Immortals - Blu-ray Review

4.3 Stars (out of 5) – Rated

Synopsis

In Ancient Greece, King Hyperion searches for a powerful weapon that will free the bloodthirsty Titans and enable them to overpower the gods and enslave mankind. Unable to interfere directly, the gods choose a champion to defend them: Theseus. (Buy Now $22.99)

Listen to the Review

Starring:

Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Stephen Dorff, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans, John Hurt, Joseph Morgan, Anne Day-Jones, Isabel Lucas, Kellan Lutz, Robert Maillet, Stephen McHattie

Director:

Tarsem Singh

Blu-ray Release Date:

March 6, 2012

Subtitles:

English SDH, Spanish

Rating

Overall rating weighted as follows:
Audio 40%, Video 40%, Special Features 20%, Movie - its just our opinion so take it with a grain of salt

Audio 4.5 Stars (out of 5)

Dolby and DTS Demo Discs used as basis for comparison

• Subwoofer – 5.0 Stars
• Dialog – 4.0 Stars
• Surround Effects – 4.5 Stars
• Dynamic Range – 4.5 Stars

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1

If you need a Blu-ray to show off the low end rumbles that can vibrate your nostril hairs, look no further. Immortals bass performance is off the charts. Thunder claps resonate with power, the heavy drum filled score keep the subwoofer active, thuds of battle are tight forceful, and explosions are bombastic and wide. Rear channels are utilized often with crowd chatter, rolling thunder, giant ocean waves, and painful screams of battle. The presentation does fall short in the dialog department. I may just be the way some of the actors choose to deliver their lines, but it was definitely hard to understand them at times.

Video  4.4 Stars (out of 5)

Spears & Munsil Benchmark Blu-ray Edition used as basis for comparison

• Color Accuracy  - 4.0 Stars
• Shadow detail – 3.5 Stars
• Clarity – 4.5 Stars
• Skin tones – 5.0 Stars
• Compression – 5.0 Stars

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC, Resolution: 1080p, Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, Original Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Immortals is a very stylistic film and uses color and darkness to create a mood and look. Overall the movie looks good. Colors are deep and rich, but almost everything has a golden tint. It makes skin and earth tones look amazing, but blue and green colors seem muted or even absent. This film is very dark. I know it was a choice the director made, but details in most scenes are lost to crushing darkness. There’re even scenes during daylight that can’t escape the dark. Clarity on the other hand performs well and brings out the details in wrinkles, beard stubble, and even the grain in leather.

Bonus Features 3.5 Stars (out of 5)

• It's No Myth (1080p, 5:27): A brief overview of the Greek mythology the movie was based on.
• Caravaggio Meets Fight Club - Tarsem's Vision (1080p, 20:29): A four-part behind the scenes featurette that dissects the director’s vision, special effects, score, and stunts.
• Alternate Opening - Young Theseus (1080p, 11:34)
• Alternate Ending - This is Our Last Embrace (1080p, 8:38)
• Alternate Ending - Theseus Kills Hyperion (1080p, 4:07).
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 8:10): Eight short deleted scenes.
• Immortals: Gods and Heroes (1080p): A short comic book that retells a few Greek myths.
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:28)
• Sneak Peeks (1080p, 7:23)

Movie – 3.5 Stars (out of 5)

Review

Immortals is gorgeous looking movie, that’s a mix of the movies 300 and Clash of the Titans but a lot more violent. Tarsem Singh is a director who can create visually stunning movies, but his films usually lack a cohesive storyline. At times this film was difficult to follow. It seemed like the script was muddy and unclear. When I watched the bonus features I realized that lots of scenes that could have helped the story flow smoother were removed. This movie is a completely different take on Greek mythology. I would be better to say that it was inspired by the mythology, because this story deviates from the myths drastically.
The action is amazing. Fight scenes are choreographed perfectly and are edited without cutting every few seconds. This film has some of the goriest fights I’ve ever seen. Blood is spilled, bodies are mangled, people are cooked, and heads explode. I almost felt like I was watching a horror film. I guess that’s just how things go down when you go to war with the Gods.