Tuesday, November 15, 2011

11-13-11: "Clash of the Titans"...done properly.


IMMORTALS (2011) **** 110 mins. D: Tarsem. Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Frieda Pinto, Stephen Dorff, John Hurt.

Eons ago a war was fought in the heavens. The winners were declared gods and the losers were banished to Earth as titans. During the battle, a powerful weapon was lost and fell to Earth. Now a tyrannical king seeks this weapon and the gods turn to a mortal to oppose him. This is the setup for Tarsem's Greek mythology action film that gets right what "300" and "Clash of the Titans" failed to do before it.

While not as memorable as his last film "The Fall," Tarsem's spin on the mythos is engaging, entertaining and original. Zeus watches from above and orders the other gods to never interfere in mortal affairs. Theseus will only fight for those he loves, the rest be damned. King Hyperion simply seeks power and vengeance. All three forces collide in an epic final battle that is truly violent, bloody and exciting.

The performances are very good, Cavill and Rourke are particularly memorable as the hero and villain. The visual effects are great. When the gods intervene it is neither over the top or showy. However, when they unleash their wrath it is gruesome and cool.

Tarsem's take embodies what the "Titans" remake lacked, real heroism and villainy and the combat scenes are far more engaging then those in "300." Leave it to a gifted story teller to put a refreshing spin on an age old tale.

You'll probably want to check this one out in 3-D.

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