ecksmanfan Reviews Clash of the Titans

I don't think I need to remind anyone of the classic 1981 "Clash of the Titans" that led to this film, but who can forget the awesome animation and the incredible metal owl? With the new fangled technology we have now days, it was inevitable that this film would be remade and updated. However, the 2010 version tries to hard to be a bigger film than it is causing it to fall short of a great film.

Titans tells the story if Perseus (Worthington), a Demigod, who seeks revenge on Hades (Fiennes) for the unwarranted killing of his adoptive family. He is joined by a group of Argos soldiers who are sent to assist him, at the request of their king. The group is forced to battle giant scorpions and gorgons and risk their lives doing so.

Let me get the bad out of the way first. The CG work in the film is bad and borderline laughable. In the beginning when you first see it, you think, "Eh, it's not too bad, I'm sure it'll get better." Sadly, it doesn't. It's choppy and unnatural and quite disappointing. I was more impressed with Uma Thurman as Medusa in "Percy Jackson" that I was with this one. She was silly looking and badly done. The scorpions looked decent in the previews, but when you see them on the big screen for a prolonged time, the are just bad. Now that I think of it, it's a possibility that Leterrier was trying to recreate the animation from the original. If so...bravo to him. Not all of it is bad, however. The work with Hades, the witches and the Djin is pretty cool, but not enough to make up for the rest.

Aside from the CG work, technically the film is just average. I didn't see the film in 3D, so I can't offer an opinion on that. The camera work is rather simple, but there are a couple shots that are pretty cool. Some of the fight scenes are actually timed with the music, which is great for a preview, but it comes across as silly in the actual film.

The story is decent and doesn't venture too far from the original (from what I remember, I haven't seen it in some time). It moves at an OK pace, enough to keep you interested. There are a few humorous lines that are well timed and well delivered also. I was hoping for some more character development, but that's pretty standard for Leterrier. The characters just seem to show up with out reason or rhyme and you are forced to accept it. There are some goodies that refer back to the original as well, which are pretty cool.

Speaking of Leterrier, he's been rumored to be on the short list of directors that Marvel is considering for the "Avengers" film coming in 2012. For a long time, I have supported this idea, as his work with "The Incredible Hulk" a few years back was pretty good. However, after seeing this film, I'm changing my mind. I don't want him anywhere near the "Avengers" film!

The best part of the show was the acting, for the most part. Ralph Fiennes stole this show as Hades. He is incredible to watch and listen to. Liam Neeson is a great fit for Zeus, as he has that voice that commands your attention. Mikkelsen is fantastic as can be expected. I was hoping to see more of Danny Huston as Poseidon, but he is used very little, sadly. Worthington and Arterton are out of their league in this film and couldn't keep up with the powerhouses surrounding them. Worthington is getting better but he still has a long way to go. He was great with the action sequences and I think he may have found his niche in the action film genre. The supporting cast chewed more scenery than Nic Cage and John Travolta in "Face/Off." They had bad lines and they were extremely over-acted.

Maybe I had my expectations too high, but this film was under whelming and lacked depth. It could have been much bigger than it was and it definitely tried, but it didn't quite reach the bar it had set for itself. It's entertaining, but there are definitely better films out there. It's a simple film and doesn't require you to put too much effort to follow it. I'd suggest you drop your expectation level down a few notches and you might enjoy it more than I did.

Grade: C+