The twists in this action-adventure depart from mythology and the expectations of your typical wooden Latin teacher, the type of instructor who has reverence for Classical Greek lore.
Sam Worthington, who for a while was touted as Hollywood’s sure bet for the A list performs at face value. The start of this franchise pits Perseus against his heroic trials and the larger than life special effects pits Worthington with a seeming endless supply of green screen acting. Sure enough the actor has charisma, and the team that follows suit, including Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes deserve some praise for their time to chew the scenery but ultimately what ironically saves this outing is the twist in ending and departure from lore.
One can go on and on about the similarity between these two films. Now it’s Theseus of legend’s time to shine. Here, played by this summer’s Superman, Henry Cavill. The direction he receives from director Tarsem Singh is distant and drab, just as the scenery is desolate and dry—full of Mars red deserts and darkness—here devoid of the lush green and pregnant flora that Louis Leterrier, director of Clash developed for his film.
But there are some morbid torment involved with Singh’s turn at the camera. It’s a stretch, a glorious dive to see an Olympian God descending into the ocean, a triumphant feat of power in a singular acute angle cascading down to ocean. The Gods here are ever young, the immortals that the title suggests. Unable to intervene in mortal fate so much; even as, three of their oracles being imprisoned in a metal huffing bull (the bull being important to Cretan and Atlantean myth); even as, civil war amongst humans of the sad, sad Mediterranean coincide with political oppositions and the upheavals that result from it (“they only want to be taken seriously at the bargaining table”).
So, socio-political warfare makes it’s intro here in the oh’ so long ago. The physical affronts are entrenched but Theseus unnatural birth bring him front and center to avert divine disaster if the Titans should surface, as Hyperion, played decently by Mickey Rourke, wishes.
In Summation
Both films are worth watching, but the second is a little more adult. A lot more adult actually thanks to the time spent on Freida Pinto. But Clash of the Titans has its beloved muse too, a brilliant twist in the script and worth the price of admission (which by now is a flick of a switch on Netflix).
