A loving update saddled with a bad script

Rating: 8/10 (4 June 2019)

As a child the 1981 film was a favorite. It is still in the rotation for when I am feeling blue. When I first saw this update I thought it was awful. The script adds a whole bunch of needless plot complications (Jinn? That's Islamic not Greek!) about the war between man and Gods. The dialog is a bad mixture of blunt machismo and crappy Shakespearean prose. The acting-Sam Worthington especially-is quite stiff and unconvincing. The 3d effects in the theater were very bad and made the film way too dark. Yet for all that I thought the film had its heart in the right place.
Having re-watched it a few days ago it struck me that really it is quite like the original. It is mostly interested in spectacle. The visual effects look so much better at home that I found them quite enjoyable this time around. It doesn't treat itself too seriously. The action set pieces in the remake all have an analog in the original and yet they are shuffled enough to be fresh. Bubo even gets a nice little cameo. It is pretty obvious the filmmakers love the original film.
I really enjoyed the film for what it is. A fantasy actioner that is fun. Even Worthington was much more enjoyable on this viewing. Don't get me wrong he is still quite stiff but what sword and sandal hero isn't?