Director: Louis Letterrier
Starring: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Gemma Arterton
Rating: 12A
As a massive fan of the 1981 original, I was very interested to see how the intriguing myth of Perseus would be brought to a 2010 audience. Put simply, I was very pleased.
As long as you know what you’re in for there is massive fun to be had with Clash of the Titans. Man of the moment Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation, Avatar) stars as Perseus, a demi-god who is the son of Zeus, king of the gods. After war is declared on the gods, Hades convinces his brother Zeus to bring their wrath upon the people who refuse to worship them. They give the mortals 10 days until the titan known as the Kraken will be released. Their only hope is to sacrifice the princess Andromeda of Argos, only then will the Kraken be called off.
When his adoptive mortal family are killed by Hades, Perseus vows revenge. Setting out from Argon with a band of Praetorian guards, Perseus seeks to find a solution, something which will destroy the Kraken and save Argos.
The film stays fairly close to the original, with some characters left out and events slightly reshuffled. For those familiar with the original there is also a great cameo by a certain mechanical owl to be found. Fans of epic swords and sorcery will not be disappointed by this movie. It’s filled to the brim with breathtaking scenery and excellent fight choreography. Liam Neeson clearly loves his role as Zeus, playing up his ridiculous power with gravitas. Likewise Ralph Fiennes suitably hams up his role as the slimy, evil Hades. Worthington himself is also quite apt, choosing the mostly silent, brooding approach. This is appropriate seeing as how the family he had grown to love were taken from him. Gemma Arterton is mostly used for exposition but it suits the pace of the film nicely. The supporting cast of Perseus’ allies are very fun to watch and have amusing and natural on-screen chemistry.
The special effects laden action scenes easily get the heart pumping, and for the most part consist of genuinely well-executed CGI. Classic creatures like Medusa and the Kraken are brought to life in original ways, and the creature design is fantastic. The film is showing in both 2D and 3D. I can’t comment on the 3D version as I saw the film in 2D. However it was a conscious choice. 3D can sometimes seriously hinder the enjoyment of a film, and acts as little more than an excuse to take an extra few euro off the unsuspecting public. This is a film where you will want to see everything, and 3D would leave the out of focus parts of the scene blurry and dark. Also, rather than being filmed in 3D like Avatar, Clash of the Titans was converted in post-production, meaning the extra dimension was just an afterthought.
As long as you aren’t expecting a thought-provoking drama with morals and emotion then Clash of the Titans should easily sate your appetite for action and adventure on the grandest scale possible.
By Christopher Carton 06/04/2010
