Dumb fun, but not enough

Rating: 6/10 (18 May 2010)

On paper, Clash of the Titans was a good idea for a remake, since the original, while fondly remembered, hardly qualifies as a classic, with its uneven acting (notably male lead Harry Hamlin) and dated - though still quite impressive - visual effects. Throw in a director who knows how to do action (Louis Leterrier), some classy supporting actors for the divine parts (Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes, last seen together in a totally different film, Schindler's List), and the new superstar of the decade (Sam Worthington), and you've got all the right ingredients for a fun romp. Unfortunately, the new version, while good in parts, fails to deliver as an overall viewing experience.
Surprisingly enough for a remake, the script sticks quite close to the original: Perseus (Worthington), a demigod, has to face numerous perils in order to save princess Andromeda (Alexa Davalos) and prevent an all-out war between gods and men. What's new is a more epic approach to the story, with a focus on the rivalry between Zeus (Neeson) and Hades (Fiennes), and a bizarre "romantic" twist, with the mysterious Io (Gemma Arterton) replacing Perseus' elderly mentor (Burgess Meredith) from the first film.
In theory, there would be no need to bicker about the plot: Clash of the Titans is meant to be nothing more than sheer, dumb fun, and anyone with a true passion for Greek mythology might want to look away from blatant alterations to the myths (see the whole story about Perseus' birth) and borrowings from other cultures (the Djinn and, of course, the Kraken, recently brought back by the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise). However, whereas Desmond Davis' 1981 take on the story truly opted for sheer fun, the 2010 update stumbles into a few logical pratfalls (Zeus' behavior is a bit schizophrenic in the last act), chunks of appalling "contemporary" dialogue (the protagonist's warning about Medusa: "Don't look this b*tch in the eye!"), a pointless cameo by the infamous mechanical owl Bubo and a plain ridiculous epilogue that - rumor has it - was added at the last minute to leave the road open for potential sequels (what a surprise...).
Another major problem is the "big" new contribution: 3D. Having seen both versions, it is safe to say the three-dimensional Clash is a rather unappealing sight. This is because, unlike Avatar or Coraline, which were conceived and filmed in 3D from the start, and made an intelligent use of the technology, Clash of the Titans was shot in 2D and subsequently "converted" to the new format in the wake of Avatar's huge business (the fact that Worthington stars in both pictures may also have been a factor). The result is a movie whose action scenes, which are edited very quickly, become unintelligible in 3D, which takes most of the fun out of it (also, slow motion looks awful with the added dimension). With the exception of a couple of scenes, namely those that were fixed in post-production to begin with, the experience is a pretty negative one.
However, there are still a few things to enjoy: with the 3D out of the equation, Leterrier deserves credit for nailing all the huge sequences - Scorpioks, Medusa, Kraken - with a subtle use of CGI that sort of pays tribute to Ray Harryhausen's original work. Additionally, the cast does a more than passable job, although the wide array of accents on display (Australian for Perseus, Irish for Zeus, unspecified for Draco and English for everyone else) is a bit baffling at times. As expected, Neeson and Fiennes are the best of the bunch, with the kind of gravitas only British actors seem to possess in this kind of production, while Worthington delivers a committed but not entirely charismatic performance, occasionally coming off as a bad Russell Crowe clone. It is also worth wondering why the filmmakers bothered to cast relatively famous actors for throwaway parts: Danny Huston (Poseidon) and Polly Walker (in a role reminiscent of her Rome character) are wasted, while Alexander Siddig's appearance is so brief even die-hard Star Trek fans could have trouble spotting him (that's what happened to me, anyway).
Overall, the new, "improved" Clash of the Titans provides some excitement but generally disappoints, compared to other blockbusters of recent memory. Best stick with the original: it may have aged a bit, but the fun factor remains unaltered.