Movies like this can easily be bad, with over-the-top action scenes, a script that seems like it was written by a 12-year-old, and a bonehead plot. Fortunately, the filmmakers here decided to actually take this one a little more seriously. The film is based on a remake from the 1981 "Clash of the Titans", and the new 2010 one is filled to its brim with, at times, beautiful CGI. More or less, that's what this whole film mainly depends on, the strength of its CGI. And what the film mostly consists of is real humans fighting CGI in mindless action scenes. That's right, mindless. Is this a bad thing? Well, it can be enjoyable to a point, but when it reaches the stage where you can barely recognize what's happening in the movie, then that's bad. This is one of the flaws of the film. There are times when the action on screen simply look like utter madness. Still, Sam Worthington gives an inspired performance along with Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes. They make the best of the material is this fun but flawed action adventure.
Perseus (Worthington) learns that his real father is Zeus (Neeson), a god. He is angry that he never knew this after 20-some years, and to make matters worse, Zeus' brother Hades (Fiennes) murdered Perseus' fake father whom Perseus loved very much. He vows to take revenge by killing Hades but of course, it's no easy task to kill a god. Despite Perseus' obvious courage and characteristic of being both a man and a god, it seems like an impossible feat when you look at the creatures that he's going to have to kill. Watch Perseus swing his sword bravely through every mindless (there's that word again) action scene to accomplish his seemingly improbable goal.
I think Sam Worthington is a certified blockbuster actor now. And though he can't and may never top the success he had with "Avatar", it is no doubt that his new film will do well in the box office. Liam Neeson is solid here, but the part doesn't demand much out of him. Still, Neeson is Neeson, which is good. The rest of the supporting cast, led by the legend Ralph Fiennes, do enough to fulfill each of their characters.
The script is nothing special, but rather flawed in its amount of cheesiness. I hate using that word, but some scenes undoubtedly include some cheesy dialogue. But believe it or not, "Clash of the Titans" is not a bad film, but an enjoyable one. When the action doesn't seem so mindless, it can be fun to watch. You also begin to care about Perseus more and more as the film goes on, making his quest for revenge exciting. This film is a more serious version of this year's "Percy Jackson and the Olympians", which I found to be a better film. Despite that, this is a movie to enjoy with a big bag of popcorn and a nice pair of 3-D glasses. Just don't expect a masterfully made epic that's entertaining throughout. Just because it's starring Sam Worthington doesn't mean it's as good as "Avatar". C'mon now.
Rating: 21/2 out of 4
