Big action blockbuster and Greek mythology — two of my favourite things. Put them together, throw in a bit of 3D, and you get Clash of the Titans, the new remake of the 1981 classic.
The story is very loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus, played by Sam Worthington (Avatar), and has numerous and significant differences from the original film.
There’s not much point in giving away the plot, other than to say that the film takes place in a world where humans have full knowledge of the Gods’ existence, and that bizarre creatures and mythical monsters live among them. And in this world, Perseus, a demigod (ie half-man, half-god), is fated to go up against the Gods and save humanity.
If that sounds silly and cliched, that’s because it is. Directed by Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2, The Incredible Hulk), there is no serious attempt to make Clash of the Titans even a remotely believable film. It feels like the makers decided that this was an impossible task, and instead went down the full-blown, technology-driven action route.
The result is a pretty exciting experience, albeit one you cannot really feel fully engaged in because of the campness, the laughable dialogue, and the lack of character development. To be fair, they did try to inject a bit more like into the central characters, but the effect was so poor that it became humorous, and only wasted valuable time that could have been spent on more action. Speaking of action, I would have liked to have seen less quick cuts and more wide shots, but for the most part it passed the grade.
The special effects were great, but not exceptional by today’s high standards, and the 3D added a little extra, but to be honest not a whole lot more. I don’t think I would have regretted it had I watched it in plain old 2D.
Sam Worthington, Hollywood’s next big thing, seemed like he had plenty of fun. There are no pretensions in his performance because he knows it’s all about the action. He still lacks the “superstar aura” that Russell Crowe has, but maybe he’ll get there some day. It was great to see Liam Neeson playing Zeus, and especially Lord Voldemort himself, Ralph Fiennes, playing the King of the Underworld, Hades. Both inject star power without diverting attention away from the rest of the cast. They even got Pete Postlethwaite to play Spyros, Perseus’ adopted father! My only complaint was probably Gemma Aterton’s Io, who was just plain weird.
So Clash of the Titans is unlikely to be remembered as a classic. There are plenty of things wrong with it. It’s silly and cheesy and lacks heart. But for those who like Greek mythology, monsters, sword-wielding action, and don’t need things to be taken too seriously, Clash of the Titans is a fun, exciting popcorn movie for the majority of its 118-minute running time.
3.5 stars out of 5!
[PS: watching Clash of the Titans gave me a new appreciation for films like The Lord of the Rings, films that actually have heart and make you believe in their world while not compromising the thrilling action.]
