Titan’s clash creates cacophony
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April 12, 2010 • written by Josh Ferrell
Filed under Reviews
The tale of Perseus, one of the many famous stories of Greek mythology, is told once again in the remake of the 1981 cult classic, “Clash of the Titans.” The 1981 classic achieved critical acclaim due to its special effects by Ray Harryhausen, who is known for his stop motion animation. The remake attempts to better the original’s special effects by creating a captivating visual tale of Perseus.
“Clash of the Titans” is visually spectacular. However, the poorly conceived plot quickly draws the audience’s attention away from the visuals and toward the horrible lines. The script breaks away from the original movie slightly and adds Hades into the plot. Although the story has its good points, Perseus gripping his chest randomly and having an identity crisis during a thunderstorm is not exactly good story-telling.
The music and fight scenes were the strongest points of the movie. During the battles of Medusa, scorpions, and the Kraken, the music added a sort of “epicness” to the fights. The music, composed by Ramin Djawadi–who also did the music for “Iron Man” and “Batman Begins”–will most likely win a few awards.
Another strong point of the film was the design of the characters. The concept design for the characters was created by Aaron Sims.
According to Sims, his most difficult task was the creation of Medusa:
“Are they all the same snake in her hair? Do they look more like hair? Are they different in silhouette or in light? And how much of a human face does she have, or is it more like a snake? I worked on one design, and people said it reminded them of Lord Voldemort because there was no nose,” said Sims. “You have to be careful so it still looks like it’s an original idea.”
Sims also created a fantastic perspective of the Kraken and Calibos.
The movie features a stellar cast which includes: Samuel Worthington (Perseus), Ralph Fiennes (Hades), Liam Neeson (Zeus), and Jason Flemyng (Calibos). Fans of the up-and-coming actor Worthington will be disappointed. As usual, Ralph Fiennes performed as a villain, and Fiennes did a stellar job as the dark, decrepit Hades.
“Clash of the Titans” was originally planned to be a 2D film, but the studio wanted a conversion of 2D into 3D. This was a bad idea. The poorly executed 3D took away from the visuals in the film by making people look like bland cardboard cutouts. Some critics believe that the film was too rushed in the conversion. James Cameron, director of “Avatar,” stated, “If you want a movie to be 3D, then shoot the movie in 3D.” Many viewers and directors have recommended viewing the movie in 2D.
“Clash of the Titans” has many weak points and is extremely forgettable. For those in the mood for an action-packed adventure who are willing to forgive the weak script, “Clash of the Titans” is a decent movie; however, for the most part, the film is a poorly executed remake that desperately needed better writers.
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