Immortals

Promoted as a sequel to 300, this shallow, sword-and-sandals spectacular celebrates nothing more than the ferocious gods of gore. A mythological tale of treachery and vengeance set in 1228 B.C., the story opens with the Greek gods of Olympus having defeated the Titans, trapping them in a giant box where they're organized in rows, joined at the mouth by rods. After the greedy Heraclean King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) releases them, the Titans prepare to make war on the gods and retrieve the fabled Epirus bow, which bestows supreme power. Although his mother slept with both Poseidon and Aegeus on the night he was conceived, buff-bodied young stonemason Theseus (Henry Cavill) hasn't yet figured out that his father is a god. But he is determined to wreak revenge on Hyperion for slitting his mortal mother's throat—enlisting the aid of his impudent friend Stavros (Stephen Dorff), the Sibylline Oracle Phaedra (Freida Pinto), and Zeus (Luke Evans). Unfortunately, director Tarsem Singh is far more interested in creating violent computer-generated visuals than he is in coherent storytelling. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (8 min.), an “It's No Myth” featurette on mythology, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are a “Caravaggio Meets Fight Club: Tarsem's Vision” making-of featurette (21 min.), two alternate endings (13 min.), an alternate opening (12 min.), the digital Immortals: Gods & Heroes graphic novel, and a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a violent but empty spectacle.] (S. Granger)