Clash of the Titans

Clash of the Titans from the moment I saw the first trailer I looked forward to this movie and the action sequences that would be throughout. While this is a remake of a very campy version that was made in the 80's, I was very pleased that this go around was not just a step up from the original but several steps up with the visual effects and action sequences. Clash of the Titans tells the story of Perseus in his quest to prevent the underworld and its evil from destroying the earth. Clash of the Titans was a fast paced pre-summer blockbuster that while it did not deliver the strongest script it made up for that weakness with strong action.

Sam Worthington in the main role of Perseus fell a little flat for me. I do not know if it is either the writing or what but the characterization of Perseus just seemed hollow. Worthington did suffice greatly on the action sequences as he is very believable as an action star. Worthington is definitely a rising star and will only continue to be a strong action star. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes do a great job in their roles of Zeus and Hades. While I would have liked to see both Neeson and Fiennes utilized more, it was at the same time nice to see big stars be willing to have supporting roles in films where the lead role is being played by an up and coming star. Not too mention they shared the screen perfectly with Worthington in they came across as being gods without taking over the scenes. The rest of the supporting cast ends up being very forgettable as they do not stand out.

Some of the action sequences are quite impressive and boast fairly decent special effects. The various creatures Perseus encounters aren't quite always photo-real, although the sheer size of the creatures are impressive enough to allow the viewer overlook some of the creature flaws. However, seeing as this blockbuster lives and dies by its amped up, large scaled action sequences--the screenplay truly suffers and does not even bother to try to link between the action sequences and make the audience care about the epic plights of these characters. One aspect that I was pleased with was the simple fact I did not see this in 3D.  From everything I heard the 3D added in at the last minute did nothing to immerse the audience, but instead used it to pop things at the audience.

Clash of the Titans ends up being your run of the mill action adventure that relied on the action to keep the audience involved I have loved to see a strong story to link the action together. While Worthington worked in the action the lack of strong writing really hurt the development of the character of Perseus. With a sequel in the works I hope they recover from the mistakes in the first movie and realize that a strong story is just as important as the fun action sequences. I am giving Clash of the Titans two and three fourth buckets of popcorn out of five. If you want to be just entertained and see some amazingly strong action sequences then Clash of the Titans is worth the price of renting.

-The Movie Man