Clash of the Titans - Thoughts

I first saw a trailer of Clash of the Titans while doing my routine HD trailer follow-up. What was very obvious was that the movie was a special effects extravaganza, thus making it a must watch. Going by the trailer the movie had to do with the Greek gods, and the fight between man and god. Doing a little more online research indicated that Clash of the Titans was about the half mortal son of Zeus, who had to battle the underworld and Hades, to save earth and the heavens, set on the backdrop of man’s rebellion against the gods.


What will stand out the most if you see the trailer and then the movie is that the trailer makes the movie seem like a non-stop action roller-coaster, whereas the movie is a lot slower in pace. The movie by itself is pretty decent, based on a relatively unique plot. The backstory to the gods and the titans, as well as the current day earth and gods theme works well. Action sequences and special effects are impressive, making for a good 106 minutes of entertainment. The plot is pretty straight forward, so don’t expect to have to invest too much thought into it. If anything were to be faulted, it would probably be the trailer, for creating some unrealistic expectations; you’ll need to be patient to enjoy this one, as there are several slower storyline related moments. If casual Greek mythology combined with plain entertainment oriented action are not your thing, give this one a miss.

Sam Worthington of Terminator Salvation fame plays Perseus, the son of Zeus, and the lead role in Clash of the Titans. He portrays his earthly origin, his quest for answers, and the rise to a hero convincingly. To those who have seen Terminator Salvation, similarities in character specific to the sense of internal questions and discovery will be noticeable. Liam Neeson as Zeus is perfect, seemingly godlike in presence, and loving and caring in his outlook towards mankind. It’s interesting to see Ralph Fiennes as Hades, especially considering were more accustomed to seeing him as the hopeless romantic. His success as the dark, grim Hades, god of the dead and king of the underworld goes to show his remarkable range as an actor.

As in most cases, the DVD I was sampling was a Region 1 US release. Picture was clear, though colors were intentionally not very vibrant; greys, silvers and other fantasy shades being emphasized. Sound was presented by means of a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack, and was effective; dialogue being clear and through the center channel, while the mammoth action sequences came alive with the use of the surround stage. The desert action sequences reminded me of the opening battle in the first Transformers movie.

My Recommendation: Watch It (Casual action entertainment, courtesy Greek gods and special effects)