GaryDClash of the Titans (2010)
April 9th 2010 14:51
I’m not one for taking the time out to flush a movie down the toilet. Why? Well I love movies and still enjoy the thrill of going to the cinema. However, this awkward 2010 version of Clash of the Titans tempts my ‘evil critic’ to come out. The first issue with Clash of the Titans is the utter pointlessness of screening it in 3D. Regardless of the current popularity of 3D the choice to ‘convert’ the film from 2D into 3D was an exceedingly poor one. This movie did not need a 3D upgrade. It’s like taking a Jackson Pollock and mounting it in a fancy frame. The colours tell the story not the woodwork holding it together.
Nevertheless, It’s great to see a film being retold for a contemporary audience. But it’s easy to fall into the ‘older is better’ trap, this in consideration of Desmond Davis’ 1981 version of Clash of the Titans. Suffice to say that the Davis’ movie reinforces the idea that a good story expressed in an interesting and smooth way beats the pants off the smoke and mirrors of technology. This is not to say that Clash of the Titans 2010 is a total stinker because parts of it were fantastic and really enjoyable. However, it stutters along between the action and drama with pointless scenes that slow the movie down. The dialogue in many parts was so appalling that the acting looks stiff and boring. I do have to make this obsequious point with regards to props. For a $125 million 2D/3D production someone could have designed and crafted the weapons so that didn’t look like brand new rubber ACME toys.
I find it easy to understand why this film has been in and out of production since 2002 but the action scenes are great and more than make up for its shortcomings. I enjoyed it and particularly thought the scene where Perseus played by Sam Worthington enters Medusa’s lair in order to kill and retrieve her head. The tension and action played out carries the film towards its hair-raising end. The Greek myth of Perseus provides a fantastic backdrop for an exciting and riveting story. The myth (not the movie) is packed with full-bodied characters, monsters, madness, drama and the timelessness of the human condition. Even though Clash of the Titans does not breath fresh life into the myth of Perseus it’s fun and worth the price of admission. Yet, I have to reiterate my major beef, the 3D obsession. It added nothing to the end result and if anything it was a pointless distraction. The fact that the film was shot for 2D means the film was shot for that format which in my humble opinion negates the need for the uninspiring postpartum 3D fix.
Review by Gary Daly (I paid to see this film)
Nevertheless, It’s great to see a film being retold for a contemporary audience. But it’s easy to fall into the ‘older is better’ trap, this in consideration of Desmond Davis’ 1981 version of Clash of the Titans. Suffice to say that the Davis’ movie reinforces the idea that a good story expressed in an interesting and smooth way beats the pants off the smoke and mirrors of technology. This is not to say that Clash of the Titans 2010 is a total stinker because parts of it were fantastic and really enjoyable. However, it stutters along between the action and drama with pointless scenes that slow the movie down. The dialogue in many parts was so appalling that the acting looks stiff and boring. I do have to make this obsequious point with regards to props. For a $125 million 2D/3D production someone could have designed and crafted the weapons so that didn’t look like brand new rubber ACME toys.
I find it easy to understand why this film has been in and out of production since 2002 but the action scenes are great and more than make up for its shortcomings. I enjoyed it and particularly thought the scene where Perseus played by Sam Worthington enters Medusa’s lair in order to kill and retrieve her head. The tension and action played out carries the film towards its hair-raising end. The Greek myth of Perseus provides a fantastic backdrop for an exciting and riveting story. The myth (not the movie) is packed with full-bodied characters, monsters, madness, drama and the timelessness of the human condition. Even though Clash of the Titans does not breath fresh life into the myth of Perseus it’s fun and worth the price of admission. Yet, I have to reiterate my major beef, the 3D obsession. It added nothing to the end result and if anything it was a pointless distraction. The fact that the film was shot for 2D means the film was shot for that format which in my humble opinion negates the need for the uninspiring postpartum 3D fix.
Review by Gary Daly (I paid to see this film)
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