"Immortals"

Immortals - Directed by Tarsem Singh, written by Charley Parlapanides and Vlas Parlapanides, starring Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, and Freida Pinto - Rated R

Shocking that this got a Kurgan, I know...

Some may have seen the preview for Immortals and been excited to see the next 300 since the previews boasted that it was from the producer of that stylized, violent Greek action film. Viewers going in for a movie like 300 will likely be pleased by elements of this film, but “Immortals” is trying for something a bit different. Immortals may be produced by someone involved with 300, but, more importantly, it is directed by Tarsem Singh.

Tarsem Singh’s previous two films, 2000’s The Cell and 2006’s The Fall, are known for their interesting visuals, especially the latter film. So the bar is already set for Immortals to at least be a striking film. On top of that, the director has stated that he set out to make a film that looks like Caravaggio paintings. (Don’t feel bad if you need to look up Caravaggio paintings; I certainly had to.) Tarsem Singh has certainly succeeded with Immortals as far as the visuals go. The movie looks great. The design and color of the film makes it one of the more interesting films of the year. If anything, though, the visual style of the film could stand to be stranger. Those who are familiar with Tarsem’s work will see this film as his most normal film by far. Don’t worry, though, there are plenty of out-there visuals in the film.

Of course, a film about Greek mythology is very open to strange visuals. Immortals is loosely based on Greek mythology. I say loosely because the film features plenty of figures from Greek mythology like Theseus, Zeus, Athena, Aries, Hyperion, the Titans, etc. but it doesn’t really stick to any set myth. That is actually a strong point for the film since it can be its own story set to the backdrop of mythology. Theseus (Henry Cavill) is a warrior who lives only to protect his mother. King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke), meanwhile, is on the warpath throughout all of Greece, searching for the Epirus Bow, which will allow him to release the Titans and start an all out war with the Gods. Of course, Theseus gets wrapped up in it and there are plenty of epic battles.

Immortals has a great style to it, but it is still primarily an action film. The action is great and never gets old. By that, I mean that each action sequence is different from the previous one. There are slow motion elements, sped up moments, traditional battles, hand to hand combat, and absolute chaos at times. It all looks great, especially in 3D. It’s rare that a film is actually worth seeing in 3D, but because of the action, Immortals is a film that benefits from the third dimension. This is a gory, brutal film, and the 3D really adds to the brutality of it all. The scenes featuring the Gods in action in 3D are some of the best moments of the year, action-wise.

This is an action film with a point, though. Immortals attempts to say something about belief, destiny, heroism, and duty and while nothing profound or surprising happens in the film, it’s nice when an action film strives to be more than just an excuse to spill blood. What elevate the themes of the film are the performances. Cavill makes an impressive debut as a leading man and fits into the hero role perfectly. Superman fans should breathe a sigh of relief as Cavill should do just fine as the Man of Steel in that series. Rourke is an excellent counterweight as the evil King Hyperion. He mumbles creepily through every scene. He seems to be constantly indifferent and that somehow adds to his menacing character. Stephen Dorff gives a surprisingly fun performance in a supporting role. Freida Pinto holds the fort down as one of the only substantial females in the film (though one could argue that this film is a bit sexist since only men make any difference in the world of the film). John Hurt easily inhabits a grandfatherly role. And Luke Evans is a commanding presence as Zeus. Anytime he shows up in the film, you can’t help but pay attention.

Unfortunately, the Gods are not prevalent in the film. Their few action scenes will likely leave viewers wishing the film had been told from their point of view. But then again, watching the Gods lay waste to mortals for two hours could get tiresome. Either way, their scenes were jaw dropping at times.

Immortals is a nice diversion full of mythology and violence as Hollywood gears up for the awards season. This film would have fit perfectly in the middle of summer, but thankfully it dropped in during November to break up the boredom. Don’t expect a lesson in mythology, though; just sit back and enjoy some beautiful, brutal action.

"Iron Man 2"

Iron Man 2 - Directed by Jon Favreau, written by Justin Theroux, starring Robert Downey, Jr., Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Don Cheadle, and Gwyneth Paltrow - Rated PG-13

The Kurgan and Ivan Vanko might be distant relatives (although The Kurgan is a bit more awesome).

Iron Man was a bit of a surprise for me when it came out in 2008. I’ve always been more of an X-Men and Batman fan, so I went to check it out with fairly low expectations. When I walked out of the theatre I had become a fan of Tony Stark. The first movie had plenty of action, wit, and fun. Most importantly, Iron Man was a film that featured a near perfect performance from Robert Downey, Jr. and it was a film that didn’t take itself too seriously. I’m happy to say that all of the above applies to Iron Man 2.

The word “busy” would also apply to Iron Man 2. As with most superhero sequels, the kitchen sink approach is taken. This can hurt some films, but director (and co-star) Jon Favreau handles the multiple plot points well. Tony Stark is dealing with a lot of issues this time around. His homemade chest reactor contains an element that is killing him, he’s being hassled by the government to turn over his Iron Man suit, the Russian son of his dad’s former business partner is trying to kill him, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is hanging around talking about the Avengers, a weapons rival (Sam Rockwell) is making trouble, and he still has the same issues from the last film with Rhodey (Don Cheadle) and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Sounds like a bit of a mess, doesn’t it?

It is actually very easy to follow, though. Things move quickly at first, with Tony constantly on the move and acting as reckless as ever. This is standard sequel stuff. The audience already knows the main characters, so no introductions are needed. What is needed is constant movement. That’s fine. I enjoy a quick paced film. But it’s nice when a movie slows down a bit, as well. The strange thing about Iron Man 2 is that it seems to be going 100 mph during the first half, then it drops down to a leisurely 30 mph, only to crank it back up by the end. I’m sure some people will claim that this film has “pacing issues,” but I actually enjoyed the speed of the film.

But who cares about pacing, right? This film is all about the characters and there are a lot of them. I won’t waste too much time talking about the returning cast, if you liked Downey, Jr. the first time, then you’ll like him again. Same goes for Paltrow. And Don Cheadle is a suitable replacement for Terrence Howard.

The newcomers really get to shine in this one. Mickey Rourke plays villain Ivan Vanko with a great understated menace, plus he looks cool. I know the whole walking away from an explosion and not looking at it has become a cliché, but I forgive the filmmakers for it because it just seems fitting for Mickey Rourke to walk towards the camera with flames erupting behind him. As for the understated menace, you can see it in every scene of dialogue with Vanko. You truly get the impression that he is capable of extreme violence at any moment

Sam Rockwell is also a great addition to the cast as weapons manufacturer Justin Hammer. His interactions with Downey, Jr. are amusing and his general showmanship throughout the movie is quite funny. Rockwell has been consistently impressive lately in films like The Assassination of Jesse James… and Moon. It’s good to see him in a high profile release like this because he deserves a larger audience.

Scarlett Johansson is another high profile addition to the cast as Tony’s suspicious new assistant. Let’s be realistic here, there’s no secret to her character. If you’ve seen any marketing, then you know that she is not just a helper; she’s actually a secret agent working with S.H.I.E.L.D. She gets an entertaining action sequence in the film but for the most part she seemed like an unnecessary addition to the cast, but it didn’t bother me all that much.

A much more interesting casting choice is John Slattery as Tony’s father, Howard, in archive footage. He basically gets to act like his character from “Mad Men.” It’s just something that fans of that show will find amusing. Another amusing choice is Garry Shandling as a senator trying to get Tony’s suit.

The abundance of characters doesn’t mean the film is lacking in action or comedy, there’s more of both this time around. Tony’s birthday party was quite funny and there’s an excellent in-joke for people aware of the other Marvel characters…I’ll give you a hint, it involves a shield. (Stick around after the credits for another crossover tease.) So expect to laugh quite a few times.

The action is even better this time around, as well. Ivan Vanko’s attack at the Monaco car race was flat out awesome and of course there are some great action scenes during the climax of the film.

When it comes to movies I feel that more, more, more usually means less quality. I’m glad to say that’s not the case with Iron Man 2. Yes, there is certainly a lot more to this film than the original, but it’s handled well and it makes for a good time at the movies. What else could you ask for?