Clash of the Titans (2010): I remember watching the original version of this film back when I was a wee lad. Even had the kraken toy (the playability of which was somewhat limited outside of ‘I need a giant evil monster right now!’). This also means I know going in that if I want classic Greek mythology, I’m better off with Bulfinch than “CotT”. That also being said, I know that the original wasn’t high water mark for great film either. Same general tropes are here - Perseus, son of Zeus and a mortal woman, goes on a quest to save the city of Argos (Joppa in the original) from the revenge of the gods, specifically its destruction at the hands of the kraken monster and the sacrifice of a beautiful princess. Along the way he encounters monsters, giant scorpions, medusa, harpies, gods, and other general unpleasantness. There are several changes from the original script, including some brand new characters like the djinn, events taking place out of order, and the almost complete exclusion of the mechanical owl Bubo. Also, all the Ray Harryhausen stop-motion goodness from the first film is replaced by oodles of CGI, which makes me think of “Lord of the Rings“ and not classical Greece. Hollywood IT Boy Sam Worthington is Perseus, and he has a fairly solid supporting cast including Mads Mikkelsen, Gemma Arterton, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and Liam Cunningham, amongst others. Danny Huston also appears in a throwaway role as Poseidon, relegated to the back burner as Fiennes’ Hades is front and center. Louis Leterrier, who gave us the 2nd good “Hulk” film and the 2nd awful “Transporter” film, directs, and it’s obvious he’s a fan of the original. I won’t call this a resurrection of the swords-and-sandals genre, as it seems a little too polished, a little too clean compared to the cheese and low budgets of the movies that fit that description. Still, it’s fine for what it is. Woodchuck sez, “You may like this.”
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