Gloriously, the filmmakers put the camera in the sky in many of its rousing scenes, but because we know we live in an age of CGI special effects, we know it is not really the sky. But it feels like we are really floating up there along with our hero Perseus (Sam Worthington), who was born of a god but raised in the man, and thus here is a fantasy film that does the exceptional job of suspending our disbelief.
With only a few scenes of actors standing around and waxing rhetorically, this new remake of the 1981 film (this is a forward leap improvement narrative-wise than the original), moves with brisk pacing while exceedingly following through on its foreshadowing. When the film promises well in advance a difficult battle to the death encounter with Medusa, whose hair is writing with snakes, the actual battle is a fantastic showdown that hurls with acrobatic ferocity.
Also included in the adventure is Perseus’ capture of the flying horse Pegasus, duels with gigantic scorpions, encounters with Stygian witches with eyeballs in their palms, various winged demons and gargoyles, and Kraken the sea monster that is so colossal in size that he can prompt tidal waves capable of ravaging ancient Greek cities. Two things missing from the original is the mechanical owl (good omission, also a good self-aware laugh) and the two-headed wolf battle (a sorely missing omission). Perseus does not begin as the principle leader of the band of warriors, that authority belongs to Mads Mikkelson (“Casino Royale”) as Draco in command, but surely enough he ascends to leadership.
This is also another successful vehicle for Worthington who has become a major star within the wingspan of a year. He brought much-needed gravitas to ill-conceived “Terminator: Salvation” and was the star of the worldwide box office behemoth “Avatar.” Worthington is hardly the tallest man on screen, visibly shorter to Mikkelson, but he is as hard as a rock. And he brings integrity to the screen – in various times he appears he would die for a goddess simply because it is the right thing to do, the right thing for the better of mankind. He loves goddesses for what they represent to the foundation of the world, and Worthington’s Perseus makes himself feel less than who they are. Worthington turns martyrdom into a masculine art.
Initially, Worthington begins humble (too humble and grounded to be honest), having survived at childhood being washed at sea within a closed coffin. He nonetheless becomes a warrior, defying if not practically rejecting his god genetics, and places the “common” people at higher importance than the gods. He is unmoved, if full of refutation, when Zeus (Liam Neeson, succeeding and exceeding Laurence Oliver in the original role) arrives and announces himself as his father. If they happen to share the same ideals, they both in a way have different definitions of the same objectives.
What Zeus and Perseus, father and son, will have in common is the desire and need to wipe out Hades (Ralph Fiennes), the vengeful god with the intent to wreck and destroy humanity as well as to seize all of Zeus’ power and rule the underworld. The climax of the film is a little bit too “sensational” for its own good – with debris crashing, splashing here and there and everywhere – but as the camera swoops through the carnage and wreckage it inspires thrilling giddiness.
The film is playing in 3D in select theaters, but it is important to note that the film was not filmed in Real 3D but instead converted in 3D after studio test runs. The 3D glasses tint the film and the picture’s colors become diffused in a dissatisfying way. This is opposite to “Avatar” which was filmed in Real 3D with the planned conception to view it in 3D IMAX. What Warner Bros. proves with “Clash of the Titans” is that converted 3D is not a good idea, it adds nothing. See this in the original proper 2D projection. I unfortunately reviewed this in 3D, preferring the film when I took the glasses off.
Go to the official site at http://clash-of-the-titans.warnerbros.com/
Grade: B
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