4 reviews

I recall the original Harryhausen version with nostalgia. He was ahead of his time and breaking new ground with his special effects. Unfortunately this Hollywood remake is simply trash. Special effects? Well yes OK but that's about it. The soundtrack, dialogue, plotline and direction are all absolute rubbish - I watch a LOT of movies but it's fair to say I came close to walking out on this one. 1/10 then. Come on Hollywood pull your finger out and try for some originality and creativity!

ChrisD 13 Apr 2010

Those of you who love old Ray Harryhausen movies - and I am one of those people - will find a lot to like here. Let's face it, you didn't watch Jason and the Argonauts for its scintillating dialogue, breathtaking plot twists and deft characterisation, did you? No, you watched it for the fighting skellingtons.

This is a fairly faithful recreation of that kind of experience. Wooden acting? Check. Back-of-an-envelope plot? Check. Ham fisted script? Check.

And yet, in the same way that I like the Harryhausen original of Clash, I liked this. Because the good points were also there. Transcendental silliness? Check. Greek gods poised over a giant map of the world? Check. Moving people around literally like chess pieces? Check. Monster fights? Present and correct.

Amazing special effects? Oh yes. The kraken, when it turns up, is really worth seeing. The other monsters - and I won't spoil the plot, such as it is, by saying what they are - are equally well realised.

The Greek gods, by the way, are Iliad by way of Philip Pullman - while they are acknowledged to exist, they are also petty, vindictive, and very very stupid. Much like the original legends then.

Lots of fun then, in the same way as sword and sandal movies of the past. Don't expect anything too profound, that's all.

Tim 5 Apr 2010

Clash of the Titan Lite might be a more appropriate title, because compared to other past gods versus monsters titles, this one simply seemed very lightweight and fizzy.

Sam Worthington as Perseus swaggers through the fairly woodenly-scripted proceedings adequately; Ralph Fiennes reprises his Voldemort with a darkly brooding Hades, while Liam Neeson, well, makes a bit of fist of Zeus. Add in Gemma Arterton for eye-candy, some giant scorpions, a whopping big Kraken, and plenty of pegasi, and you've galloped through the whole shebang without noticing the time fly.

It's perfectly good for Easter entertainment; pity the Gods and hero lacked gravitas.

roz 2 Apr 2010

This is appalling: hackneyed dialogue and plot with tedious CGI and wooden acting. Its basic problem is that it's bloated, with too many actors, too many unresolved details, and too many special effects, cut down into something that you can't care about. It might be fine for kids but no one with a developed brain should surely be happy with this. As the massive CGI monsters soar in front of you in a manner that's become all too predictable, you start to appreciate the idiosyncrasies of the stop-frame action sequences of the original version. There's even a direct reference to the clockwork owl that makes you think how much more artful and atmospheric that kind of filmmaking was.

One other thing: if you see it at all, see it in 2D. It's clearly been retrofitted with 3D and most of the film is in 2D - it ain't Avatar. All the 3D glasses did for me was to make everything too dark and the CGI was a little more convincing after I took the specs off. and you'll save yourself a couple of quid.

thiefinni 1 Apr 2010