I really tried to like it, but....

Rating: 6/10 (2 April 2010)

It was the end of the academic year at my college, and the last week had been so damn grueling what with all the vivas,presentations and evaluations and all that. So when it got over, i was dying for a getaway. And there's nothing like a movie that you've been dying to watch ever since the viewing the insanely awesome trailer in you tube months ago to escape the effects of a grinding your nose to stone for weeks. And the movie was by Louis Leterrier, whose incredible hulk I'd liked a lot. So I went to watch Clash of the Titans in the theaters on the first day-first show with huge expectations, something akin to 300, since this one also had Greek mythology, and lot of cool action and effects. And believe me, its all there, but something doesn't feel right.
The story i guess is lifted as it is from the mythology, with some cinematic license; whatever it was, it didn't feel very good. The first half seemed to drag, and the second over too soon. Sam Worthington is "Meh..." as the main protagonist, Perseus...there's nothing worthwhile.Its actually funny, because he's supposed to be a demi-god, but it was the mortal soldiers accompanying him who saved his ass from those big scorpions. Whatever Perseus does, appears to be sheer, dumb luck. Things just happen with him. Maybe thats the main problem with the whole movie. Things just happen for the sake of happening. Like there are a couple of characters who're just killed off for the sake of it. And then there are some who were not needed at all. (Like the two hunter brothers. I can only conclude their existence was for comic relief, because traditionally , when you're going on a mission, there should be a couple of oddballs in it. And the last time there was a twin brothers for "comic relief" ended in a disaster. read transformers 2) Gemma Arterton, who was one of the better things about quantum of solace is given a considerably more screen time here, and well, I like her..I mean, she IS very pretty. Liam Neeson is also okay in his role as Zeus, but its Ralph Fiennes who shines as the God of the underworld. While Mr Neeson looks a bit comical in his white sparkling armor, Fiennes looks every bit of Hades, dark, sinister, and vengeful. Jason Fleming is under-used.
The special effects of the movie is pretty good, but the Kraken disappointed. Its introduction which we've already seen in the trailer is the only worthwhile sequence featuring the Kraken. Its given too little time before Perseus finishes it off, and it didn't feel very scary, for all the big talk beforehand about it being too dangerous and frightening, even for the Gods. The scorpions were actually better than the Kraken. So was Medusa. But for you to actually understand how lame the action sequences were, you should know that there are so many of them in the movie, but not one thats worth mentioning. Except maybe,... maybe the climatic chase scene and the subsequent execution of the Kraken. The background score sucks too.
I was actually telling myself through the whole movie that maybe now the movie will get really interesting, maybe now, maybe now...and then it got over; without satisfying me for a bit. Maybe 'twas because I expected a lot. Watch it if you don't have anything else to do. Maybe you will like it.