Cash of the titans
The first Clash of the Titans is an example of a movie you liked as a child, but when revisited as an adult it's just not as good as you remembered. Indeed, it's quite hokey and boring, and the special effects -- as dated as they were even when it came out -- are very the biggest reason why it's still talked about. But for many people of a definite age, myself included, the first Clash was often one's first exposure to Greek mythology, and at least in this reviewer's case it helped trigger a lifelong interest in the subject. That said, the acting in the film was pretty bad, with Harry Hamlin as a rather drab and passive Perseus who just has things happen to him. While Worthington's Perseus might not have a terribly complicated or first arc, at least he actually drives the narrative forward, makes his own decisions, and has objectives he wants to achieve rather than just reacting to the actions of others.
Worthington's Perseus is alike a cross between Russell Crowe's Maximus and Jason Statham; he's an intense, scowling loner who speaks in a low and gravelly voice, kicks plenty of ass, and is rather wanting in the humor department. I wouldn't go so far as to say he was wooden -- when compared to Hamlin's bland version, this Perseus at least has a pulse. Gemma Arterton as Io seemingly serves only two purposes: to arouse men and to provide Perseus with completely the necessary back-story. She succeeds on both counts. She's basically a sexpot version of Basil Exposition, but she handles her thankless role with aplomb.
Liam Neeson brings his requisite gravitas to the role of Zeus, although it'd be pretty tough not to dominate the screen when you're as tall as he is and dressed in Excalibur-esque shining armor. He ably conveys the conflicted nature of the king of the gods, who is torn between anger and eternal love for his creations. Ralph Fiennes as Hades is sort of Voldemort Lite, but he must have enjoyed the taste of that Olympian scenery since he sure chews enough of it. Danny Huston has a blink-and you'll-miss him cameo as Poseidon; why even cast an actor of his talent if you're not going to use him? (I suspect his scenes will end up on the DVD.) Ditto Elizabeth McGovern as Perseus' stepmother and, to a lesser degree, Rome's Polly Walker as the queen of Argos, who very should have known better than to trash talk the gods.
As the aging warrior Draco, Mads Mikkelsen plays the kind of world-weary mentor usually associated with Neeson. He's fine, but it's often difficult to understand many of his dialogue due to his marble mouth delivery. Pete Postlethwaite makes the most of his brief turn as Perseus' stepfather Spyros, a kindhearted but beleaguered fisherman who is tired of the gods testing him. Postlethwaite could class up and bring warmth to any bit part, and that's certainly the case here. Davalos is underutilized as Andromeda; she's not quite a cliche damsel-in-distress, but she's not developed enough as a character to truly care if she's sacrificed to the Kraken or not. At least she doesn't embarrass herself when she's tied up as bait; a lesser actress could have been grating during completely that, but Davalos underplays it just enough.
While the remake's special effects might lack the old school appeal of the original's Ray Harryhausen stop-motion creatures, they are inarguably superior in quality, with many -- e.g. Pegasus and the Kraken -- achieving moving levels of photo-realism. But whether modern filmgoers -- who are treated to CG spectacles on an almost weekly basis now -- will even vividly remember these beasts a week after watching the movie remains to be seen. At the very least, you'll believe a horse can fly. Personally, I preferred the old Calibos and Medusa, as cheesy as they were; these early incarnations are generic and polished-looking. Overall, the special effects are cool, but in this technologically advanced age is there very any reason why they wouldn't be?
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