Clash of the Titans (2010)

director: Louis Leterrier

writers: Lawrence Kasdan, Travis Beacham, Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi

starring: Sam Worthington, Gemma Arterton, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes

genre: Action, Fantasy, Remake

Why is it that I cant understand people reaction and feelings to a movie sometimes? Is my view to skewed or they not seeing it correctly? Probably both. People's reaction to "Clash of the Titans" was of disappointment and contempt. When I hear that I ask myself why? What were people expecting from a Hollywood remake, which the trailer just showed off silly action with bad music?. I wasn't expecting anything in particular. What did they expect this to be the movie event of the year? Of course it would have never been. But people were expecting something and got nothing. I was expecting nothing and I got something. Clash of the Titans is a very well made action film and nothing more.

Im unable to compare this remake with its original of the 1981 as I haven't seen it. The story though I think it follows closely to the original. Perseus (Sam Worthington) is born a demigod and son of Zeus (Liam Neeson). Found by a fisherman he lives the life of a everyman. During this time the relationship between Gods and Man is at arms length. Provaction from both sides show a possible war or conflict near. Perseus human family becomes collateral damage in the war and his fate resides in the hands of the humans of the city of Argos. There he will realize his true nature as a demigod and decide where his allegiance lies with Gods or men. With help from a mysterious woman Io (Gemma Arterton) and the warriors of Argos, Perseus is on a mission to save Argos and to stop the underworld God Hades (Ralph Fiennes) sick plot.

First let me get the films negatives out of the way. First off about the 3D. Many people went to see the film with the expecation that it was a full 3D movie and instead were cheated. Titans as with many other films have been marketed as 3D when theyve been only converted to 3D and not filmed in 3D. Meaning its not 3D as you would expect it in Avatar. Another negative is plot progression. It falls to the cliche of our hero being the everyman who by chance is put in the right place in the right time to become the hero and save the day. But you cant be mad with that because its mythological tale and they are all tailored tales of glory, success and tragedy.

The biggest negative i saw with the film is that all these Hollywood films are made with the hope of being a franchise. To be the next Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. Instead of making a story where you get know the characters, they rush to the action of an epic story that the title character is a super hero and that he is worth seeing again and again. This formula is not the right one if to pursue a franchise. Imagine if in Lord of the Rings we didnt spend 40 minutes in the Shire with the Hobbits. That was there so we could understand what there fighting about. Also imagine if Frodo had no characterization? Why he was in love with the shire, and his uncle. That's Titans biggest problem. They rely on a few lines of dialogue to be enough to progress a story. Also theres the fact that the film is all about Gods vs Men but we never get a reason why there is this. What did the Gods do? Why are the humans so furious with the gods? Things like this affect a story, a film and the future of a franchise.

Now these are the problems I have with the film. Lets take about the problem others may have and do have. For example that Titans is too silly of a film with things like people riding on giant Scorpions. Personally I don't find that as a reason for a film to be bad. Lord of Rings had Legolas kill a giant Elephant with 12 guys on it. But people liked that film and excuse it. It's fantasy people, flying horses, a woman with hair with snakes. Why be picky? Other negatives is the way they treat mythology and the performances. Well I personally didn't see the degradation of Greek mythology or any Razzie Award style performances. I might be defending this film but it's because of the unrelenting thrashing it has gotten that I personally believe it didnt deserve. The effects were spectacular, the action was pretty good, performances and actors were adequate, the direction was just about right, music was better than excepted for a action film and the story was good but lacking in pacing, characterization and empathy for characters and story. Besides that the film was fine. Didnt see glaring plot holes, mispoken lines, or shaddy production elements which is all I'm saying.

Clash of the Titans may be the most punished film of the year yet and wrongly so in my opinion. I enjoyed the film very much and woulndt mind at all to see this franchise continue. There is great potential of course with better writers hired for future films. To all the naysayers who thrash on these kind of film is just stop being so harsh. Especially to films that never said they were going to be the best or when the films weren't hyped too big to you could be disappointed. You went in a film with grand hopes and with no effort of knowing what you got into you came out disappointed. Next time don't hype the film without reason and especially from a Hollywood film that is not made by a grande director and never contested to changing cinema as did Avatar did. Avatar had been super hyped and many of the mass didn't expect anything and got something. See the difference?

Personal Rating:

Review by Paul