'Clash of the Titans' Movie Review

When it comes down to it, this Clash of the Titans isn't all that much different than the original 1981 film directed by Desmond Davis and starring Harry Hamlin. If you enjoyed that campy classic, you're more likely to get a kick out of this CG action romp than if you weren't a fan of the original film going in. The two films are similar in tone, style, dialogue, and wardrobe; the major difference between the two being the special effects.

This Clash replaces all the stop-motion animation, which was a large part of what made the original film so memorable and charming, with state of the art computer generated effects. Oh, and this one's definitely different in that it has Ralph Fiennes at his evil Voldemort best chewing up and spitting out the scenery as Hades. That right there is almost worth the price of a ticket.

Clash of the Titans doesn't claim to be a documentary on Greek mythology. No, it's a flat-out unapologetic 'popcorn' movie, the sort that used to be reserved for the summer months when you escaped the heat by taking in a mindless action film that didn't tax your brain cells. The plot barely matters as anyone going to see Clash of the Titans is doing so to see awesome fights and mythical creatures, plot be damned.

Sam Worthington, Hollywood's new go-to action stud, plays Perseus, a demigod who was raised by mortals after being rescued from a coffin as a mere baby. Flash forward 20, 30-odd years and his adopted parents are killed after the Argos army tears down a statue of Zeus and the gods swiftly take their revenge for this act of defiance. The King and Queen of Argos further defy the gods, and Hades (Ralph Fiennes) shows up to demand the sacrifice of their daughter, Princess Andromeda (Alexa Davalos) or else he'll "Release the Kraken!" Sorry, even typed that phrase requires shouting.

So, Perseus teams up with the few remaining members of the Argos army who weren't wiped out by Hades and his flying monkey/henchbeasts, and a gorgeous, ageless woman named Io (who's been watching over him since he was a child without his knowledge) to try and stop the Kraken from being unleashed. In order to do this, Perseus and his fearless cohorts must visit some grotesque witches, do battle with - among other creatures - giant scorpions and Calibos, and face off against Medusa. All the while Zeus (Liam Neeson) and his fellow gods sit up in the heavens, watching and alternately hindering and helping Perseus on his quest to kill the Kraken and save Andromeda and the city of Argos.

The Good

Pegasus is gorgeous, the CG'ed wings are smoothly integrated into scenes, and the one major sequence with Perseus riding Pegasus through Argos chasing down the flying henchbeasts is simply beautiful. And the scorpions, while looking a little rubbery, are just believable enough to make the fight scene a white-knuckle armrest gripper. And speaking of fight scenes, there are enough of those in 2010's Clash of the Titans to make any action junkie happy.

As for the acting, everyone seems to get into the spirit of the piece. It's especially entertaining to watch Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes interact as brothers. Yes, they're completely over-the-top, but that's part of the fun of watching them play Zeus and Hades.

Sam Worthington shows he's not just capable of action scenes, and Alexa Davalos and Gemma Arterton (as Io) are much more than pretty faces here. As Perseus' fellow soldiers in the battle against the gods, Mads Mikkelsen, Liam Cunningham, and Nicholas Hoult are terrific support.

The Bad

Why does the Kraken look like the Cloverfield monster? I realize the original Kraken looked like the Creature from the Black Lagoon, but was it necessary to make this one also look like a monster from another movie?

And the 3-D...where to start? Clash of the Titans wasn't shot in 3-D but rather converted after the fact - and it shows. I can't remember more than one or two scenes when I noticed a scene was actually enhanced with 3-D effects. There's nothing special about Clash in 3-D - it's more of a distraction than an improvement - and you're basically just wasting your money to pay extra to see it in that format. I took the glasses off repeatedly throughout the movie, and it's much more spectacular and vibrant in 2-D.

And if you're going to cast Danny Huston as Poseidon, why not actually use him in the film? I recall seeing Huston in the background of a scene or two, but he's never given anything to do. Such a waste.

The Bottom Line

If all you're looking for is mindless fun, some cool fight scenes, men in short skirts, and the return of your favorite beasts from the '81 Clash of the Titans (including a brief surprise appearance by one of that film's most memorable - and out of place - creations), then this Titans delivers about what you'd expect and little more. It's a remake of a campy film loosely based on the myth of Perseus, and if you've seen the trailers, you know exactly what to expect: 110 minutes of action and CG creatures. That's it, but sometimes that's enough. Sometimes all you want is something fun enough to provide a few hours of escape, and Clash of the Titans accomplishes that.

GRADE: B-

Clash of the Titans was directed by Louis Leterrier and is rated PG-13 for fantasy action violence, some frightening images and brief sensuality.

Theatrical Release: April 2, 2010

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