By Jamie Corpuz
Sun managing editor
It’s my own damn fault. I went in with my hopes and expectations far too high. “Clash of the Titans,” as made in 1981, was one of my favorite movies when I was growing up; and yes, I bought into the hype.
I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the newest release, I’m just saying, that the “Clash of the Titans,” as directed by Louis Leterrier, left me unimpressed and without the desire to give that joyous clap that fills you when you’ve seen a film that has in some way left you in awe or extremely excited.
To be honest, now that I am older and a member of the privileged high-tech movie audience, I’m no longer stunned by the old one either, which is possibly why I put so many hopes into the revamp of this cult classic.
Though it is an incredibly sexy action flick with beautiful scenery, it did not display anything spectacularly vivacious or different. It also failed to make audiences feel attached to the characters. Overall, the directing was rather mediocre and lacked the energy, uncertainty, and sense of peril that is vital to an epic tale.
The movie is set in ancient Greece, during a time when humans were rebelling against the oppressive gods, who never seemed to cut mortals any slack. In the story you follow Perseus (Sam Worthington), the demi-god son of Zeus (Liam Neeson), who also seeks vengeance on the gods for killing the family who raised him as their own.
Coincidentally, the city of Argos needs a hero who will save their princess from Hades’ horrible, monstrous pet, the Kraken, and prove to the gods that mankind no longer needs to be ruled over by unsympathetic deities. So Perseus sets out with the few soldiers that Argos can spare, to ask the three witches what they need to defeat the notoriously undefeated beast.
Though the story would imply the journey was long and daunting, the characters never seemed to be very terrified or in very much pain. And the weak character development makes it seem as though the heroes are just mundanely being strung along from one action sequence to another.
Where “Clash of the Titans” does deserve credit is the special effects and CGI, which was almost flawless.The gargantuan scorpions had me pretty nervous and that whole scene pretty much saved the rest of the movie for me. It’s a bad sign when the first part of the movie is more interesting and climactic than the ending.
Bottom line is that “Clash of the Titans” is incohesive and truth be told I was hoping for “300” epic, not “The Mummy” cool. All in all, I give it a C+, but it’s a C+ that’s worth seeing on the big screen if you’re looking to kill some time.
