Monday, April 12, 2010

CLASH OF THE TITANS

Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes,
Gemma Arterton, Jason Flemyng, Mads Mikkelsen, Alexa Davalos

"Between gods and men, the clash begins!"

Cinema 10, SM Megamall

I read that this remake pales in comparison to the original "Clash of the Titans" which was released in 1981. But since I never saw Harry Hamlin play Perseus, I cannot really make a valid comparison. Besides I hate it when critics and non critics alike compare a remake to its original. Of course, the original will always be better in scope and merit.

So I watched Perseus (Sam Worthington), the demigod, son of Zeus (Liam Neeson) as he encountered giant scorpions and strange looking creatures during his long journey. A trek that will lead him to Io (Gemma Arterton), Pegasus and Medusa and eventually face his ultimate foe, the hideous and menacing Kraken. Apparently men have forsaken their Gods so Hades (Ralph Fiennes) rage is released upon them. And it all falls on poor Perseus, a reluctant 'hero' to save the city of Argos and mankind.

This fantasy film simply thrives on computer generated special effects, authentic costume design, well choreographed action sequences and large scale shots of brilliant cinematography. Acting wise you have good actors like Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes playing grander than life characters that could use more in depth development. Sam Worthington as Perseus looks pretty much dazed and rigid (much like his role in "Avatar") throughout the entire film. I understand he meant to convey some sort of reluctance on the demigod to show his true potential but I feel that he should have put more effort in his leading role. In fact, Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (the antagonist "Le Chiffre" in the James Bond flick "Casino Royale") as Draco stole the thunder from Perseus. Sigh.

Overall, I wasn't really disappointed with the film as I pretty much had low expectations from this good vs evil blockbuster. Pretty much the same reaction I had from watching "Troy". Heh! Though, the thrill of seeing Pegasus (the winged horse) and Medusa with the snakes on her head was enough to keep me entertained for 106 minutes.

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