Clash of the Titans (3D)

Clash of the Titans starring Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton and directed by Louis Leterrier in 3D.

Due to the previously posted article with Leterrier we wanted to see the 2D version but the only time that worked out was for the 3D showing. On the one hand, I'm glad that we could see the 3D converted movie for ourselves, but on the other hand it really was bad in certain sections. Overall it wasn't terrible but there were distinct moments where the perspective is clearly wrong to the eye. It's particularly noticeable during close-ups of actor's faces, where the face itself is clear but the hair, jawline, and ears seem a little too far away from the face. The only other time I really noticed a flaw was during a scene with a horse where it is pawing/digging at the ground and its front two legs are doubled momentarily. The 3D isn't spectacular and doesn't add much to the movie. Often I found it distracting as the eye will pick up on something that isn't quite right but disappears as quickly as it came. Stick with the 2D unless you're a huge fan of 3D.

For a movie called Clash of the Titans there are surprisingly few titans or gods in the movie so if you're hoping for a real clash of titans, this isn't it. That is not to say that the movie isn't enjoyable, or there aren't some neat god-like powers demonstrated, just that it's more about Perseus (Worthington) and his humanity than anything else. As usual, it seems that Sam Worthington can only perform two faces: angry, and blank. From Terminator Salvation to Avatar to Clash of the Titans, the roles are not exactly demonstrating his range as an actor. Neeson plays Zeus, king of the gods, and Fiennes is Hades, his brother and god of the underworld. The two are feuding over the fate of humanity as some citizens of Greece have decided that they no longer need to honour the gods. Neeson as Zeus is predictable but enjoyable. However, Fiennes as Hades is eerily like his performances in the Harry Potter series as Voldemort. The voice, the mannerisms, the whole "dark lord" bit, it's all there. Maybe the casting of Fiennes isn't so surprising because both the Harry Potter series and Clash of the Titans are Warner Brothers productions.

Overall Clash of the Titans is what you'd expect from a summer blockbuster. It's big on special effects and light on character development. I enjoyed the mythological aspect, but don't look for accuracy in the retellings of the myths (in the film, Zeus, not Prometheus, created humans) or hope for a lot of gods fighting amongst themselves. It is an entertaining movie and the fight scenes are spaced regularly enough that you won't get bored. See it (in 2D), but only if you're in the mood for more-or-less mindless entertainment. If you can't stand summer action movie fluff - skip it.

IMDB here

Rotten Tomatoes here

official movie site here