Clash Of The Titans Blu-Ray Review And Giveaway

There is a very odd feel to the remake of the awesome bit of cult ridiculousness that is Clash of the Titans, and it seems to stem, curiously, from some kind of insecurity on the part of director Louis Leterrier.

It's odd because, though he may not have scores of films under his belt, he has proven himself at least rather competent when it comes to pulling entertainment value out of less-than-cerebral action romps, and I mean that in the best possible way. Transporter, Unleashed, and The Incredible Hulk, have all measured up well.

Despite that success, Clash of the Titans feels like a film that is largely unsure of itself, and to the extent that the movie succeeds it is more a question of accidentally overcoming this strange identity crisis than anything else.

Olympus is in something of a state of turmoil, and it is mainly because people are thumbing their noses at the gods. The mythology is thrown at us rather quickly, but we come to find out that the Olympians are actually dependent on humans for their immortality. It's hard to get a hold on how this is meant to make sense exactly, but it is enough to know that Zeus needs prayers, and people have lost interest.

Rather disheartened by the actions and apparent disinterest of the gods who are supposed to be looking out for them, people are apparently rallying around the, "What have you done for me lately?" platform. Taking things a step further, the uppity humans are desecrating Zeus' statues, and otherwise outwardly proclaiming their defiance. This plays out as a bit odd, because humans are apparently in the know insofar as the effectiveness of the sitting quietly and not praying approach.

Innocently caught up in this mess is Perseus (Sam Worthington). A foundling of interesting circumstances, he is a simple fisherman's son who wants nothing to do with politics and grand machinations. When Hades comes to give what for to some humans who are getting too big for their britches, he casually, and for no reason, kills off Perseus' family.

Thus begins our tale, and what follows is largely by-the-numbers action, and though you may not know exactly what or who is going to show up, you know that this is the spot in the form where it reads, "strange, untrusted ally shows up," or, "insanely massive monster bursts forth." It's that sort of game.

Except... it's really pretty good. Despite trying to distance itself from the cornball nature of its namesake, it pulls out what made that screwy monstrosity fun, and delivers a thoroughly watchable adventure.

The problem is, as I said, that there is a misstep somehow in one's ability to actually have the experience that exists somewhere in the theory behind the film, and I think because the film has so many of them. As if created by committee, we watch as the film points out the bullet list from a cacophony of voices building it simply by shouting, "Be this. Be that. Don't be this," and there is hardly a moment to settle into what the film actually is. In the end, trying to satisfy everyone doesn't take the film down too far, but it distracts enough to leave a strange taste in your mouth.

Rating:  

Blu-Ray features -

The Blu-Ray includes 3 bonuses, or dozens, depending on how you're counting.

An alternate, incomplete ending actually almost makes the movie quite a bit better, then goes wrong, but is certainly interesting.

Sam Worthington: An Action Hero For The Ages sets itself up for something of a fall with that title, but gives you an interesting look at the actor.

Everything else comes to you by way of Maximum Movie Mode, which is the picture-in-picture viewing option.

Scene breakdowns, filming locales, special-effects deconstructions, interview bites, and much more come to you while the movie plays, and Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and director Louis Leterrier all jump in to guide and discuss.

I'm usually not that big on the general idea behind MMM, but they do a pretty good job of it with this one. Those behind such releases aren't often all that savvy about what makes their own theory work, throwing out bits of video just because they can, with little thought toward adding to the experience as opposed to having bells and whistles. I'm still not convinced that I wouldn't prefer my bonuses on their own, but this one at least blends things together well, and the additions connect well.

The most interesting things you're going to find have to do with the effects, unless just seeing the stars is a bonus to you, but it's a good time, and you can sit through it for a second viewing without eventually becoming irritated.

Overall I have to give a pretty serious recommendation to the release. It looks great on Blu-Ray, actually throwing out a good deal of movie magic that makes it worth it, and it's a more serious bit of action craziness than most.

Available on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, On Demand and for Download Today!

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About Marc Eastman

Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.

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