Just got back from watching Clash of the Titans in 3D. I wasn’t expecting great things from the film, but one of my daughters asked me to accompany her, and I thought, “What the heck; a chance for a little bonding time on the drive to Janesville.”
Turns out I vastly underestimated the film. It… is… simply… awesome! This is one of those projects that shows dedication and love from the creative team in every aspect.
Sure, the 3D is amazing (and you really ought to see it in 3D at least once). And the cast is just superb. Sam Worthington makes a wonderful Perseus, and Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes as Zeus and Hades are utterly convincing. Alexa Davalos as Andromeda and Gemma Arterton as Io round out the main roles admirably.
What surprised me, however, was the depth of the storytelling. So often high-budget films are train wrecks with thin plots full of gaping holes, not much more than a thread to carry the viewer from spectacle to spectacle. Not so with this version of Clash of the Titans. Character motivations propel a larger-than-life conflict from opening sequence to ending credits, with no gaffes or stumbles. Frankly, I found myself inspired by the heroic tale, even as I was delighted by the visuals.
“Purists” may argue that too many liberties were taken with Greek mythology, but I’d counter that the Greeks who made this stuff up on the first place were certainly taking liberties. What matters in this case is that an old tale was presented in a fresh way, connecting mythology to a modern audience.
And as I mentioned, there is loving detail throughout. Watch the flight of the Pegasus to see what I mean. Someone really cared to render the very spirit of the creature in its movements.
Don’t miss your opportunity to see this in 3D in a theater. While the 2D version will certainly be worth rewatching later, this is a spectacle you’ll want to see at least once in the fullest.
Thanks for the comment, Cesar. You make a good point about Disney’s Hercules. Then again, the original mythology was hardly fixed in stone. I’ve come across at least three different Greek origins for Pegasus, for instance. So I’m inclined to give modern storytellers some leeway—as long as they keep me entertained. 🙂
Lester
I had a pleasure-pain dilemma before the movie. I liked the cheesy 80’s classic. But there have been too many remakes, too many adaptations and reimagings lately, many quite awful. I was surprised, as you were, that there *was* a real story in there. Yes, they moved some characters around, but not as bad as in Disney’s Hercules. I liked the humans versus gods conflict, which has been making many appearances lately. I liked also how they resolved it – they could have gone a different way with it. I read that the 3D was an afterthought, after the success of some fine 3D movies like Up. While this obvious to me after knowing about it, it did not detract. For the scenes where it was fully used, it was amazing. The Pegasus scenes definitely were part of it. Yes, they seem like they will be in whatever console game is made from the movie, but they did fit quite well in a way I have not scene outside of Anime.
Speaking of which, I told Jenny on the way out of the theater yesterday that I had the wistful feeling of wishing I could have seen this new one with my old gaming group. It brought back exactly that FRPG thrill for me.
Which is saying something, considering that the years have lent a certain weight to my free time. I feel less apt to just read for enjoyment or play a game, and more of a necessity to research, trying to understand the forces driving our civilization. For something to yank me away from responsibility into pure fun for a few hours, it has to appeal to that deeper sense as well.
This Clash of the Titans kept me engaged at all levels, from sheer fun to deeper contemplation of what it means to be human.
I haven’t seen the new one but I have a weakness for the charm of the original, lame as it can be. It certainly captured the thrill D&D was giving me during my first year of playing the game, et al.