Immortals Blu-ray Review

The 2D Blu-ray presentation of "Immortals" is visually stunning and poised to impress videophiles. Shot digitally using the Panavision Genesis camera, the film's transfer to 1080p with an AVC encode results in a pristine image showcasing exceptional clarity. Fine details such as armor textures, fabric stitching, and facial creases are vividly portrayed, while colors are rich and vibrant. The warm yellow cast adds to the film's visual appeal, though shadow-heavy contrast occasionally obscures some details. Nevertheless, the transfer remains free from major compression issues or other encoding flaws, delivering an overall impressive visual experience.

Conversely, the 3D Blu-ray version of "Immortals" reveals certain shortcomings compared to its 2D counterpart. The 1080p/MVC MPEG-4 encode for the 3D version inherently results in a dimmer image, reducing the punch of colors and the luster of golds. While depth and three-dimensionality add an intriguing layer, the post-conversion process leads to some loss in clarity and vibrancy. Issues like elevated black levels and lackluster primaries affect the overall picture quality, although whites remain crisp. Scenes with foreground-background separation demonstrate a reasonable sense of depth without excessive crosstalk.

Despite these constraints, the 3D effects are satisfactorily executed, offering moments when actors seem to navigate a three-dimensional space convincingly. However, due to the film not being shot natively in 3D, the image often feels somewhat artificial, resembling cutouts in certain sequences. Some minor edge enhancement and negligible aliasing detract slightly from the experience, but they do not overshadow the overall competent transfer. While the 3D Blu-ray adds a unique viewing dimension, the higher visual fidelity of the 2D presentation arguably provides a more compelling viewing experience.

The "Immortals" Blu-ray audio presentation is delivered via a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that will enthusiastically engage any high-end home theater setup. Both the 3D and 2D versions share the same robust sound design, promising an immersive and engaging auditory experience. The mix is characterized by an abundance of well-calibrated audio elements—directional precision, room-shaking subwoofer engagement, and startling clarity—that complement the onscreen action. Explosions reverberate with concentric waves of LFE rumble, while ambient sounds like rainfall, crashing waves, and the clamor of clashing swords dynamically occupy the rear channels. Despite occasional low dialogue volume, which remains distinct, the brassy score by Trevor Morris enriches the already diversified soundscape.

However, some reviewers noted a few inconsistencies in the delivery of immersive rear activity and envelopment, essential for creating a fully convincing audio scene. While action sequences are enriched with discrete effects in the surround speakers, there are parts where the back channels fall silent, reducing the overall immersion. Additionally, certain intense scenes exhibit slight clipping when upper frequencies are pushed, although these moments do not distort but rather broaden the soundstage impressively. The low-end frequencies offer a powerful and palpable punch that permeates the room splendidly. Despite minor issues with dialogue clarity, especially with Rourke's often mumbled delivery, the overall vocal output remains intelligible.

Overall, the track represents an exceptional transition to high-resolution audio that will satisfy fans and audiophiles alike. Optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles, alongside a Dolby Digital 5.1 French dub, enhance accessibility for diverse audiences, making it a remarkably versatile and technically proficient audio mix.

The "Immortals" Blu-ray extras offer a decent selection of behind-the-scenes content and alternate versions, providing valuable insight into the movie’s production. The features cover aspects like Greek mythology, director Tarsem Singh's creative vision, and production elements including special effects, soundtrack, and stunts. Although some extras, like the "Immortals: Gods and Heroes" comic book, are poorly executed due to readability issues, overall, the content enriches the viewing experience. All extras are included on the 2D disc, with no additional features on the 3D disc.

Extras included in this disc:

• It's No Myth: A brief overview of Greek mythology.
• Caravaggio Meets Fight Club - Tarsem's Vision: Making-of special covering various production aspects.
• Alternate Opening - Young Theseus: Unused opening featuring young Theseus.
• Alternate Ending - This is Our Last Embrace: Extended death scene of Hyperion.
• Alternate Ending - Theseus Kills Hyperion: Different take on Hyperion's death.
• Deleted Scenes: Eight scenes cut from the final film.
• Immortals: Gods and Heroes: A comic book retelling Greek myths.
• Theatrical Trailer: Original promotional trailer.
• Sneak Peeks: Promotional previews of other titles.

"Immortals" is a visually stunning film directed by Tarsem Singh, celebrated for its highly stylized visuals and extravagant set designs. The film's production strengths are evident in the artistry of its costumes, designed by the late Eiko Ishioka, and the intricate, Caravaggio-inspired tableaux. These elements create a Renaissance painting-meets-comic strip aesthetic that is truly engrossing. As ever, Singh’s direction achieves a noteworthy visual splendor, characterized by lush, surreal imagery and meticulously choreographed action sequences.

However, the film is plagued by significant narrative deficiencies. Loosely based on Greek mythology, "Immortals" takes excessive liberties with the source material, yielding an incoherent and convoluted plot. The story introduces Theseus (Henry Cavill) as a mere pawn rather than the authoritative hero of myth. His arc is undermined by a lack of agency, resulting in a protagonist whose actions have negligible effects on the storyline. Complicating matters is Mickey Rourke's portrayal of King Hyperion, who—despite being a compelling villain—is caught in a quest for the mythical Epirus Bow that fails to ground the stakes in any meaningful way. The narrative's focus on Theseus' unimpressive exploits versus the underutilized gods leaves much to be desired in character development and dramatic tension.

Adding to the frustration is the film’s ineffective integration of its human and divine elements. While the gods, including Zeus (Luke Evans) and Athena (Isabel Lucas), display formidable powers in visually impressive scenes, their involvement often comes across as arbitrarily deus ex machina. These characters are inadequately developed and fail to resonate emotionally with the audience. The overall pacing suffers as well, with the story frequently veering into episodic detours that interrupt the main plotline. Despite the commendable performances by the primary cast and the visually arresting backdrops, "Immortals" ultimately falters due to its uneven storytelling and lack of coherent stakes.

"Immortals" directed by Tarsem Singh, offers a striking visual style that arguably succeeds in blending the aesthetics of Caravaggio with the visceral elements of "Fight Club." The film presents a revisionist take on Greek mythology with an emphasis on stylish visuals and cleverly choreographed fight sequences. Unfortunately, this focus results in a story that is ultimately dull and uninteresting. Despite its lackluster narrative, Fox Home Entertainment's Blu-ray release provides an audio experience that is both immersive and explosive, ensuring at least a two-hour auditory distraction for viewers.

From a technical perspective, this Blu-ray edition of "Immortals" boasts impressive picture quality that will appeal to video enthusiasts, although the 3D presentation may be more distracting than augmentative for the overall experience. The video is noted to be disappointingly dark at times, which detracts from the visual clarity. However, the audio quality helps to compensate somewhat, delivering a powerful and engaging soundstage. The supplemental features included in this package are minimal but do offer some interesting content for dedicated fans.

In conclusion, while "Immortals" excels in visual flair, it falls short on substance, making it less entertaining compared to similar films like "300." Audio/video aficionados might find value in the stunning picture and sound quality this Blu-ray offers, especially with the option of 3D viewing. However, for most viewers, this release of "Immortals" is best suited as a rental rather than a must-own addition to their collection.