"Clash of the Titans" would make ancient Greeks proud

“Clash of the Titans” is a fantasy remake of the 1981 film of the same name. Directed by Louis Leterrier, the film is loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus, the man who slew the Medusa and captured the Pegasus. The film set in the Greek city of Argos where a war is about to explode between man and the gods. Perseus (Sam Worthington) is raised as a fisherman, but is actually a demi-god. Perseus is the son of Zeus (Liam Neeson) who is about to take on the gods after the death of his family. Zeus' brother Hades (Ralph Fiennes) was the one who kill his family, and Perseus wants to kill him. However, it is Perseus's destiny to rescue the city of Argos from the ruthless rage of Hades and his Kraken monster. With nothing to lose, Perseus leads a band of soldiers on a quest to defeat the Kraken. In doing this, Perseus will prevent Hades from overthrowing Zeus and in turn destroying mankind.

While a fitting tribute to the original film, what stands out first and foremost are the entertaining visual effects that splash onto the film like the Kraken’s tentacles. The addition of watching the film in 3D puts the audience right in the middle of the action and holds on tightly, especially during the adrenaline-fueled battle with the giant scorpions halfway through the movie. However, it is notable to point out that while the 3D feature enhances the CGI, it is really unnecessary in a way, for the film would have been equally as entertaining without wearing 3D glasses.

Also an excellently designed creature in the film is the Medusa, who appears much sexier and scarier than the original one, despite having writhing snakes for hair. The most impressive example of visual design and effects is that of the Kraken itself, which looks much more lethal and unstoppable than the original. Even though it is cool to see on the big screen, it’s a pity that it is only seen for a brief period in the film.

While the film is full of scenes that entice the audience with its incredible CGI, there are other aspects to it that do not seem to keep up with all the visual effects. The actors give “B” performances at best, and the script wasn’t very strong. Those that were most expected to wow the audience such as Liam Neeson, who plays the mighty Zeus, did not deliver quite to the best of their ability. Sam Worthington, best noted for his heartfelt performance in “Avatar”, does not give a very emotionally charged performance, even though he seems to be becoming the face of action-adventure films. Finally, the script for the film did not produce any meaningful dialogue, but instead gave short bursts of conversations and revelations that help move the film’s plot from action scene to action scene.

Needless to say, it is the film’s visually exciting action sequences that are its only strong asset. However, this does not mean that the film was not entertaining or fun to see. While it lacks in some areas, the film takes a great story from Greek mythology and portrays it on the big, 3D screen in a way that would make even the ancient Greeks proud. For anyone who enjoys the craftsmanship of visual effects that is evident in “Clash of the Titans”, then this film is worth seeing if you get a chance.