For those who have seen Tarsem Singh's other films (The Cell The Fall), you will probably have a good idea of what you're can expect from this one. His films can be a mixed bag, but one can also definitely expect amazing cinematography and a style unlike most other films. I read a few critics reviews of this one and held off on it because of that, against my better judgement. That was a mistake. More than one of the reviews commented "all style, little substance" and I'll disagree with that oversimplification. While there is style in abundance, there's still a good story there. Perhaps it is tha the story sticks to the story. It follows a fairly standard Greek mythology plot with shiny new packaging. I think that packaging might actually cause some of that misinterpretation: people think they are getting an action movie, and that's not exactly what this film is. People see the trailer including the notation that it is from the producers of 300, so they expect 300. I went in expecting Tarsem Singh and that's what I got: his interpretation of the story.
Tarsem is the sort of director who just does things the way he wants and focuses on the visual aspect as much or more than anything else. To me it gives his films a greater "willful suspension of disbelief" as they feel more dream like. This aspect alone though can't make a great movie. The story is pretty straight forward, bringing nothing new to the table. There are two choices with the story - change it or leave it alone. Greek mythology stories have been around for centuries, so it is sort of a double edged sword. Hollywood repackages things all the time too, so at least this wasn't an old story rehashed with blue aliens... I understand many reviews when they say the story is a bit thin, but the entertainment value is still there.
/soapbox
Here's the basics:
Video: Great PQ but much of the film is dark, so best viewed with low ambient light.
Audio: Very good. Plenty of LFE and well mixed overall, though voices may be a tad low.
WORTH A RENT!
