Movie Review: Clash of the Titans

*** of **** (3 stars out of 4)

Clash of the Titans is a wonderful experience for fans of the genre. It is technically impressive and a great roller coaster ride that should allow most viewers to have a fun time. However, it does have its faults, many of which might prove insurmountable for viewers that have no idea what they are getting themselves into.

Clash of the Titans is a remake of the 1981 fantasy adventure film of the same name. Whereas the original has a veteran cast that consists of Maggie Smith, Ursula Andress, Jack Gwillim, and the great Laurence Olivier, we are treated to a cast of rising stars mixed with a fair share of veteran actors.

Perseus (Sam Worthington) is a demi-god--the son of Zeus (Liam Neeson), no less--raised as a fisherman by a human family. Mankind has begun to forsake the gods, and Perseus and his family come across soldiers from Argos toppling a gigantic statue of Zeus into the ocean. Hades (Ralph Fiennes) attacks the humans, killing many of the soldiers and Perseus’s family. Driven by the death of his family, Perseus begins his quest against the gods, in order to kill Hades.

He does not go it alone, as he is aided by Io (Gemma Arterton), the King of Argos (Vincent Regan), and a small group of soldiers, led by Draco (Mads Mikkelsen). Along the way, they run across giant scorpions, magical sand spirits named Djinn, Stygian Witches, and the always-creepy gorgon Medusa. All of this happens in a race against time, as Hades has demanded that Argos repent for its sins. Should Argos not sacrifice the king’s daughter Andromeda (Alexa Davalos) in ten days, Hades will release the Kraken upon Argos, effectively destroying mankind.

This simple quest is framed by a running time of 118 minutes. As a result, the movie suffers from an uneven pace. However, even though editors David Freeman and Vincent Tabaillon struggle with giving the film a nice, steady feeling, the action sequences are the highlight of the film. The action scenes never feel rushed and the story is never cheated during these scenes.

Many of these editing issues can probably be attributed to a script that unsuccessfully tries to juggle the plethora of action scenes with the rest of the story. The script also suffers from some of the most outrageous dialogue I have experienced in an action movie. But the film never takes itself too serious. In fact, that outrageous dialogue is at the heart of some of the films intentionally humorous moments.

Despite the flaws listed above, this film works for its target audience. Anyone who is fan of movies like this knows what they are getting themselves into. We go to have fun. We expect to see outrageous action. And there is nothing wrong with that. Where some films fail is their inability to transcend the ordinary and what has been seen before.

Clash of the Titans does not fall into this trap. Our heroes struggle with their enemies. And it never becomes too obvious that our characters are experiencing an obligatory struggle just for the sake of sustaining the length of the movie. Often times, the characters and their weaknesses are the source of their struggle, so it is refreshing to see an action film that is somewhat driven by the characters.

Yes, this film has its weaknesses. They are not the kind that can be put out of mind easily. However, this movie never pretends to be something it is not. Consequently, many viewers including fans of fantasy action epics can enjoy a fun, wild, and ultimately entertaining film.

Release the Liam!