A Cadre of Fine Actors on a Silly Spree

Rating: 3/10 (17 April 2011)

CLASH OF THE TITANS was perhaps more entertaining as a 3D movie in theaters than it is on the small screen of the home television where the CGI effects are less impressive and at times downright silly. Louis Leterrier directed this remake of the 1981 Olivier/Hamlin epic based on Beverley Cross's take on the struggle for power between the Greek Gods and mankind: this time around the myth is manipulated by Travis Beacham, Phil Hay, and Matt Manfredi who have managed to create dialogue that must have been embarrassing for the actors to speak. The gods are either surrounded by blinding light or smog-on-a-bad-day smoke and the presence of the creatures of the very mixed up version of the myth range form beautiful Pegasus (flying horses) to a voluptuous Medusa to the bigger than life scorpions and devilish gods to the Kraken who probably wins the contest for most disgusting beastie - though the competition is tough!
The story is basically an attempt of Zeus and the gods on Olympus to restore their tainted reputation as being adored and worshiped through the wiles of Perseus who is thwarted by a long standing sibling rivalry victim Hades in Perseus' travels to kill the Medusa and the supposedly indestructible Kraken. It is a tale of men versus kings versus gods versus good and evil. The very odd aspect of this dark film is the fact that of many of the cast are among the finest actors on the screen. Some are minor actors (Sam Worthington plays Sam Worthington who is placed complete with burr cut in the role of Perseus), but others include Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Hans Matheson, Danny Huston, Nicholas Hoult, the departed Pete Postlethwaite, Mads Mikkelsen (the strongest in the cast), a very chubby Polly Walker, Elizabeth McGovern, Gemma Arterton - the list goes on and on.
Having never seen the original 1981 Clash of the Titans makes comparison impossible, but if the purpose for making this over the edge movie was to test contemporary 3D techniques it probably succeeds. As for the acting and the script - this film is merely a chuckle.
Grady Harp