarely lingers in any section too long. James Franco, Freida Pinto and John Lithgow all have paint by the number roles. Franco offers some heart to his character but like the rest he’s simply a tool for the plot. David Oyelowo and Tom Felton are given cheesier clichéd roles which border on goofy, Felton in particular seems like he was transported from an 80’s flick sans a Cobra Kai patch. The real star of the show though is Andy Serkis, whose become the motion capture “man behind the mask”, who’s performance capture work is even more impressive than his work in the Lord of the Rings. His role is mostly visual but he’s able to emote such a massive range of emotions that’s you can relate with Caesar’s situation throughout. The CGI work is excellent, delivering photo realistic creations that rarely scream CGI. There are a few scenes that will either work for you or not, depending on how invested you are by that point in the story. While Rise will never leave the lasting legacy of the original film it’s still an impressive effort all around.

B

[Trailer] Immortals

New trailer is out for this film, which is quickly going up my list of must sees. My love for Greek Mythology has been kind of slapped around by recent Hollywood films (Clash of the Titans Remake, Troy, etc…)

This looks like it’s taking the proper approach when dealing with the subject matter. It’s also one of those films I don’t have any issue with the overly stylized visual since it’s perfectly fine with the Gods and mythos.

Trailer shows off a lot more of the Gods in play and overall look of the film.

[Trailer] Immortals

I'll be honest and say that I've only heard about this in passing but I'm a sucker for any type of Greek Mythology based film.

Troy and The Clash of the Titans remake were both major letdowns, this has a strong 300 look to it, same producers, so I hope it can deliver the goods.