Rashid Irani's Review: Clash of the Titans

Here’s a throwback to the days of the Saturday matinee mythological adventures. The remake of the 1981 sword-and-sorcery saga, Clash of the Titans merely succeeds in testing the viewer’s tolerance levels. Read the full review...

Cast: Sam Worthington, Gemma Arterton

Direction: Louis Leterrier

Rating: **

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Here’s a throwback to the days of the Saturday matinee mythological adventures. The remake of the 1981 sword-and-sorcery saga, Clash of the Titans merely succeeds in testing the viewer’s tolerance levels. It’s burdened with a predictable plot (with shades of the recent Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief), anaemic actors and less than spectacular special effects.

Playing out a kitschy retelling of the myth of Perseus (Worthington, listless) the narrative charts the exploits of the half-human, half-God Greek hero who must vanquish mythical monsters before peace can be restored on earth. These big, bad beasties don’t deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as those unleashed by the Ray Harryhausen in the first Titans flick.

The rest of the ranks of Gods and mortals are filled out by such stalwarts as Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes (embarrassingly inept as Hades). Gemma Arterton fails to infuse any spirit into her role.

The camerawork, with its constantly swooping overhead shots, is a strain. As for the background music score, it sounds like cheap filler. The sense of wonder that's so important in such fantasies is lacking here.