Blu-ray

This mythological epic is a truly bizarre piece of Hollywood filmmaking. Best described as a collision between Clash of the Titans, Flash Gordon and the films of Derek Jarman, Immortals may be frequently beautiful to look at, but it offers little in the way of narrative cohesion or simple logic. Disappointingly, this Blu-ray release contains the same cut of the film that played at UK cinemas, shorn of some 18-seconds of violence.

Picture: Whatever his other flaws as a filmmaker, director Tarsem Singh is a real visual stylist. And this aspect of Immortals certainly makes itself felt through the film’s Blu-ray release. The film’s AVC 1.85:1 1080p 2D presentation is quite simply magnificent. Colours are majestically rich and textures beautifully detailed throughout the running time. And the deliberately crushed blacks are wonderfully impenetrable.

Sadly, the drop in brightness and contrast that accompanies the 3D MVC 1.85:1 1080p version robs the film of some of its visual lustre. Combined with how dark much of the film is anyway, this has the unfortunate downside of often making the 3D image look surprisingly flat.
Picture rating: 4/5

Audio: If there’s one part of this Blu-ray release that’s guaranteed to get you really excited, it’s the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix.

There’s no shortage of reference quality moments to savour, but you’ll want to spin up the start of the climactic battle sequence in Chapter 16 to experience the mix at its very best. Things get off to a great start with the arrow from Hyperion’s magic bow flying across the soundstage before exploding in a room-shaking rush of bass. Before long the battle is underway, unleashing a torrent of stunning sonic effects. From the most subtle ambient effect to the most powerful explosion, it’s a mix of incredible dynamism, control, precision and power. And that’s before the gods turn up in Chapter 17 and take things to an all new level!
Audio rating: 5/5

Extras: As well as 3D and 2D presentations of the film itself (and a Digital Copy), this Blu-ray release also manages to squeeze in a reasonable collection of bonus material.

The 5-min It’s No Myth allows scholars to discuss Greek myths and the fluid nature of mythology, while Carravaggio Meets Fight Club is a 20-min Making of… documentary that looks at the filmmakers’ approach to the Greek myths, production design and visual effects. Also on offer are eight deleted scenes, two alternate endings and the trailer. The final extra is a digital comic book telling more myths in the style of the film – but annoyingly, the text is often too small to comfortably read on even a large TV screen.
Extras rating: 3/5

We say: Not even the gods of Olympus or stunning lossless audio could make this film a success

Universal Pictures, All-region BD, £25 Approx, On sale now
HCC VERDICT: 3/5