 "Photo: Jan Thijs © 2011")
Since their birth in ancient Greece, the various myths surrounding the gods and the humans they interact with have undergone many transitions in the forms they take. The handmade carvings and parchment scrolls of the past have been replaced by more modern high-tech means of television and feature length films. The notable examples of this leap forward in storytelling include Frank Miller's "Immortals."
Set in a fictitious early age of Greece, "Immortals" depicts the story of the young warrior Theseus and his quest to avenge his mother at the hands of the mad warmonger, King Hyperion. Along the way, he learns of the King's plan to take his war to Mount Olympus by reigniting the ancient feud between the Gods and the long imprisoned Titans by means of a long lost weapon buried deep within the Earth. What follows is a quest filled with mythical beasts, treacherous terrain and larger than life characters that set a new standard for films based on tales of the Greek Pantheon.
Unlike some of its predecessors, "Immortals" takes a new direction in portraying the interactions between deities and the people who worship them. While "300" was more concerned about the will of man and "Clash of the Titans" focused largely on the influence of Mount Olympus, "Immortals" finds a strong medium that both captures the awesome power of the gods as well as the strength of man's will to fight for what he believes in. Audiences everywhere caught on quickly to this as "Immortals" took number one at the box office last weekend, making an impressive $32 million.
As a film that depicts man, gods and everything in between, the cast of "Immortals" does an excellent job in doing so. Up and coming actor Henry Cavill plays Theseus, which is quite fitting as he is slated to play the Man of Steel in 2013. The revitalized career of Mickey Rourke is only made stronger with his portrayal of King Hyperion. Other members include Freida Pinto, known for her role in "Slumdog Millionaire" and Luke Evans of the recent remake of "The Three Musketeers."
Christopher Spall can be reached at christopher.spall@student.shu.edu.
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