A Classic Too Updated

Rating: 6/10 (17 April 2010)

As a child, the original Clash of the Titans was one of my favorite monster movies. I still have a nostalgia for watching it periodically today.
The majority of people going to see this movie want to watch humans battle realistic looking monsters. However, this film attempts to complicate the original story with a subplot about ancient gods needing prayers and fear for their own immortality. An additional subplot about the hero rejecting his demigod status and therefore refusing help from his father was also added. This just bogged down what should be a straightforward excuse for showing realistic looking monsters on the big screen.
The CGI beasts were much more impressive than in the original. However, the action sequences were shot too close and too fast to allow the viewer to have a good understanding of what was happening.
Unlike Jurassic Park and The Lord of the Rings, most monster movies fail to transcend visual candy. That is fine. Sometimes a mindless monster movie is a visual masterpiece that hits the spot. I could not tell you the plot of a single Godzilla movie. This film attempted to complicate the plot and transcend its monster movie status instead of just sticking with a basic story. The result is a movie that is partial eye candy and an attempt at plot depth, both of which were incomplete and left me unsatisfied.