IMMORTALS
(2011)
* * (C)
Directed by Tarsem Singh
Starring Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, John Hurt, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans, Stephen Dorff, Isabel Lucas, Kellan Lutz
Relativity Media//Rated R//Fantasy//110 minutes
Available on: DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
The issue of a woman raped by a pair of lusty gods, when we meet Theseus (Henry Cavill), he is a grown man who clings to his mommy, and has learned the fighting arts from a kindly sage (John Hurt) serving as his father figure. Meanwhile, King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) commandeers a monastery that shelters the virgin oracle Phaedra (Freida Pinto). The king needs her to lead him to the Bow of Epirus, which will release the Titan army, currently imprisoned within a mountain. The Titans long to kill Zeus (Luke Evans) and the other Olympians -- thus ending any threat to Hyperion's rule. Zeus instructs his children (Isabel Lucas and Kellan Lutz among them), not to meddle in the affairs of mortal men, but Zeus has long influenced Theseus, who is earmarked to become the people's savior, and is prodded in this direction when the king slays Theseus's mother. Each of the film's parallel stories want for emotional heft, but the tale of the gods is especially empty. Cavill's poorly emoted Theseus leaves Rourke's sadistic Hyperion to dominate the film. John Hurt's wise old man is underused, as is expressive beauty Freida Pinto. The post-production 3D is nicely conceptualized to match the motto "If it bleeds, it leads." Sadly, no script doctor is on hand to staunch the flow of wounded dialog. DVD features: It's No Myth, Deleted scenes. Blu-ray features same plus: Caravaggio Meets Fight Club: Tarsen's vision, Alternate openings and endings, Immortals: Gods & Heroes graphic novel, Digital Copy. Blu-ray 3D features same, with digital copies on both 2D and 3D.
THE THREE MUSKETEERS
(2011)
* (D)
Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson
Starring Logan Lerman, Milla Jovovich, Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans, Mads Mikkelsen, Gabriella Wilde, Orlando Bloom, Christoph Waltz, Juno Temple, Freddie Fox
Summit Entertainment//Rated PG-13//Action//102 minutes
Available on: DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
The 22nd screen adaptation of the "Three Musketeers" is a tepid rendition of the 1844 Alexander Dumas. The film provides another opportunity for director Paul W.S. Anderson to star his 37-year-old wife, Milla Jovovich as femme fatale Milady de Winter. The story follows D'Artagnan's (Logan Lerman) effort to join the Three Musketeers he has long idolized. The young upstart soon discovers that Athos, Porthos and Aramis (played by Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson and Luke Evans respectively) are jaded and dispirited. D'Artagnan's love of swordplay reignites their blustering enthusiasm, so they soon join him, their hapless houseman in tow, in a quest to protect the queen's (Juno Temple) honor. Overlong passages of dialog work against the action sequences, with few comic bits registering save for those belonging to Freddie Fox, cast as a teenage King Louis. Orlando Bloom is serviceable in an underwritten role as the scheming Duke of Buckingham, while Christoph Waltz is sufficiently venomous as the power-grabbing Cardinal Richelieu. Few of the actors manage to delve beneath their characters glossy veneers, but a lack of intelligent wordplay does this one in. 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD features: Director commentary, Deleted and Extended Scenes, Cast and Crew stories, 17th Century Action. Blu-ray and 3D Blu-ray only: Access: Three Musketeers.
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
(2011)
* * * (B)
(2011)
* * (C)
Directed by Tarsem Singh
Starring Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, John Hurt, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans, Stephen Dorff, Isabel Lucas, Kellan Lutz
Relativity Media//Rated R//Fantasy//110 minutes
Available on: DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
The issue of a woman raped by a pair of lusty gods, when we meet Theseus (Henry Cavill), he is a grown man who clings to his mommy, and has learned the fighting arts from a kindly sage (John Hurt) serving as his father figure. Meanwhile, King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) commandeers a monastery that shelters the virgin oracle Phaedra (Freida Pinto). The king needs her to lead him to the Bow of Epirus, which will release the Titan army, currently imprisoned within a mountain. The Titans long to kill Zeus (Luke Evans) and the other Olympians -- thus ending any threat to Hyperion's rule. Zeus instructs his children (Isabel Lucas and Kellan Lutz among them), not to meddle in the affairs of mortal men, but Zeus has long influenced Theseus, who is earmarked to become the people's savior, and is prodded in this direction when the king slays Theseus's mother. Each of the film's parallel stories want for emotional heft, but the tale of the gods is especially empty. Cavill's poorly emoted Theseus leaves Rourke's sadistic Hyperion to dominate the film. John Hurt's wise old man is underused, as is expressive beauty Freida Pinto. The post-production 3D is nicely conceptualized to match the motto "If it bleeds, it leads." Sadly, no script doctor is on hand to staunch the flow of wounded dialog. DVD features: It's No Myth, Deleted scenes. Blu-ray features same plus: Caravaggio Meets Fight Club: Tarsen's vision, Alternate openings and endings, Immortals: Gods & Heroes graphic novel, Digital Copy. Blu-ray 3D features same, with digital copies on both 2D and 3D.
THE THREE MUSKETEERS
(2011)
* (D)
Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson
Starring Logan Lerman, Milla Jovovich, Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans, Mads Mikkelsen, Gabriella Wilde, Orlando Bloom, Christoph Waltz, Juno Temple, Freddie Fox
Summit Entertainment//Rated PG-13//Action//102 minutes
Available on: DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
The 22nd screen adaptation of the "Three Musketeers" is a tepid rendition of the 1844 Alexander Dumas. The film provides another opportunity for director Paul W.S. Anderson to star his 37-year-old wife, Milla Jovovich as femme fatale Milady de Winter. The story follows D'Artagnan's (Logan Lerman) effort to join the Three Musketeers he has long idolized. The young upstart soon discovers that Athos, Porthos and Aramis (played by Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson and Luke Evans respectively) are jaded and dispirited. D'Artagnan's love of swordplay reignites their blustering enthusiasm, so they soon join him, their hapless houseman in tow, in a quest to protect the queen's (Juno Temple) honor. Overlong passages of dialog work against the action sequences, with few comic bits registering save for those belonging to Freddie Fox, cast as a teenage King Louis. Orlando Bloom is serviceable in an underwritten role as the scheming Duke of Buckingham, while Christoph Waltz is sufficiently venomous as the power-grabbing Cardinal Richelieu. Few of the actors manage to delve beneath their characters glossy veneers, but a lack of intelligent wordplay does this one in. 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD features: Director commentary, Deleted and Extended Scenes, Cast and Crew stories, 17th Century Action. Blu-ray and 3D Blu-ray only: Access: Three Musketeers.
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
(2011)
* * * (B)
