Not Titanic

Rating: 7/10 (12 April 2010)

I haven't watched the original(and I know this copies stuff invented/imported for that one), but I understand that it, like this, doesn't follow the Greek myth entirely. Oh, I have no doubt that, on the whole, it is superior(this doesn't appear to have that much in common with it). I don't mind dated FX, if they get the job done, and in a lot of cases, they clearly put serious effort into it. If I find a copy of it, I'll give it a chance. This is the third Leterrier(who, I understand, is a fan of the 1981 version) creation I catch(The Transporter and The Incredible Hulk), and other than Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, I've largely liked his choices. He always delivers plenty of awesome, exciting and effective action, and this is no exception. The same goes for it being engaging and fun. Production values are high, and the designs(other than the silly-looking beard they hid Huston behind) are usually very good. The plot moves along nicely, and I was never bored. Characters are fine, if more development, personality and a greater amount of ones that get to be fleshed out and play a genuine role in the story would be quite welcome. There is essentially no poor comic relief. The Gods are in it relatively little. This is largely well-cast, if the acting talent is basically wasted. With that said, they do add to the experience. A few performances are over the top, most noticeably Flemyng(is it me, or is that his thing?). Dialog is marvelous, with the occasional hiccup. The editing and cinematography are well-done, apart from brief instances here and there. Visually, it's attractive enough, though you can tell that it wasn't meant to be 3D from the start(in fact, one can barely see that it is, at all... in the bad way). The CGI is excellent(and smoothly and nearly seamlessly integrated; also, the locations and stunts help immensely at selling the illusion), with strong exceptions, such as the soulless Medusa and the obvious horses(honestly, just stay away from animating anything that is alive and exists in the real world). Score is fitting and cool, by the man who also did the music for Iron Man. This communicates its themes pretty well. There is a lot of mild-ish(if bordering on brutal) violence and brief moderate language in this. I recommend this to fans of the genre and of epic popcorn flicks. Nothing too challenging, and certainly not the best of its kind, if entertaining. 7/10