Movie Review: CLASH OF THE TITANS (2010)

CLASH OF THE TITANS (2010)

Movie Review by David Blackwell

106 minutes, rated PG-13

ASPECT RATIO: 2.35:1

STUDIO: Warner Bros./ Legendary Pictures/ Thunder Road Pictures/ The Zanuck Company

Theatrical RELEASE DATE: 4-2-2010

STARRING Sam Worthington (Perseus), Liam Nesson (Zeus), Ralph Fiennes (Hades), Gemma Arterton (Io), Alexa Davelos (Andromeda)

WRITTEN by Travis Beacham and Phil Hays, based on the 1982 version

DIRECTED by Louis Leterrier

The original CLASH OF THE TITANS was enjoyable in its own way. The re-imagining is a big spectacle with lots of special effects, but somewhere the story gets muddled along the way despite the effort of the actors. Sam Worthington had better luck in AVATAR and TERMINATOR SALVATION, but no amount of his charisma will hold this story together. It basically comes down to a revenge tale and a power struggle between two Gods (Zues and Hades). Unfortunately, the story comes off as a half-cooked mess with plenty of action and look at how great that will probably look in 3D (the reviewer skipped on that version and saw it in 2D since the film was originally shot that way before being up-converted to 3D because the of the big 3D craze caused by AVATAR).

Perseus wants revenge against Hades for killing his family and wants no gifts from his bastard Dad aka the God Zues. Meanwhile, Hades feels threatened by Perseus and sends the malformed exiled king who wants Perseus dead since that kid is the bastard son spawned from his dead Queen wife. What follows is Perseus who wants to do the job to stop the Kraken as a man and not a demigod. He and the men with him along with the ageless Io battle giant scorpions that end up being controlled by Jin (genies). They go to the Underworld to get Medusa’s head while Hades plots the destruction of Zeus (who just wants to punish man for destroying the worship places and symbols to the gods.

CLASH OF THE TITANS was good in its day as a camp fantasy with lots of fun. The remake is just all flash and not really good. It has its moments with the action scenes, but it just doesn’t have any real meaty connective tissue between those scenes. I love seeing Alexa Davelos even though she only met her full ability in ANGEL and CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK. Sam Worthington needs a better film than this one. I just wonder what film he will do next. I like to see him tackle a drama of some kind. However, the remake is a lesson to all who remake films- make them good while making them different enough. This remake is different enough, but it is no way as good as the original.

This movie review is (c)4-7-2010 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. Send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com