Clash of the Titans Fun but Forgettable

In 1981, the early days of the multi-million dollar Hollywood blockbuster, Clash of the Titans hit the big screen and fired up the imaginations of moviegoers everywhere with it‘s rousing adventure, dashing heroes, and terrifying creatures. Now, 29 years later, the sword and sandals spectacle is reborn as a big, loud, CGI-filled remake.

Director Louis Letterier takes the reins behind the camera while Sam Worthington, star of the biggest movie of all time, Avatar, tries his hand as the fabled Greek hero Perseus, played by Harry Hamlin in the original Clash.  The film also boasts two big time A-listers, Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes, as the Gods who strive to have total control over the mortal humans.

Letterier is no stranger to big action films, having directed 2008's The Incredible Hulk starring Edward Norton, and claims to have been a huge fan of the 1981 original.  His version is both a loving homage to that film and a completely different beast.  While the original was a love story, with the heroic Perseus embarking on an impossible mission to save his beloved... Andromeda from being sacrificed to a giant sea monster, the remake is a little more complicated.  This time, the people of Greece are out to prove that they can handle things on their own and need no more help from the Gods of Olympus, who are becoming less and less compassionate to the mortals they watch over.  While this new plot line adds a sense of epic scale, a la Lord of the Rings, the simple love story approach would have been more personal to audiences and allowed more compassion towards the characters.  Letterier is known for making fast paced films, and Clash of the Titans is no exception.  However, this tends to hurt the film as the moviegoer is given little time to breathe between monster battles and doesn't give characters more personality, adding some depth and emotional attachment.  The character moments that are in the film are good and heartfelt, disappointingly showing the potential for a great movie instead of just a good one.

The performances are adequate, but no one truly stands out.  Worthington does a brave and tough Perseus, but he seems to be playing the same character he played in Avatar and Terminator Salvation. Thankfully, he is very likable and audiences can root for him. Neeson is rightfully cast as Zeus, the King of the Gods. No stranger to the wise mentor role, having played it in Batman Begins, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Star Wars: Episode I, he portrays Zeus as a booming, powerful deity, growing despised of the humans he created for rejecting him and his fellow Gods, yet still caring for them and aiding Perseus on his mission.  Fiennes portrays the villainous Hades as an almost watered down version of his Lord Voldemort character in the Harry Potter series.  His raspy, whispering voice seems somewhat forced, but the God of the Underworld commits some truly horrifying acts, giving the audience a great villain to hate.  The two female leads are sadly not as prominent.  Gemma Arterton portrays the mythical Io, a new character created for the remake, who, while beautiful, serves