Hey folks, Harry here... tomorrow a really truly inadequate genre film comes out that literally broke my heart months ago when I saw it. I'll be writing my review tonight where I'll try to put my disappointment and outright anger to bed. That said, I've been waiting to hear some word upon a film that I've been dying to get word on. Tarsem's IMMORTALS. Today, I got the following piece in from "Lord of the Things" and he's quite high on the film. Now begins my full on obsession with seeing this film as soon as humanly possible! The review is spoiler free... and pays a lot of attention to the use of 3D. I hope you enjoy...
Immortals 3-D
If you use this, you can refer to me as “Lord of the Things.”
Lord of the Things here, just came out of a screening of Immortals, our audience was apparently the first or one of the first to see it in 3-D.
I’m sure you have other reviews about the film itself, so I will be focusing on the 3-D usage throughout. I will also keep this spoiler free.
To set the scene, I went in with high expectations. I was a big fan of Tarsem’s ‘The Fall’ but have not seen The Cell. I was familiar with the legend of Theseus but am hardly a Greek Scholar.
Immortals blew away my expectations, I have only a few small gripes but overall I thought it was one of the best, most realistic portrayals of ancient life.
Most people would find it hard to believe I would use the term ‘realistic’ to describe a myth, but everything throughout the film rang closer to ancient history then 300. This is a brutal, hard R film. Tarsem does not pamper the audience in any way. If you are expecting honor or chivalry you will be disappointed, Tarsem captures the chaos and brutality of fighting without glorifying it.
Now, to get to the use of 3-D. Immortals is built around its scenery, Tarsem is a master of setting and placement. I was personally scared that his use of 3-D would diminish his shot selection, but Tarsem uses the 3-D to create an environment I have never quite experienced in a theater before. The 3-D is prevalent throughout the film but never distracting, and it provides depth to the massive scenery shots. I have never seen a film where 3-D is used as skillfully and uniquely as Immortals. Leaving the theater this was the biggest surprise, not that I enjoyed the film but that I enjoyed Tarsem’s use of 3-D.
Overall, this film will make a lot of people happy. It is the hardest R film I have ever seen, and it weaves together some of the most impressive fight scenes in recent history with eye popping visuals and discreetly effective 3-D. I would recommend this film to everyone over 18, but be careful bringing any children. The media may hound this film for its violence, but keep in mind that never before has a director used a technology (3-D) to create a unique world. If you liked the look and feel of Avatar, Immortals has all of the strengths, none of the weaknesses, and superb direction. I just wish the casting had been a bit more enlightened.
Lord of the Things out.
