Director: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson & Ralph Fiennes
A big budget remake of the 1980s blockbuster that falls victim to some of the same flaws of the original film on which it is based with wooden or hammy performances from the cast, a plot driven by action sequences but with CGI effects that lack the charm of Ray Harryhausen’s stop motion effects in the 1980s.
While there have been many ‘Swords and Sandals’ films produced over the past decade following the success of Gladiator, the success though of 300, an adaptation of the comic book of the same name, in 2007 has seen another resurgence in such films with an emphasis on action and spectacle over plot and character. A remake of the 1981 film of the same name, itself better known for it’s effects than for the quality of it’s script, Clash of the Titans arrives and succeeds in maintaining the same sense of effects and action of story that the original had though the result is a film that is less satisfying despite the advances made in special effects. Clash of the Titans has it’s moments of spectacle but is somewhat disappointing overall.
Found in the ocean as a child and raised as a fisherman, Perseus (Worthington) had often dismissed the talk of him having a great destiny before him that his adoptive father believes. When a battle between humans and the minions of the God Hades (Fiennes) results in Perseus’ family’s deaths, he finds himself caught up in a destiny which reveals him to be the son of the God Zeus (Neeson) who has taken notice of Perseus whilst in the midst of succumbing to his brother Hades’ demands for war with the humans to reclaim their fear and worship of the Gods that they now rebel against. Threatening to unleash a mighty beast named the Kraken upon the city of Argos, Perseus ends up joining a band of warriors in hunting for the means to defeat the Kraken before it’s arrival and may see Perseus having to accept the non-human heritage if he is to succeed and save Argos from the Gods.
The original Clash of the Titans in 1981 is not a film that is fondly remembered for the quality of its plot of for its performances but rather his remembered for the effects of Ray Harryhausen and the casting of Lawrence Olivier as Zeus. Remade with modern special effects technology, the new Clash of the Titans had the opportunity of being an improvement over the original film however it struggles throughout to really engage and ultimately suffers from similar problems that affected the enjoyment of the original film. Clash of the Titans is a film driven by set pieces and effects over depth of plot or characterisation. Characters are generally underwritten, even the heroic lead of Perseus. The set pieces themselves, which seem the focus of the film, are generally unimpressive with a confrontation with Medusa all flash and no suspense and the climactic battle with the Kraken given less time than the build up to the Kraken’s arrival on the shores of Argos. Perseus’ allies are given modest characterisation but are often despatched swiftly and unceremoniously and the only set piece that stands out as entertaining involves giant scorpions in the desert. The special effects are also somewhat unimpressive with many creatures feeling that they’ve been seen before (the Kraken itself is reminiscent of Cloverfield’s rampaging beast) and the rush to add 3D elements following the success of the film Avatar, adds little.
Despite some impressive names in the cast such as Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes, performances in Clash of the Titans, like those in the original film are often over the top and not particularly enjoyable or memorable. Even Neeson and Fiennes as Zeus and Hades make little impression and Sam Worthington, in the lead role of Perseus, has little to work with but play the stoic, serious hero much like his roles in other films like Terminator: Salvation and Avatar though still less enjoyable. There are a few likeable performances amongst members of the troop with which Perseus travels such as Liam Cunningham and Mads Mikkelsen but some get little to work with outside of fighting creatures while other talents like Pete Postlethwaite and Danny Huston are underutilised and less satisfying actors like Gemma Arterton are given too much screen time in roles that largely involve providing exposition.
Overall, Clash of the Titans is a disappointing remake of a film that wasn’t fondly regarded beyond its special effects in the first place. Despite a bigger budget, the effects here struggle to impress and the performances similarly unmemorable. The set pieces provide some moments of enjoyment like the scorpion attack but are, again, only average.
Rating: 2/5
